SCHWARZ, Hans 1939–

PERSONAL: Born January 5, 1939, in Schwabach, Bavaria, Germany; son of Johann Leonhard (a gardener) and Babette (Goetz) Schwarz; married May Louise Brown (a minister of music), March 3, 1967 (marriage ended); married; wife's name, Hildegard; children: Hans Fussell, Krista Barbara, Claudia. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: University of Erlangen, Dr. Theol. (summa cum laude), 1963; also studied at University of Goettingen, 1961, and Oberlin Graduate School of Theology, 1964–65. Religion: Lutheran. Hobbies and other interests: Sports (skiing, soccer), chess, gardening art.

ADDRESSES: Home—Rilkestrasse 44, 93138 Lappersdorf, Germany. Office—Universitaetsstrasse 31, 93040 Regensburg, Germany; fax: 011-49-941-9433635. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Assistant minister in Lutheran church in Erlangen-Bruck, Germany, 1965–66; Capital University, Lutheran Theological Seminary, Columbus, OH, instructor, 1967–68, assistant professor, 1968–71, associate professor of systematic theology, 1971–78, Edward C. Fendt Professor of Systematic Theology, 1978–81, interim campus pastor, 1969–70; Regensburg University, Regensburg, Germany, professor of Protestant theology, 1981–, director of the Institute of Protestant Theology, 1981–; Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, SC, adjunct professor, 1985–. Visiting professor, Pontifical Gregorian University, 1974. American Lutheran Church, member of the National Commission of Faith and Order.

MEMBER: American Academy of Religion, American Association of University Professors, Deutsch-Skandinavische Gesellschaft fuer Religionsphilosophie, Karl-Heim-Gesellschaft, Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft fuer Theologie, Ohio Theological Colloquium.

AWARDS, HONORS: World Council of Churches fellowship, and Fulbright travel grant, both at Oberlin Graduate School of Theology, 1964–65; fellowship from German Research Society for Luther Studies, University of Erlangen, 1966–67; Fredrik A. Schiotz fellowship, 1973–74; honorary doctorate, Faculty of Orthodox Theology, University of Oradea, Romania, 2001.

WRITINGS:

Das Verstaendnis des Wunders bei Karl Heim und Rudolf Bultmann, Calwer Verlag, 1966.

(With Hans Schulze) Christliche Existenz in einer pluralistischen Gesellschaft, Friedrich Wittig Verlag (Hamburg, Germany), 1971.

On the Way to the Future: A Christian View of Eschatology in the Light of Current Trends in Religion, Philosophy, and Science (Religious Book Club selection), Augsburg (Minneapolis, MN), 1972.

The Search for God: Christianity-Atheism-Secularism-World Religions, Augsburg (Minneapolis, MN), 1975.

Our Cosmic Journey: Christian Anthropology in the Light of Current Trends in the Sciences, Philosophy, and Theology (Religious Book Club selection), Augsburg (Minneapolis, MN), 1977.

Beyond the Gates of Death: A Biblical Examination of Evidence for Life after Death, Augsburg (Minneapolis, MN), 1981.

The Christian Church: Biblical Origin, Historical Transformation, and Potential for the Future, Augsburg (Minneapolis, MN), 1982.

Divine Communication: Word and Sacrament in Biblical, Historical, and Contemporary Perspective, Fortress Press (Philadelphia, PA), 1985.

Responsible Faith: Christian Theology in the Light of Twentieth-Century Questions, Augsburg (Minneapolis, MN), 1986.

What Christians Believe, Fortress Press (Philadelphia, PA), 1987.

(Editor) Glaube und Den Ken: Jahrbuch der Karl-Heim-Gesellschaft, Brendow (Moers, Germany), Volumes 1-15, 1988–2002.

Die biblische Urgeschichte: Gottes Traum von Mensch und Welt, Herder (Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany), 1989.

(With Walter Kunneth and Albrecht Koberlin) Fundamentalismus?, Freimund-Verlag (Neuendettelsau, Germany), 1990.

Method and Context as Problems for Contemporary Theology: Doing Theology in an Alien World, E. Mellen Press (Lewiston, NY), 1991.

Im Fangnetz des Bosen: Sunde, Ubel, Schuld, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht (Gottingen, Germany), 1993.

(Editor) Reformation und Reichsstadt: Protestantisches Leben in Regensburg, Universitatsverlag (Regensburg, Germany), 1994.

Evil: A Historical and Theological Perspective, Fortress Press (Minneapolis, MN), 1995.

True Faith in the True God: An Introduction to Luther's Life and Thought, Augsburg (Minneapolis, MN), 1996.

Christology, W. B. Eerdmans (Grand Rapids, MI), 1998.

Eschatology, W. B. Eerdmans (Grand Rapids, MI), 2000.

Overcoming Resignation and Utopia, W. B. Eerdmans (Grand Rapids, MI), 2000.

Creation, W. B. Eerdmans (Grand Rapids, MI), 2002.

The Last Two Hundred Years: Theology in a Global Context, W. B. Eerdmans (Grand Rapids, MI), 2005.

Contributor to theology journals in Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, and the United States.

SIDELIGHTS: Hans Schwarz has, according to Library Journal critic Augustine J. Curley, "written a series of books explaining theological concepts in language accessible to the lay reader." In Evil: A Historical and Theological Perspective, he surveys the way evil is portrayed and studied in a variety of fields, including psychoanalysis, and in such religions as Buddhism and Hinduism. He then presents the Christian view of evil as an opposition to God. Writing in Interpretation, David Griffin found the book to be "useful and apparently largely accurate." In Christology, Schwarz deals with the presentations of Jesus found in the Bible and in history. Dwight N. Peterson, reviewing the title for Interpretation, found that "a book about Christology which includes mostly surefooted attention to biblical texts, historical-critical scholarship, ecclesial Christological discussions, and modern theological concerns is rare enough to merit inclusion in one's library." Writing in Theological Studies, Harold Wells stated that Christology "is profitable reading for anyone struggling for clarity about the identity and mission of Jesus."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Dialog: A Journal of Theology, summer, 2001, Hans Schwarz, "Planting Trees: A Theological Autobiography," pp. 138-146.

Interpretation, July, 1997, David Griffin, review of Evil: A Historical and Theological Perspective, p. 326; July, 1999, Dwight N. Peterson, review of Christology, p. 309.

Library Journal, January, 2003, Augustine J. Curley, review of Creation, p. 120.

Theological Studies, March, 2000, Harold Wells, review of Christology, p. 169.