Michael Welker - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Michael Welker is a German Protestant theologian

Theology

Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...

and professor

Professor

A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

of 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...

(Dogmatics

Dogmatic theology

Dogmatic theology is that part of theology dealing with the theoretical truths of faith concerning God and his works, especially the official theology recognized by an organized Church body, such as the Roman Catholic Church, Dutch Reformed Church, etc...

).

Biblical Theology

Biblical Theology

Biblical theology is a discipline within Christian theology which studies the Bible from the perspective of understanding the progressive history of God revealing Himself to humanity following the Fall and throughout the Old Testament and New Testament...

and “general theory” are the main focus of his research. He reached a wider audience with publications about the Spirit of God

Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...

, creation (especially in dialog with the science

Science

Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...

s), the role of the church

Christian Church

The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...

in pluralistic societies

Religious pluralism

Religious pluralism is a loosely defined expression concerning acceptance of various religions, and is used in a number of related ways:* As the name of the worldview according to which one's religion is not the sole and exclusive source of truth, and thus that at least some truths and true values...

, resurrection

Resurrection

Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...

and the Protestant view of the Lord’s Supper

Eucharist

The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...

, but also his work related to A. N. Whitehead

Whitehead

-With common given names on further disambiguation pages:*Alan Whitehead *George Whitehead *Henry Whitehead *James Whitehead *John Whitehead...

and process theology

Process theology

Process theology is a school of thought influenced by the metaphysical process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead and further developed by Charles Hartshorne . While there are process theologies that are similar, but unrelated to the work of Whitehead the term is generally applied to the...

, to Luhmann

Niklas Luhmann

Niklas Luhmann was a German sociologist, and a prominent thinker in sociological systems theory.-Biography:...

and systems theory

Systems theory

Systems theory is the transdisciplinary study of systems in general, with the goal of elucidating principles that can be applied to all types of systems at all nesting levels in all fields of research...

Biography, Academic and Ecclesiastical Activities

He went to school in West-Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

and in Grünstadt (Western Germany) and was ordained a minister of the Protestant church of the Palatinate. In 1973 he received a PhD degree in Systematic Theology, Prof. Moltmann

Jürgen Moltmann

Jürgen Moltmann is a German Reformed theologian. The 2000 recipient of the Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Religion.-Moltmann's Youth:...

having been his advisor. In 1978 he received another PhD degree under supervision of the philosopher Prof. Henrich. In 1980 he completed his Habilitation

Habilitation

Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...

in Tübingen

Tübingen

Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...

, Baden-Württemberg

Baden-Württemberg

Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...

, with his discussion of Whitehead and process philosophy. From 1983 to 1987 he was professor for Systematic Theology in Tübingen, 1987-1991 he held the chair for Reformed Theology in Münster

Münster

Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...

, and since 1991 he has been professor for dogmatics in Heidelberg

Heidelberg

-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...

.
He lectured at the University of Chicago

University of Chicago

The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...

(1984), McMaster University

McMaster University

McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...

(1985), Princeton Theological Seminary

Princeton Theological Seminary

Princeton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States...

(1988 and 1995), the Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton (1997, 1999), and at Harvard Divinity School

Harvard Divinity School

Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. The School's mission is to train and educate its students either in the academic study of religion, or for the practice of a religious ministry or other public...

(2001). In 2003 he was offered the position of the director of the Center of Theological Inquiry (CTI) in Princeton. 1996-2006 he was director of the Internationales Wissenschaftsforum Heidelberg (IWH), and since 2005 he is managing director of the Forschungszentrum Internationale und Interdisziplinäre Theologie (FIIT) in Heidelberg, which he also co-founded. The University of Debrecen

University of Debrecen

The University of Debrecen is a university located in Debrecen, Hungary. It is the oldest continuously operating institution of higher education in Hungary .-History:...

awarded him an honorary phD degree.
Since 2004 he has been member of the chamber of theology of the council of the Protestant Church in Germany (EKD)

Evangelical Church in Germany

The Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...

and judge at the constitutional court of the EKD; since 2006 he has been regular member of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences. He was granted the Medal of Heidelberg University

Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg

The Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg is a public research university located in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Founded in 1386, it is the oldest university in Germany and was the third university established in the Holy Roman Empire. Heidelberg has been a coeducational institution...

. Since 1984 he has given lectures in the USA, in Hungary, Korea, China, and South Africa; since 1991 he has given numerous endowed lectures.
During his commitment with the IWH, CTI and FIIT he organized numerous projects of international and interdisciplinary cooperation, research projects extended over several years, publications, especially concerning the dialog between theology and the sciences. Since 2006 he has been building a Global Network of Research Centers for Theology, Religious and Christian Studies.

Selected Bibliography of English Titles

The Work of the Spirit: Pneumatology and Pentecostalism (ed.), Eerdmans: Grand Rapids 2006
God's Life in Trinity (ed.), Fortress: Minneapolis 2006
Reconsidering the Boundaries between Theological Disciplines, LIT: Münster 2005
Reformed Theology (ed.), Eerdmans: Grand Rapids 2003
Resurrection – Theological and Scientific Assessments (ed.), Eerdmans: Grand Rapids 2002
Faith in the Living God (ed.), SPCK: London 2001
The End of the World and the Ends of God: Science and Theology on Eschatology, Trinity: Harrisburg 2000
What Happens in Holy Communion?, Eerdmans: Grand Rapids 2000
Creation and Reality, Fortress: Minneapolis 1999
"We Live Deeper than We Think" - the genius of Schleiermacher's earliest ethics, Theology Today, July 1999
God the Spirit, Fortress: Minneapolis 1994

External links

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