Karl Matthäus Woschitz (born September 19, 1937) is an

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

and bible scholar. He is professor emeritus of

biblical theology Because scholars have tended to use the term in different ways, Biblical theology has been notoriously difficult to define. The academic field of biblical theology is sub-divided into Old Testament theology and New Testament theology. Academic ...

and

religious studies Religious studies, also known as religiology or the study of religion, is the study of religion from a historical or scientific perspective. There is no consensus on what qualifies as ''religion'' and definition of religion, its definition is h ...

and was head of the institute of religious studies of the

University of Graz The University of Graz (, formerly: ''Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz'') is a public university, public research university located in Graz, Austria. It is the largest and oldest university in Styria, as well as the second-largest and second-old ...

from 1984 to 2005. Today he is rector of the Christ-König church in Klagenfurt. Woschitz was born in

Sankt Margareten im Rosental Sankt Margareten im Rosental ( Slovene: Šmarjeta v Rožu) is a town in the district of Klagenfurt-Land in the Austrian state of Carinthia. Geography The municipality lies in the southeast Rosental at the foot of the Hochobir. On the north, the D ...

, and received his

Matura or its translated terms (''mature'', ''matur'', , , , , ', ) is a Latin name for the secondary school exit exam or "maturity diploma" in various European countries, including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech ...

at gymnasium Schloss Tanzenberg,

Sankt Veit an der Glan St. Veit an der Glan () is a town in the Austrian state of Carinthia (state), Carinthia, the administrative centre of the St. Veit an der Glan District. It was the historic Carinthian capital until 1518. The famous chef Wolfgang Puck was born there ...

, in 1955. He received his doctor's degree from

University of Innsbruck The University of Innsbruck (; ) is a public research university in Innsbruck, the capital of the Austrian federal state of Tyrol (state), Tyrol, founded on October 15, 1669. It is the largest education facility in the Austrian States of Austria, ...

, was ordained into the priesthood in Klagenfurt (1961), and promoted to professor at University of Graz Faculty of Catholic Theology. After 1971, he taught in

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

and

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...

and lectured at several universities in Austria and

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. From 1989 to 1991 he was

Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean * Dean Sw ...

of the University of Graz faculty of theology. He was appointed prelate of honour by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

in 1995, awarded with the

Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class The Austrian Decoration for Science and Art () is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria and forms part of the Austrian national honours system. History The "Austrian Decoration for Science and Art" was established by the National C ...

in 1996 and he has been Vice Dean of the

European Academy of Sciences and Arts The European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA, ) is a transnational and interdisciplinary network, connecting about 2,000 recommended scientists and artists worldwide, including 38 Nobel Prize laureates. The European Academy of Sciences and ...

class VII - World Religions since 1994 as well as member of the

Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts The Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts ( (SAZU)) is the national academy of Slovenia, which encompasses science and the arts and brings together the top Slovene researchers and artists as members of the academy. Cultural significance Establis ...

since 2001.''Univ.-Prof. Dr. Karl Matthäus Woschitz''
(German).

References

External links

* Living people 1937 births Academic staff of the University of Salzburg People from Klagenfurt-Land 20th-century Austrian Roman Catholic theologians 21st-century Austrian Roman Catholic theologians 20th-century Austrian Roman Catholic priests University of Innsbruck alumni Academic staff of the University of Graz Members of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts Members of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Recipients of the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class 21st-century Austrian Roman Catholic priests {{Christian-theologian-stub