Georges Nicolas Tamer holds the Chair of Oriental Philology and Islamic Studies at the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg. Until September 2012, he was

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

of Arabic and Islamic studies and the holder of the M.S. Sofia Chair in Arabic Studies at the

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

. A scholar of religion, philosophy, and Arabic and Islamic literature and culture, his fields of specialization include Qur'anic studies,

Arabic philosophy Islamic philosophy is philosophy that emerges from the Islamic tradition. Two terms traditionally used in the Islamic world are sometimes translated as philosophy—falsafa (literally: "philosophy"), which refers to philosophy as well as logi ...

, Christian- and Judeo-Arabic thought, and

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

in modernity. He has previously taught at the

Freie Universität Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public research university in Berlin, Germany. It is consistently ranked among Germany's best universities, with particular strengths in political science and t ...

, the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, and the

Central European University Central European University (CEU) is a private research university accredited in Austria, Hungary, and the United States, with campuses in Vienna and Budapest. The university is known for its highly intensive programs in the social sciences and ...

Education and scholarly activity

Infected by

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...

as an infant in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

, Tamer was unable to attend elementary school and relied on

autodidactic Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) or self-education (also self-learning and self-teaching) is education without the guidance of masters (such as teachers and professors) or institutions (such as schools). Generally, autodidacts are individua ...

learning and private tutoring. After attending high school in Lebanon for one year, Tamer moved to

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

where he studied philosophy, sociology and theology in

Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

''inter alios'' with

Jürgen Habermas Jürgen Habermas (, ; ; born 18 June 1929) is a German social theorist in the tradition of critical theory and pragmatism. His work addresses communicative rationality and the public sphere. Associated with the Frankfurt School, Habermas's wor ...

. He obtained his MA in Philosophy from the Freie Universität Berlin in 1995 and was granted a Ph.D. in Philosophy in 2000. He completed his

habilitation Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in many European countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellence in research, teaching and further education, usually including a ...

in Islamic Studies at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg in 2007. Tamer is a highly productive researcher throughout Europe, the United States, and the Middle East, having taken part in a number of research bodies and colloquia attached to institutes of higher education. These include the

Institute for Advanced Study The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), located in Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States, is an independent center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It has served as the academic home of internationally preeminent scholar ...

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...

and the Working Group on Modernity and Islam at the

Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin The Institute for Advanced Study in Berlin (german: Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin) is an interdisciplinary institute founded in 1981 in Grunewald, Berlin, Germany, dedicated to research projects in the natural and social sciences. It is modeled ...

. He has planned and hosted interdisciplinary conferences on

Maimonides Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah ...

humor Humour (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) or humor (American English) is the tendency of experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term derives from the humorism, humoral medicine of the ancient Gre ...

in Arabic culture, migration in Germany, and, most recently, on the influential Muslim thinker

al-Ghazali Al-Ghazali ( – 19 December 1111; ), full name (), and known in Persian-speaking countries as Imam Muhammad-i Ghazali (Persian: امام محمد غزالی) or in Medieval Europe by the Latinized as Algazelus or Algazel, was a Persian polymat ...

. A member of the

Antiochian Orthodox Church The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch ( el, Ελληνορθόδοξο Πατριαρχείο Αντιοχείας), also known as the Antiochian Orthodox Church and legally as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East ( ar ...

, Tamer founded a parish in Berlin. He has participated in several ecumenical activities and

interfaith dialogue Interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive, and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions (i.e. "faiths") and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels. It is ...

groups in Germany.

