Eugen Drewermann is a German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 church critic, theologian, peace activist and former Roman Catholic priest. His work has been translated into more than a dozen languages.

Drewermann was born in Bergkamen

Bergkamen

Bergkamen is a town in the district of Unna, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated near the river Lippe, approx. north-east of Dortmund and south-west of Hamm....

 near Dortmund

Dortmund

Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....

. He is best known in Germany for his work toward a non-violent form of Christianity, which, he believes, requires an integration of Depth psychology

Depth psychology

Historically, depth psychology, from a German term , was coined by Eugen Bleuler to refer to psychoanalytic approaches to therapy and research that take the unconscious into account. The term has come to refer to the ongoing development of theories and therapies pioneered by Pierre Janet, William...

 into Exegesis

Exegesis

Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...

 and Theology

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...

. Trained in philosophy, theology, psychoanalysis, and comparative religious studies, he criticized the Roman Catholic Church's literal and biologistic interpretations of miracles, the virgin birth, Ascension, and 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...

 as superstitious and medieval. He called on Rome to understand biblical stories symbolically in such a way that they can become present and healing to readers today. Drewermann's controversial opinions on Catholic dogma, especially the Virgin birth of Jesus lead to a letter expressing "deep worry," in 1986 by then-Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI

Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

, to Drewermann's archbishop

Archbishop

An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...

, Johannes Joachim Degenhardt

Johannes Joachim Degenhardt

Johannes Joachim Degenhardt was the Archbishop of Paderborn, Germany, as well as a cardinal.-Life:...

.

The struggle propelled Drewermann into the public limelight and culminated in 1991 after he published a radical critique of what he considers to be the Vatican's psychologically cruel and mentally enslaving clergy ideal (Kleriker: Psychogramm eines Ideals [Clergy: Psychogram of an ideal]). Archbishop Degenhardt of Paderborn and the Catholic Bishops Conference of Germany engaged in a long drawn-out and heated debate with Drewermann which was closely followed by media and public. As a consequence, on October 7, 1991 the Archbishop

Archbishop

An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...

 disallowed him to teach at the Catholic Seminary of Paderborn and, shortly afterwards, revoked his license to preach 1992.

Drewermann has uttered strong and controversial political opinions. He was against the Gulf War

Gulf War

The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...

, the Iraq War, German participation in the NATO war against Afghanistan, and Israeli Air Raids during the 2006 Lebanon War. In the name of the German Peace Movement, he asked to abolish not only Walter Mixa's office as Military Bishop of Germany but the German military, the Bundeswehr

Bundeswehr

The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...

, as such. Drewermann has signed public calls to support postcommunist Linkspartei

The Left (Germany)

The Left , also commonly referred to as the Left Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Germany. The Left is the most left-wing party of the five represented in the Bundestag....

 and delivers speeches on conferences and protest demonstrations of the left.

Drewermann left the Catholic

Catholic

The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

 Church on his 65th birthday on June 20, 2005, a decision he broadly announced on Sandra Maischberger

Sandra Maischberger

Sandra Maischberger is a German journalist, talk show host, and author. She is the sister of German archeologist Martin Maischberger....

s Talkshow in German television.

Early life

Son of a Lutheran

Lutheranism

Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...

 father and a Catholic

Catholic

The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

 mother, Drewermann, after finishing high school (Abitur

Abitur

Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...

) in Germany, studied philosophy

Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...

 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...

, theology

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...

 in Paderborn

Paderborn

Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...

 and psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...

 in Göttingen

Göttingen

Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...

.

Professional life

Ordained as a Catholic priest in 1966, he worked as a diocesan priest, student chaplain, and eventually began work in 1974 as assistant priest in the parish of St. George in Paderborn. At the same time, he worked as a psychotherapist, and from 1979 also held lectures in comparative religious studies and dogma

Dogma

Dogma is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, or a particular group or organization. It is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted, or diverged from, by the practitioners or believers...

tics at the Catholic Theological Faculty in Paderborn. He continues to hold lectures in Studium generale at Paderborn and talks at other universities. http://www.freewebs.com/drewermann-eugen/newseventsveranstaltungen.htm

Influenced by Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...

, Carl Jung

Carl Jung

Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of Analytical Psychology. Jung is considered the first modern psychiatrist to view the human psyche as "by nature religious" and make it the focus of exploration. Jung is one of the best known researchers in the field of dream analysis and...

