Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Martin Tamcke held the Chair of Ecumenical Theology with a focus on Oriental Church and Mission History at Georg August University in Göttingen from 1999 to 2021. In this position, he not only continued Göttingen's tradition of Eastern Church studies, but also brought it to new heights. Martin Tamcke is one of the best-known and most important scholars of Eastern Church studies today and also enjoyed great international renown.

One focus of his research was Syrian church history. Since the history and present of Oriental Christianity cannot be understood without reference to Islam, he made this topic another focus of his research. Beyond Oriental Orthodox Christianity, Martin Tamcke also turned his attention to Byzantine Orthodox Christianity. With his numerous publications, he not only provided solid and comprehensible introductions to a world often foreign to Western Christianity, but also drew attention to the often precarious political situation of Orthodox Christianity in various countries of the Middle East, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Armenia, as well as the associated migration phenomena.

During his academic career, Martin Tamcke was aware that a lively encounter with representatives of Orthodox Christianity was essential to a deeper understanding of it. He therefore traveled extensively and built up a wide-ranging international network with around 40 partner universities. At the same time, he ensured that international encounters were possible in Göttingen by co-founding and heading the “Intercultural Theology” and ‘Eurocultures’ degree programs for many years. He was closely associated with the “Study in the Middle East” (SIMO) program, which enables students to study at the Near East School of Theology in Beirut. As an academic teacher, he impressively opened up the world of Orthodox Christianity to generations of students.

In addition, Martin Tamcke was involved in ecumenical dialogue: he was a member of the EKD consultation group with the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the EKD commission for dialogue with the Russian Orthodox Church.

The academic memorial service aims to provide insights into Prof. Tamcke's research and ecumenical work. Colleagues and numerous bishops of the Eastern Churches will report on their collaboration with Mr. Tamcke. Furthermore, Johannes Markus Meckel (former theologian, politician, and member of the Bundestag) will highlight Prof. Tamcke's significance for the relationship between church and state.

The memorial service will also be streamed on YouTube.


Registration for the academic memorial service in the auditorium in person at: daniela.barton@theologie.uni-goettingen.de

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