Selected publications

Books

*''Islamische Philosophie und die Krise der Moderne: Das Verhältnis von Leo Strauss zu Alfarabi, Avicenna und Averroes.'' Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill (Islamic philosophy, theology and science, Vol. 43), 2001. *''Al-Hadātha wa-khitābuhā s-siyāsī (Modernity and its Political Discourse)'': An Anthology of Jürgen Habermas, translated into Arabic, with introduction and explanations, Beirut: Dar Annahar 2001. *''Tārīkh al-Qur’ān'': Theodor Nöldeke et al., ''Geschichte des Qur’ans''. Translation into Arabic, with Introduction, Explanations and Register, Beirut: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung 2004. 2nd Edition annotated with a new Preface. Köln, Beirut: Al-Kamel 2007. *''Die Trias des Maimonides. Jüdische, arabische und antike Wissenskultur / The Trias of Maimonides. Jewish, Arabic and Ancient Culture of Knowledge'' (Ed.), Berlin, New York: Walter De Gruyter 2005. *''Zeit und Gott: Hellenistische Zeitvorstellungen in der altarabischen Dichtung und im Koran'', Berlin, New York: Walter De Gruyter 2008. *''Humor in der arabischen Kultur / Humor in Arabic Culture'' (Ed.), Berlin, New York: Walter De Gruyter 2009. *''Kritische Religionsphilosophie.'' In Memoriam Friedrich Niewöhner, Wilhelm Schmidt-Biggemann & Georges Tamer (Eds.), Berlin, New York: Walter De Gruyter 2010.

Articles and book chapters

* “Christliche Ökumene und Islam: Zeitgemäße Betrachtungen,” in: ''Weg und Gestalt''. Ed. Ökumenisch-Missionarisches Institut des Ökumenischen Rates Berlin-Brandenburg, Berlin 1998: 257–265. *“Markab turāthī ya‘ūd. Talkhīs Ibn Rushd li-kitāb Aflātūn fī s-siyāsa,” in: ''Dirāsāt ‘Arabīya'' 34, Nr. 11/12 (1998): 100–111. *“‘Laßt uns hier ein Dorf gründen’ – Rum-Orthodoxe Christen aus der Türkei in Deutschland,” in: Gerdien Jonker (Ed.), ''Kern und Rand. Religiöse Minderheiten aus der Türkei in Deutschland''. Arbeitsheften des Zentrums Moderner Orient, Berlin 1999: 15–28. *“Ex oriente lux? Ein Nachwort,” in: ''Die Zukunft der orientalischen Christen. Eine Debatte im Mittleren Osten'', hrsg. vom Evangelischen Missionswerk in Deutschland (EMW), dem Informationsprojekt Naher und Mittlerer Osten (INAMO) und Alexander Flores, Hamburg und Berlin 2001: 128–134. * “Liū Shtraus wa-l-falsafa l-islāmīya l-wasīta,” in: ''Al-Abhath'' 48/49, American University of Beirut (2000–2001): 81-126. *“Wie können die vier Fragen Immanuel Kants im Zeitalter der Globalisierung und Gentechnik gelesen werden?,” in: Roland Kreuzer (Ed.), ''Über Kant und Kunst. Beiträge zum'' Weltfragen ''Symposium,'' Berlin 2002: 21-23. *“Kreuz und Halbmond im Lande der Zedern,” in: ''Ideen und Informationen: Arbeitsheft zum Weltgebetstag,'' ed. Deutsches Weltgebetstagskomitee, Stein 2003: 116-121. *“Kirche der Übergänge: Die rum-orthodoxe Kirche im Libanon und in Deutschland,” in: Sabine Gralla (Ed.), ''Oriens Christianus. Geschichte und Gegenwart des nahöِstlichen Christentums.'' Villigst Profile Bd. 1. Lit Verlag Münster/Hamburg 2003: 93-110. *“Al-’ān mil’ az-zamān,” in: ''Chronos.'' Revue d’Histoire de l’Université de Balamand 8 (2003): 223-243 *“Kultursynthese als Friedenspotential: Rum-Orthodoxe aus Nahost in Deutschland,” in: Hans-Martin Barth/Christoph Elsas (Eds.), in: ''Religiöse Minderheiten - Potentiale für Konflikt und Frieden.'' E. B.