, and more recent psychoanalysts, Drewermann radically reinterprets biblical texts according to psychoanalytic, poetic, and existential criteria. His method of interpretation has been clearly outlined in the 1984-1985 two-volume work Tiefenpsychologie und Exegese. His interpretations are as immediate as poetry and aim to rediscover particularly the therapeutic message of Jesus and of the Hebrew prophets, both for the individual and for society at large.

A central topic of Drewermann is the specific way humans experience Angst

Angst

Angst is an English, German, Danish, Norwegian and Dutch word for fear or anxiety . It is used in English to describe an intense feeling of apprehension, anxiety or inner turmoil...

 (fear) due to our self-reflective capacity. He maintains that religion has as its central task to help calm our human anxiety and to stop its devastating effects on all levels of human life, in its personal, social, and global manifestations. Among his more than 80 books are dozens of titles presenting non-moralistic reinterpretations of nearly all biblical texts, including a monumental three-volume scholarly treatise on Genesis 2-11 (Strukturen des Bösen, 1977-8) and a two-volume commentary on the Gospel of Mark; a number of titles on urgent social issues such as war (Der Krieg und das Christentum, 1981), the environment (Der tödliche Fortschritt, 1982), and burning moral issues such as abortion, living will, suicide (Psychoanalyse und Moraltheologie', 1982-4, 3 vols); and, most recently, half a dozen volumes on the question of God in light of the findings of modern anthropology (1998), biology (1999), cosmology (2002), neurology (2006–2007); a depth psychological analysis of more than twenty of the most well-known fairy tale

Fairy tale

A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...

s by the Brothers Grimm

Brothers Grimm

The Brothers Grimm , Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm , were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, and authors who collected folklore and published several collections of it as Grimm's Fairy Tales, which became very popular...

 and one by Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...

.

Since 1992, Drewermann has been working as a freelance author and speaker. He has frequent appearances in German TV talk show

Talk show

A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....

s and is invited to lecture all over Germany, Europe, and the world. While his popularity as a church critic was at its maximum when Der Spiegel

Der Spiegel

Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...

ran a cover story on him in its 1993 Christmas issue, he continues to be a highly sought-after commentator on spiritual, religious and social issues.

He currently has his own monthly call-in radio

Talk radio

Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...

 show titled Redefreiheit (Freedom of Speech) in Bremen http://www.radiobremen.de/nordwestradio/redefreiheit/, which was preceded by a prior regular call-in radio show in Berlin.

Drewermann has appeared twice with the Dalai Lama in Zurich, and has written a book with him on the dialogue among religions. After the September 11, 2001 attacks

September 11, 2001 attacks

The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...

 he described the attacks as the result of complex dynamics in which both sides in the terror war had contributed to the conflict. In agreement with the Dalai Lama, Drewermann called on the West to turn the attacks into an opportunity for peace not revenge.

Criticism

Some Catholic scholars criticised Drewermann for focussing in his work on individual psychology without taking into consideration Christian communities and Christian tradition, arguing that Drewermann's approach had the effect of reducing the historical relevance of the Gospel

Gospel

A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...

 and Revelation

Revelation

In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...

 to a mere collection of texts used to cure individual anxiety. A similar approach to Drewemann's work came from psychological scholars Albert Görres and Helmuth Benesch.

Catholic scholar Klaus Berger accused Drewermann of using outdated ideas and research methods and of subscribing to ancient misunderstandings of the Old Testament

Old Testament

The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...

. A pseudo Marcionism

Marcionism

Marcionism was an Early Christian dualist belief system that originated in the teachings of Marcion of Sinope at Rome around the year 144; see also Christianity in the 2nd century....

 and using of biblical and other religious texts out of context is pointed out by Protestant scholar Manfred Oeming.

The political views of Drewermann have been sharply criticized by theologians Uwe Birnstein and Klaus-Peter Lehmann as being based on a traditional German antipolitical and romantic view and reducing all social aspects to individual fear and personal understanding and goodwill. Peter Neuhaus, in his comparison of the Political Theology of Johannes Baptist Metz and the theology of Drewermann, counters that Drewermann's theology is imminently social in its critique and does not share in antipolitical or romantic views of politics.

Henryk M. Broder referred to Drewermann and other German intellectuals as reason for a book, in which he denounces Drewermann and others as underplaying the role of Islamic terrorism and putting the blame solely on the west, especially Israel and the US.

Josef Isensee, a Catholic German lawyer and specialist for Constitutional law, sees in Drewermann the prototype of a self-proclaimed church critic using strong opinions to gain profile and public awareness and profiting on the very organizational body he was member for the most time of his life.

