Tomáš Halík

Tomáš Halik ( born June 1, 1948 in Prague) is a Czech sociologist, philosopher of religion and Roman Catholic priest.

Life

Halik had studied in the sixties, sociology, philosophy and psychology in Prague and Bangor ( Wales), but could not be worked as a lecturer for political reasons. In the seventies, he studied theology in the underground and was ordained a priest in 1978 in the GDR. In the 1980s he was active in the underground and close collaborator of Cardinal Frantisek Tomasek. Officially, he worked in various professions, most recently as a psychotherapist with drug addicts.

After the turn, he completed post-graduate studies at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. Subsequently, he completed his habilitation in Wroclaw for practical theology in Prague and of Sociology.

From 1990 to 1993 he served as secretary general of the Czech Bishops' Conference. Pope John Paul II appointed him as consultant to the Pontifical Council for Culture. He worked as external consultant for the Czech President Václav Havel.

He is a professor of sociology at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University in Prague, Rector of the University Church of St. Salvator and president of the Czech Christian Academy.

In 2001 he was a visiting professor at Oxford University, in 2003 at the University of Cambridge.

Memberships

• European Academy of Sciences and Arts

Awards

• 2003: Cardinal König Prize
• 2010: Romano Guardini Prize
• 2014: Templeton Prize
• Patience with God in 2011 as the best theological book of the European Society for Catholic Theology

Works ( selection of German translations)

• "You shall renew the face of the earth": Church and society on the threshold of freedom. St. Benno -Verlag, Leipzig 1993, ISBN 3-7462-1079-8.
• The Gospel according to Matthew. Kant, Prague 2004, ISBN 80-86217-75-2.
• Values ​​and virtues. Goethe -Institut, 2005.
• Patience with God. Passion and patience in times of faith and unbelief. Herder Verlag, 2010, ISBN 978-3-451-30382-1.
• Night Thoughts of a confessor. Faith in times of uncertainty. Herder Verlag, 2012, ISBN 978-3-451-30620-4.
• Touch the wounds. About suffering, trust, and the art of transformation. Herder Verlag, 2013, ISBN 978-3-451-30739-3.