-Verlag Hamburg 2004: 103-115. *“Warum der christlich-islamische Dialog notwendig ist,” in: Ursula Spuler-Stegemann (Ed.), ''Feindbild Christentum im Islam.'' Verlag Herder Freiburg 2004: 62-74. *“Monotheismus und Politik bei Alfarabi,” in: Aziz Al-Azmeh and János M. Bak (Ed.), ''Montheistic Kingship: The Medieval Variants'', Budapest: Central European University, Dept. of Medieval Studies, 2004 (= CEU Medievalia 5): 191-214. *“Politisches Denken in pseudoplatonischen arabischen Schriften,” in: ''Mélanges de l’Université Saint Joseph''. The Greek Strand in Islamic Political Thought. Proceedings of the Conference held at the Institute for Advanced Study of Greek, Princeton 16–27 June 2003. Vol. LVII (2004): 303-335. *“Zur Interpretation von Heiligen Schriften bei Averroes und Maimonides,” in: Georges Tamer (Ed.), ''Die Trias des Maimonides. Jüdische, arabische und antike Wissenskultur''. Berlin, New York: Walter De Gruyter 2005: 237-256. *“Glauben und Wissen: Ein Widerspruch?,” in: H. J. Luibl, K. Städler, Ch. Sudermann, K. Ulrich-Eschemann (Eds.), ''Gott und die Wissenschaften'', Berlin: LIT Verlag 2007: 34-44. *“Khawātir fī l-‛ilm wa-l-’īmān. A-sinwān humā am diddān?,” in: Georges Massouh, As‛ad Qattān, Georges Tamer (Eds.), ''Wajh wa-wahj'': Festschrift for Metropolitan Georges Khodr, Beirut: An-Nour Publisher 2007: 87-107. *“Koexistenz im Konflikt: Konfession und Politik im Libanon,” in: Karl Pinggéra (Ed.), ''„… so soll der Libanon fruchtbares Land werden“. Christen im Libanon – Probleme und Perspektiven'', Hofgeismar: Evangelische Akademie Hofgeismar 2007: 9-24. *“Bemerkungen zu al-Fārābīs ‘Zusammenfassung der platonischen Nomoi’,” in: Andreas Eckl / Clemens Kauffamnn (Eds.), ''Politischer Platonismus'', Würzburg: Königshausen & Neumann 2008: 53-62. *“Islam und Zivilgesellschaft,” in: Otto Jastrwo, Shabo Talay, Herta Hafenrichter (Eds.), ''Studien zur Semitistik und Arabistik''. Festschrift for Hartmut Bobzin zum 60. Geburtstag, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz 2008: 403-423. *“Christliche Trinität und islamischer Monotheismus: Yah9yā Ibn (Adīs Gottesbild,” in: Martin Tamcke (Ed.), ''Christliche Gotteslehre im Orient seit dem Aufkommen des Islams bis zur Gegenwart'', Beiruter Texte und Studien 126. Beirut: Orient-Institut Beitrut 2008: 83-99. *“The Qur’ān and humor,” in: Georges Tamer (Ed.), ''Humor in der arabischen Kultur / Humor in Arabic Culture'', Berlin, New York: Walter De Gruyter 2009: 3-28. *“Faith and Knowledge Revisited,” in: ''Rosenzweig Jahrbuch'' 4 (2009): 156-175. *“Hellenistic Ideas of Time in the Koran,” in:

Lothar Gall Lothar Gall (born 3 December 1936 in Lötzen, East Prussia, present day Poland) is a German historian known as "one of German liberalism's primary historians". He was professor of history at Goethe University Frankfurt from 1975 until his reti ...

& Dietmar Willoweit, eds., ''Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in the Course of History: Exchange and Conflicts'', München: Oldenbourg-Verlag 2010: 21-42. *“Alter Wein in neuen Schläuchen? Zum Umgang des Averroes mit dem Koran und seiner Rezeption im zeitgenössischen islamischen Denken,” in: Wilhelm Schmidt-Biggemann and Georges Tamer (Eds.), ''Kritische Religionsphilosophie''. In Memoriam Friedrich Niewöhner, Berlin, New York: Walter De Gruyter 2010: 47-84.

References

External links

Presentation abstract on “The Concept of Time in the Koran”''Tarikh al-Qur’an'', a translation by Georges Tamer of Nöldeke’s ''Geschichte des Qorans''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tamer, Georges Living people German Islamic studies scholars Ohio State University faculty Free University of Berlin alumni University of Erlangen-Nuremberg Lebanese academics People with polio Philosophers of religion Year of birth missing (living people)