CV
hartmut von sass
Professor for Systematic Theology and Philosophy of Religion &
Heisenberg Scholar at Humboldt-University Berlin, Faculty of Theology
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
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(Doctrine of God; Soteriology; Eschatology; Harmatiology; Trinitarian Theology; Theology of Culture; Political Theology; Theological Anthropology; Secularisation, Unbelief, and Atheism)
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Philosophy of Religion (Post/Analytic Tradition, esp. Heidegger and Wittgenstein; Non/Existence of God; Theology of Prayer and Hope; Faith and Emotions)
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(methodological issues in ethics; metaethics; ethics, literature, and film; virtue ethics; animals ethics; theories of pacifism)
AREAS OF COMPETENCE
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Philosophy of Language (Wittgenstein and Ordinary Language Philosophy, Semantics, Indexicals, Theories of Metaphors)
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Philosophy of Science (Constructivism, Theories of Relativism, Realism, Hermeneutics of Comparison)
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Hermeneutics and Phenomenology (theories of interpretation, ‘radical’ hermeneutics, philosophy and theology of the event)
EDUCATION
Dr. theol. habil., University of Zurich 2009 to 2012
Theological Habilitation in Dogmatics with the thesis, Gott als Ereignis des Seins (God as Being’s Event). With highest distinction.
Dr. theol., University of Zurich 2006 to 2009
Dissertation in Systematic Theology / Philosophy of Religion with the thesis, Sprachspiele des Glaubens (Language-Games of Faith). Summa cum laude.
M.A. phil., Humboldt University Berlin 2001 to 2006
Thesis: “Skepsis und Glaube. Eine analytische Untersuchung zur Religionsphilosophie von David Hume” (supervisor, Prof. Dr. Dr.h.c. Volker Gerhardt). With highest distinction.
Dipl. theol., Humboldt University Berlin 1999 to 2005
Thesis: “Entmythologisierung als Aufgabe der Theologie? Das Programm Rudolf Bultmanns in systematischer Perspektive” (supervisor, Prof. Dr. Johannes Zachhuber, now Oxford, Trinity College). With highest distinction.
Studies in Theology and Philosophy, Humboldt and Free University Berlin 2000 to 2006
Studies in Theology and Philosophy, University of Edinburgh 2003
Studies in Theology and Logic, University of Goettingen 1998 to 2000
EMPLOYMENT
Heisenberg Scholar and Professor
Funded by the German Research Council
Humboldt-University Berlin, Faculty of Theology 2020 to date
Deputy Director, Collegium Helveticum
An Interdisciplinary Research Institute for Advanced Studies
ETH & University of Zurich & Zurich School of Arts 2015 to 2019
Leader, Ludwik-Fleck-Center for Philosophy of Science
ETH & University of Zurich & & Zurich School of Arts 2015 to 2019
Associate Professor, University of Zurich
Systematic Theology and Philosophy of Religion 2013 to date
Professor (fixed term), Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel Theological Ethics 2013 to 2014
Associate Fellow, Collegium Helveticum
2010 to 2015
Senior Assistant to the Chair, University of Zurich
Systematic Theology, Symbolics, and Philosophy of Religion
Prof. Ingolf U. Dalferth, Chair 2006 to 2013
SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE
Visiting Scholar, New School for Social Research, New York City
Philosophy Department August 22 to July 2023
Visiting Scholar, University of California at Berkeley
Philosophy Department January to June 2018
Visiting Scholar, Fuller Theological Seminary
Pasadena, California, USA July to November 2014
Visiting Research Fellow, University of Oxford
Trinity College January to June 2012
Visiting Scholar, School of Religion
Graduate University, California, USA January to July 2009
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES (a very small selection)
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Member, various Faculty committees, including for promotions
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Member, Governing Board,
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Representive, Collegium at university networks:
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Member, Selection Committee, EURIAS Program
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Representive, Collegium Curatorium:
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Head, Governing Board, Ludwik Fleck Center for Philosophy of Science
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examiner for several churches and faculties
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PI of the DFG funded network "Religion and the Emotions" (2022-2025)
AWARDS, PRIZES, SCHOLARSHIPS
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Scholar of the Protestant Council, Villigst e.V. (2000 to 2005)
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Accepted as Doctoral Student at Trinity College, University Oxford (declined for the assistentship at the University of Zurich) (2006)
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Annual Award of the University of Zurich, Faculty of Theology (2010, 2012)
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Elected to serve as Associate Fellow at , Zurich (2010)
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Research Grant for PostDocs, University of Zurich (2012)
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Research Grant for Advanced Scholars, Swiss National Foundation (2018)
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Heisenberg Research Professorship, German Research Council (2019)
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F
FUNDING ACQUIRED
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Conference (with I.U. Dalferth): Contemplative Philosophy of Religion. The Legacy of Dewi Z. Phillips (Zurich, September 26 and 27 2008 – Institut für Hermeneutik und Religionsphilosophie) [SNF: 11.000 CHF].
