Matthias Wolfes is a German Protestant theologian.

Biography and activities

In 1998 he earned a PhD in systematic theology

Systematic theology

In the context of Christianity, systematic theology is a discipline of Christian theology that attempts to formulate an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the Christian faith and beliefs...

 from the University of Heidelberg (Dr. theol.), Prof. Wolfgang Huber

Wolfgang Huber

Wolfgang Huber is a prominent German theologian and ethicist. Huber served as bishop of the Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia until November 2009...

 was his doctoral advisor. In 2002 he received another PhD degree (Dr. phil.) under supervision of Prof. Michael Salewski (University of Kiel

University of Kiel

The University of Kiel is a university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in 1665 as the Academia Holsatorum Chiloniensis by Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and has approximately 23,000 students today...

). In 1999 he was ordained a minister of the Protestant Church in Berlin-Brandenburg

Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia

The Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia is a Protestant church body in the German states of Brandenburg, Berlin and a part of Saxony. The seat of the church is in Berlin. It is the most important Protestant denomination in the area....

, which is a United

Prussian Union (Evangelical Christian Church)

The Prussian Union was the merger of the Lutheran Church and the Reformed Church in Prussia, by a series of decrees – among them the Unionsurkunde – by King Frederick William III...

 church (Lutheran and Reformed tradition).

Wolfes has published several substantial studies on the history of theology since the Enlightenment

Age of Enlightenment

The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...

. His research interests focus on modern Protestant theology and ethics. His current work deals with the theory of signs

Semiotics

Semiotics, also called semiotic studies or semiology, is the study of signs and sign processes , indication, designation, likeness, analogy, metaphor, symbolism, signification, and communication...

, the phenomenology of religion

Phenomenology of religion

The phenomenology of religion concerns the experiential aspect of religion, describing religious phenomena in terms consistent with the orientation of the worshippers. It views religion as being made up of different components, and studies these components across religious traditions so that an...

, and the concept of a "Transforming Theology". He teaches in Berlin (Freie Universität).

Books

• Protestantische Theologie und Moderne Welt. Studien zur Geschichte der Liberalen Theologie. Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter
  Walter de Gruyter
  Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG is a scholarly publishing house specializing in academic literature. Its origins date back to 1749 when it was given the right to print books by King Frederick II of Prussia. -De Gruyter Mouton:...
  
  , 1999.
• Theologiestudium und Pfarramt. Eine kirchensoziologische Studie. Hannover: Lutherisches Verlagshaus, 2000.
• Hermann Mulert. Lebensbild eines Kieler Theologen. Neumünster: Wachholtz Verlag, 2000.
• (Edited with Michael Pietsch) Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher: Kleine Schriften 1786 – 1833 (Kritische Gesamtausgabe Ser. I, Vol. 14). Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter, 2003.
• Öffentlichkeit und Bürgergesellschaft. Friedrich Schleiermachers politische Wirksamkeit (Schleiermacher-Studies. Part I, Vol. 1/2]. Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter, 2004. (Reviews: The Journal of Ecclesiastical History and H-Net Reviews)

Selected essays

• "Theologie als Weltanschauungswissenschaft." Zeitschrift für Neuere Theologiegeschichte / Journal for the History of Modern Theology 5 (1998).
• "Frühliberale Theologie und politischer Liberalismus." Jahrbuch zur Liberalismus-Forschung 11 (1999).
• "Schuld und Verantwortung." Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte 111 (2000).
• "Schleiermachers Vorlesung über Dogmatische Theologie aus dem Sommersemester 1811." Schleiermacher-Archiv Vol. 19, Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter, 2000.
• "Public Sphere and Nation State." New Athenaeum 6 (2001).
• "Historismus und Christologie." Troeltsch-Studien. Vol. 2, Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus, 2001.
• "Die Oeffentlichkeit des Lebens und der Staat." In Christoph Stumpf, Holger Zaborowski, eds., Church as Politeia. The Political Self-Understanding of Christianity, Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter, 2004.
• "Religion und symbolische Sprachform." In Klaus Tanner, ed., Religion und symbolische Kommunikation, Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 2004.
• "Herders Ideal freier Religiosität." In: Martin Kessler, Volker Leppin, eds., Johann Gottfried Herder. Aspekte seines Lebenswerkes, Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter, 2005.
• "Schleiermacher and Judaism". New Athenaeum 8 (2007).
• "Sichtweisen." Schleiermacher-Archiv. Vol. 22, Berlin / New York: Walter de Gruyter, 2008.
• "Konstruktion der Freiheit." Forschungen zur Brandenburgischen und Preussischen Geschichte. Beihefte Vol. 11, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, 2010.

Numerous articles on German Protestant theologians and churchmen in Neue Deutsche Biographie, The Dictionary of Historical Theology (2000), Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart (4th Edition) / Religion Past and Present and Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL).

Fellowships

• Graduate Research Fellowship: Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel
  Herzog August Bibliothek
  The Herzog August Library , in Wolfenbüttel, , known also as Bibliotheca Augusta, it has an international importance for its collection from the Middle Ages and Early modern Europe. The library is overseen by the Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture...
  
  , Lower Saxony, Forschungs- und Studienstätte für europäische Kulturgeschichte, 2003-04.
• Doctoral scholarship (Ph.D. program): Friedrich Naumann Stiftung
  Friedrich Naumann Foundation
  The Friedrich Naumann Foundation is a German foundation for liberal politics, related to the Free Democratic Party. Established in 1958 by Theodor Heuss, the first president of the Federal Republic of Germany, it promotes individual freedom and liberalism.The Foundation follows the ideals of the...
  
   Berlin / Gummersbach, 1991-93.

Several grants.

Memberships

• American Academy of Religion
  American Academy of Religion
  The American Academy of Religion is the world's largest association of scholars in the field of religious studies and related topics. It is a nonprofit member association,...
  
  
• Ernst-Troeltsch-Gesellschaft

External links

• Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon Online (German)
• Sermons (German)