Ruth Lapide
Encyclopedia
Ruth Lapide Franconia
, Germany
, is a Jewish
theologian
and historian
who is foremost among German language
scholars that endeavor to facilitate and improve understanding between Jews and Christians
, to a degree also with Muslims. An important part of her work deals with biblical
mistranslations and with the Jewish roots of Christianity. She worked in this endeavor with her husband Pinchas Lapide
until his death in 1997, after which she began a writing career while teaching at the Evangelischen Fachhochschule in Nuremberg
. She is widely known from numerous television
interviews about biblical topics broadcast by Bavarian Broadcasting
and Bibel TV
.
, history
and Judaic studies
at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She specialized in the evolution of Christianity as a Jewish-rooted religion and became full professor
. Since her return to Germany, she has been putting much effort into helping to facilitate dialog and reconciliation between Jews and Christians, between Germany and the State of Israel
. In this she and her Austrian-born
husband worked as partners until his death.
Ruth Lapide has been living in Frankfurt am Main since the mid-1970s.
, and on April 11, 2003, she received the Hessischen Verdienstorden am Bande, the most prestigious medal of the German state of Hesse
. In 2007 she received an honorary professorate and in 2008 received an honorary doctorate at the Protestant
Augustana-Hochschule in Neuendettelsau
, Central Franconia, Bavaria
.
Franconia
Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken...
, Germany
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...
, is a Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
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 historian
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
who is foremost among German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
scholars that endeavor to facilitate and improve understanding between Jews and Christians
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, to a degree also with Muslims. An important part of her work deals with biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
mistranslations and with the Jewish roots of Christianity. She worked in this endeavor with her husband Pinchas Lapide
Pinchas Lapide
Pinchas Lapide was a Jewish theologian and Israeli historian. He was an Israeli diplomat from 1951 to 1969, among other position acting as Israeli Consul to Milan, and was instrumental in gaining recognition for the young state of Israel. He wrote more than 35 books during his lifetime...
until his death in 1997, after which she began a writing career while teaching at the Evangelischen Fachhochschule in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
. She is widely known from numerous television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
interviews about biblical topics broadcast by Bavarian Broadcasting
Bayerischer Rundfunk
Bayerischer Rundfunk [Bavarian Broadcasting] is the public broadcasting authority for the German Freistaat of Bavaria, with its main offices located in Munich. BR is a member of ARD.- Legal foundation :...
and Bibel TV
Bibel TV
Bibel TV is Germany's first Christian Television channel. Since October 1st 2002 it has been broadcasting 24 hours/365 days per year all over Europe...
.
Life
Ruth Lapide studied political sciencePolitical science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and Judaic studies
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She specialized in the evolution of Christianity as a Jewish-rooted religion and became full 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...
. Since her return to Germany, she has been putting much effort into helping to facilitate dialog and reconciliation between Jews and Christians, between Germany and the State of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. In this she and her Austrian-born
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
husband worked as partners until his death.
Ruth Lapide has been living in Frankfurt am Main since the mid-1970s.
Honors
In 2000, Ruth Lapide was awarded Germany’s most prestigious medal, the BundesverdienstkreuzBundesverdienstkreuz
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the only general state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has existed since 7 September 1951, and between 3,000 and 5,200 awards are given every year across all classes...
, and on April 11, 2003, she received the Hessischen Verdienstorden am Bande, the most prestigious medal of the German state of Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
. In 2007 she received an honorary professorate and in 2008 received an honorary doctorate at the Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
Augustana-Hochschule in Neuendettelsau
Neuendettelsau
Neuendettelsau is a local authority in Middle Franconia, Germany. Neuendettelsau is situated 20 miles southwest of Nuremberg and 12 miles east of Ansbach. Population: 7.833 ....
, Central Franconia, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
.
Publications
- Kennen Sie Adam, den Schwächling? Kreuz Verlag, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-7831-2224-4
- Kennen Sie Jakob, den Starkoch? Kreuz Verlag, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-7831-2320-8
- Was glaubte Jesus? (mit Henning Röhl), Kreuz Verlag, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 978-3-7831-2589-4
External links
- http://www.bibeltv.de/programm/index.htm Bibel TV das Gespräch mit Ruth Lapide (in German)
- http://www.religionslehrer.lu/spiritualitaet/Lapide_Ruth.htm – Biosketch and links BR-alphaBR-alphaBR-alpha is a German television station owned by regional broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk BR-alpha broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with programmes from BR, as well as from ARD and Austrian broadcaster ORF.-Programmes:...
(in German) - http://www.zeit.de/2002/15/Die_Bibel_lebt_auf_Alpha_plus – Portrait in Die ZeitDie ZeitDie Zeit is a German nationwide weekly newspaper that is highly respected for its quality journalism.With a circulation of 488,036 and an estimated readership of slightly above 2 million, it is the most widely read German weekly newspaper...
(in German)