Awards

• 2011 International Albert Schweitzer
  Albert Schweitzer
  Albert Schweitzer OM was a German theologian, organist, philosopher, physician, and medical missionary. He was born in Kaysersberg in the province of Alsace-Lorraine, at that time part of the German Empire...
  
  -Prize, together with Raphaela and Dr. Rolf Maibach.
• 2007 Erich Fromm Prize, together with Konstantin Wecker
  Konstantin Wecker
  Konstantin Alexander Wecker is one of the best-known German singer-songwriters ; he also works as a composer, author, and actor.- Life and work :...
  
  , for his work against war and antisemitism.
• 1994 Urania
  Urania
  Urania was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy. Some accounts list her as the mother of the musician Linus. She is usually depicted with a globe in her left hand. She is able to foretell the future by the arrangement of the stars...
  
  -Medal for his contribution to popular education.
• 1992 Herbert-Haag-Prize (Swiss) for his contribution to reform the Church.
• Integration Prize of the Apfelbaum Foundation for Co-evolution (Cologne).

Selected works

In English

• 1991: Open Heavens: Meditations for Advent and Christmas (1st German edition, 1990). Trans. by David J. Krieger. Ed. by Joan Marie Laflamme and Bernd Marz.
• 1993: Discovering the Royal Child Within: a Spiritual Psychology of 'The Little Prince' (1st German edition, 1984). Trans. by P. Heinegg.
• 1994: Discovering the God Child Within: A Spiritual Psychology of the Infancy of Jesus (1st German edition, 1986). Trans. by P. Heinegg.
• 1994: Dying We Live: Meditations for Lent and Easter (1st German edition, 1993). Trans. by Linda M. Maloney and John Drury. Ed. by Linda M. Maloney.

In German

• 1977-1978: Strukturen des Bösen (Habilitationsschrift)
• 1981: Das Mädchen ohne Hände
• 1981: Der tödliche Fortschritt: Von der Zerstörung der Erde und des Menschen im Erbe des Christentums
• 1982-1984: Psychoanalyse und Moraltheologie (3 Bände)
• 1984: Das Eigentliche ist unsichtbar. Der kleine Prinz tiefenpsychologisch gedeutet
• 1984-1985: Tiefenpsychologie und Exegese
• 1987/88: Das Markusevangelium
• 1989: Kleriker: Psychogramm eines Ideals
• 1989: Ich steige hinab in die Barke der Sonne. Meditationen zu Tod und Auferstehung
• 1991: Die Spirale der Angst. Der Krieg und das Christentum
• 1992: Giordano Bruno oder Der Spiegel des Unendlichen. Roman
• 1992: Wenn der Himmel die Erde berührt. Meditationen zu den Gleichnissen Jesu
• 1992: Die Botschaft der Frauen. Das Wissen der Liebe.
• 1992: Lieb Schwesterlein, laß mich herein - Grimms Märchen tiefenpsychologisch gedeutet (enthält Interpretationen zu Das Mädchen ohne Hände, Marienkind, Der Trommler, Brüderchen und Schwesterchen, Die kluge Else und Frau Holle)
• 1992: Rapunzel, Rapunzel, laß dein Haar herunter - Grimms Märchen tiefenpsychologisch gedeutet. (Enthält Interpretationen zu Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot, Der goldene Vogel, Die Kristallkugel, Rapunzel
  Rapunzel
  "Rapunzel" is a German fairy tale in the collection assembled by the Brothers Grimm, and first published in 1812 as part of Children's and Household Tales. The Grimm Brothers' story is an adaptation of the fairy tale Persinette by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force originally published in 1698...
  