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Conference & print funding (with A. Brandl and A. Mauz): Hermeneutik des Vergleichs (Zurich, November 14 /15 and 28 / 29 2008 – Zürcher Kompetenzzentrum Hermeneutik) [SNF: 7.000 CHF].
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Conference & print funding: Stille Tropen. Zur Rhetorik und Grammatik des Schweigens (Zürich 16. und 17. Juni 2011 – Collegium Helveticum Zürich) [Collegium Helveticum: 6.000 CHF].
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Conference & print funding: . Zu einer Grundfigur christlichen Glaubens (Zurich, November 4 and 5 2011 – Collegium Helveticum Zürich) [Collegium Helveticum: 6.000 CHF].
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Conference (with E. Hall): Groundless Gods. The Theological Prospects of Post-Metaphysical Thought [German Society for Philosophy of Religion: 1000 CHF; Lang-Endowment: 2.000 CHF].
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Research Fellowship: University of Oxford, Trinity College [postdoc scholarship, Unversity of Zurich: 31.000 CHF].
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Conference (with J. Zachhuber): Forgetting. A neglected dimension of human existence (Oxford, Juni 18 and 19 2012 – Trinity College, Oxford) [Fell Fund: 5.000 pounds].
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Conference & printing financial support (with S. Berg): Spielzüge. Zur Dialektik des Spiels (Zurich, November 2 and 3 2012 – Collegium Helveticum Zürich) [Collegium Helveticum: 6.000 CHF].
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Conference (with P. Bühler, S. Berg and A. Hunziker): Anfechtung. Versuch der Entmarginalisierung eines Klassikers (Zurich, Mai 31 and Juni 1 2013 – Institut für Hermeneutik und Religionsphilosophie) [SNF: 6.000 CHF].
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Conference & print funding (with S. Berg): Regress und Zirkel. Figuren prinzipieller Unabschliessbarkeit: Architektur – Dynamik – Problematik (Zurich, November 22 and 23 2013 – Collegium Helveticum Zürich) [Collegium Helveticum: 6.000 CHF].
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Research project (with S. Hotz, P. Rüesch, D. Schöbi, A. Wittwer): The winner takes it all? Neuroenhancement und moralische Dilemmata (affiliated to the Collegium Helveticum Zürich) [SNF and Mercator Switzerland: 480.000 CHF].
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Conference (with L. Ratschow): Anfechtungen Gottes. Wandlungen des Gottesbildes im Hiobbuch. Exegetische und Systematische Perspektiven (Leipzig, April 9 and 10 2015) [DFG: 11.800 Euros].
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Conference (with R. Amesbury and Chr. Ammann): Doing Ethics in the Light of Wittgenstein. A Symposion (Zurich, April 10 and 11 2016) [SNF: 12.000 CHF].
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Conference (with Martin Treml and Herbert Kopp): (a cooperation with the Berliner Zentrum für Kultur- und Literaturforschung) (Zurich, October 20 and 21 2017) [SNF: 5.000 CHF].
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Forschungsstipendium für das Projekt Hope’s Ecstasy: Existence, Possibility, and the Non-Correspondence to Future. University of California at Berkeley [SNF: 23.500 CHF]
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(with S. Witt): Embodied Knowledge – revisited (Zürich, 21-22. September 2018) [SNF: 5.400 CHF]
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Heisenberg-scholarship by the German Research Council [ca. 680.000 Euro]
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Researcg-network (proposal; Co-PI with Prof. Notger Slenczka) "Religion and the Emotions" (runs over three yeras; starting October 2022; members: 20 plus guests) [DFG: 162.000 Euro]
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Feodor-Lynen-Scholarship by Alexander von Humboldt Foundation [ca. 50.000 Euro]
CONFERENCES, PROJECTS, AND WORKSHOPS ORGANIZED
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Contemplative Philosophy of Religion. The Legacy of Dewi Z. Phillips (Zurich, September 26 and 27 2008 – Institut für Hermeneutik und Religionsphilosophie) (with I.U. Dalferth).
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Hermeneutik des Vergleichs (Zurich, November 14/15 and 28/29 2008 – Zürcher Kompetenzzentrum Hermeneutik) (with A. Brandl and A. Mauz).
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Stille Tropen. Zur Rhetorik und Grammatik des Schweigens (Zurich, June 16 and 17 2011 – Collegium Helveticum Zürich).
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Wahrhaft Neues. Zu einer Grundfigur christlichen Glaubens (Zurich, November 4 and 5 2011 – Collegium Helveticum Zürich).
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‘Virtual’ Conference: Groundless Gods. The Theological Prospects of Post-Metaphysical Thought (with E.E. Hall).
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Forgetting. A neglected dimension of human existence (Oxford, June 18 and 19 2012 – Trinity College, Oxford) (with Joh. Zachhuber).
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Spielzüge. Zur Dialektik des Spiels (Zurich, November 2 and 3 2012 – Collegium Helveticum Zürich) (with S. Berg).
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Anfechtung. Versuch der Entmarginalisierung eines Klassikers (Zurich, May 31 and June 1 2013 – Institut für Hermeneutik und Religionsphilosophie) (with P. Bühler, S. Berg and A. Hunziker).
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Regress und Zirkel. Figuren prinzipieller Unabschliessbarkeit: Architektur – Dynamik – Problematik (Zurich, November 22 and 23 2013 – Collegium Helveticum Zürich) (with S. Berg).
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Interdisciplinary research project (with S. Hotz, P. Rüesch, D. Schöbi, A. Wittwer): The winner takes it all? Neuroenhancement and Moral Dilemmata“ (affiliated to the Collegium Helveticum Zurich) (SNF and Mercator).
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Die Anfechtung Gottes. Wandlungen des Gottesbildes im Hiobbuch. Exegetische und Systematische Perspektiven (Leipzig, May 8 and 9 2015) (with L. Ratschow).
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Politics of Pacifism: Commandment – Ideal – Impossibility? Theological Contributions to Peace Ethics (Zurich, November 13 and 14 2015).
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Doing Ethics in the Light of Wittgenstein. A Symposion (Zurich, April 22 and 23 2016) (with R. Amesbury and Chr. Ammann).
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: Was heisst: wirklich sein? (workshops at the Ludwik-Fleck-Zentrum 2015/16. Fleck-Lecture am 7. Oktober and three Fleck-workshop, Collegium Helveticum Zürich).
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The Many Faces of Panentheism. Reinforcing the Dialog between Science and Religion (Zurich, Juni 3 and 4 2016) (with H. Atmanspacher).
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Not only between, but even beyond. Or: transdisciplinarity – eine Bestandsaufnahme (opening of the new fellow period 2016-2020. November 25 and 26 2016, Collegium Helveticum Zürich) (with Th. Hengartner).
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Unsichtbare Begleitung. An- und Aussichten der Perspektive (workshops at the Ludwik-Fleck-Zentrum 2016/17, Collegium Helveticum Zürich).
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Thirty Years After: Jacob Taubes between Politcs, Philosophy, and Religion (Zurich October 20 and 21 2017, Collegium Helveticum Zürich) (with M. Treml and H. Kopp).
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Experimentieren. Zur Praxis wissenschaftlichen Forschens (workshops at the Ludwik-Fleck-Zentrum 2017/18, Collegium Helveticum Zürich).
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International Workshop: Embodied Knowledge – revisited (20. / 21. September 2018, Zentrum für Geschichte des Wissens and Collegium Helveticum Zürich) (with Sophie Witt).
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What is a Revolution? (April 2019, Ludwik Fleck Center for Philosophy of Science).
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On Thoughtfulness (November 2019, Ludwik Fleck Center for Philosophy of Science) (with Chr. Abbt and D. Schoeller).
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Glauben und (De)Motivation (October 1 and 2, 2021, Berlin Institute for Public Theology) (with F. Höhne)
forthcoming conferences:
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Kolloquium „Symbole des Christentums“. Anlässlich des Erscheinens der „Berliner Dogmatikvorlesung“ eine Diskussion mit Ulrich Barth (5. July 2022, HU Berlin).
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Kick-Off. DFG-Network “Religion and the Emotions” (October 5-7, 2022, Berlin, Faculty of Theology).
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Meeting #2. DFG-Network “Religion and the Emotions” (March 29-31, 2023, Berlin, Faculty of Theology).