  , Dat Mäken von Brakel, Meister Pfriem, Der Herr Gevatter, Gevatter Tod und Fundevogel)
• 1992-1995: Das Matthäusevangelium
• 1993: Dogma, Angst und Symbolismus (Glauben in Freiheit 1)
• 1996: Jesus von Nazareth: Befreiung zum Frieden (Jesus of Nazareth: Liberation for Peace). (Glauben in Freiheit 2 [Liberating Faith, vol. 2]).
• 1998: Der sechste Tag: Die Herkunft des Menschen und die Frage nach Gott (The Sixth Day: The Origin of Humanity and the Question of God). (Glauben in Freiheit 3: Religion und Naturwissenschaft, Part 1 [Liberating Faith, vol. 3: Religion and Natural Science, part 1]).
• 1998: Daß auch der Allerniedrigste mein Bruder sei. Dostojewski - Dichter der Menschlichkeit
• 1999: ... und es geschah so: Die moderne Biologie und die Frage nach Gott (... And It Was So: Modern Biology and the Question of God.)(Glauben in Freiheit, vol. 3: Religion und Naturwissenschaft, Part 2: Biologie und Theologie [Liberating Faith, vol. 3: Religion and Natural Science, part 2: Biology and Theology]).
• 2001: Wozu Religion? Eugen Drewermann im Gespräch mit Jürgen Hoeren (Herder spektrum)
• 2002: Im Anfang ...: Die moderne Kosmologie und die Frage nach Gott(In the Beginning ...: Modern Cosmology and the Question of God). (Glauben in Freiheit 3: Religion und Naturwissenschaft, Part 3: Kosmologie und Theologie [Liberating Faith, vol. 3: Religion and Natural Science, part 3: Cosmology and Theology]).
• 2003: Religiös bedingte neurotische Erkrankungen
• 2003: Aschenputtel
• 2003: Der Froschkönig
• 2003: Eugen Drewermann - Rebell oder Prophet? Der unbequeme Theologe im Gespräch mit Felizitas von Schönborn (edition q)
• 2004: Hänsel und Gretel
  Hansel and Gretel
  "Hansel and Gretel" is a well-known fairy tale of German origin, recorded by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812. Hansel and Gretel are a young brother and sister threatened by a cannibalistic hag living deep in the forest in a house constructed of cake and confectionery. The two children...
  
  
• 2004: Moby-Dick
  Moby-Dick
  Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, was written by American author Herman Melville and first published in 1851. It is considered by some to be a Great American Novel and a treasure of world literature. The story tells the adventures of wandering sailor Ishmael, and his voyage on the whaleship Pequod,...
  
  
• 2004: Wenn die Sterne Götter wären. Moderne Kosmologie und Glaube. Im Gespräch mit Jürgen Hoeren. Herder, ISBN 3451283484
• 2005: Dornröschen
• 2006: Heilende Religion - Überwindung der Angst
• 2006: Atem des Lebens - Das Gehirn: Die moderne Neurologie und die Frage nach Gott. (Breath of Life: Modern Neurology and the Question of God: Section 1: The Brain) (Glauben in Freiheit 3: Religion und Naturwissenschaft, Part 4: Neurologie und Theologie, Section 1 [Liberating Faith, vol. 3: Religion and Natural Science, Part 4/1: Neurology and Theology]). Patmos, ISBN 3491210003
• 2007: Atem des Lebens - Die Seele: Die moderne Neurologie und die Frage nach Gott. (Breath of Life: Modern Neurology and the Question of God: Section 1: The Soul) (Glauben in Freiheit 3: Religion und Naturwissenschaft, Part 4: Neurologie und Theologie, Section 2 [Liberating Faith, vol. 3: Religion and Natural Science, Part 4/2: Neurology and Theology]). Patmos, ISBN 3491210011
• Eugen Drewermann. "Die Rechtlosigkeit der Kreatur im christlichen Abendland oder: von einer wichtigen Ausnahme". Interdisziplinäre Arbeitsgemeinschaft Tierethik (Hrsg.). Tierrechte - Eine interdisziplinäre Herausforderung. Erlangen 2007. ISBN 978-3-89131-417-3

External links

• Eugen Drewermann Pages: first comprehensive English/German site with links to news, quotations, books, video & audio, and calendar of events.
• Eine Webseite zum Werk Eugen Drewermanns: comprehensive German website.
• Eugen Drewermann: Religion for Our Time: another English site with translated quotations and overviews of his books.
• Video of Lecture "Eugen Drewermann: An English Introduction" by Prof. Matthias Beier.

Links to Drewermann talks, videos & audio

• Calendar of future (and past) talks/lectures by Drewermann, includes dates, locations, and links.
• Eugen Drewermann Pages Video & Audio links: most complete site of video & audio links available—continuously updated
• Video of his lecture "Wie hältst Du's mit den Tieren oder: von der Notwendigkeit einer neuen Ethik" at the Interdisciplinary Lectures on Animal Rights at the Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg on the 19th of October 2006

Secondary literature

• Beier, Matthias (2010). Gott ohne Angst: Einführung in das Denken Drewermanns. Patmos. ISBN 3-491-72543-7.
• Wise, R. Todd (2000). The Great Vision of Black Elk as Literary Ritual, in Black Elk Reader, Syracuse University Press. Essay applies Drewermann's hermeneutic approach to Black Elk's vision.