Elisabeth Gräb-Schmidt

Christian Thiel/Deutscher Ethikrat
“As a Protestant theologian and technology ethicist, my aim in the Ethics Council is to critically assess the possibilities offered by rapid technological progress – particularly in the life sciences – from the perspective of their human consequences. Opportunities and risks that arise for humanity from an ethical perspective, such as questions concerning the beginning and end of human life, must be clearly identified and the possible consequences analysed.”
Focus of the commitment in the German Ethics Council
- Fundamental questions of ethics, especially ethics in technology and bioethics
- Ethical questions of genetic engineering and synthetic biology
- Dialogue between science and theology
- Ethics and religion
Professional background
- Since 2010 Director of the Institute for Ethics at the Faculty of Protestant Theology of the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen
- Since 2010 Chair for Systematic Theology at the Faculty of Protestant Theology of the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen
- 2013 and 2016–2017 Fellow at the Max Weber Centre for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies
- 2007–2009 Director of the Institute for Philosophy of Religion at the University of Frankfurt/Main
- 2002–2010 University Professor for Systematic Theology at the University of Giessen
- 2001 Habilitation
- 1997–2001 Teaching assignments at the Universities of Frankfurt/Main and Osnabrück
- 1997–2000 Fellowship awarded by the German Research Foundation
- 1992 PhD in Theology
- 1982–1984 Training as a Vicar in Mannheim and second exam in Theology at the Regional Church in Baden
- 1974–1982 Studies in Protestant Theology and Philosophy at the Universities of Göttingen, Heidelberg, Berkeley and Mainz
Memberships
- Since 2018 Member of the German Ethics Council
- Since 2017 Chair of the University Advisory Board of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD)
- Since 2015 Member of the Permanent Senate Commission on Genetic Research of the German Research Foundation
- Since 2013 Member of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany
- Since 2013 Member of the Central Ethics Committee of the German Medical Association (ZEKO)
- Since 2010 Member of the Advisory Board of the International Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities (IZEW)
- 2010–2013 Member of the Advisory Commission on Public Responsibility of the Evangelical Church in Germany
- Since 2007 Member of the Societas Ethica
- 2004–2009 Member of the Advisory Commission on Sustainable Development of the Evangelical Church in Germany
- Since 2005 Member of the Schleiermacher Society
- Since 2003 Member of the European Society for Philosophy of Religion
- Since 2003 Member of the German Society for Philosophy of Religion (DGR)
- Since 2001 Member of the Scientific Society for Theology (WGTh; 2011–2014 Chair of the Expert Group for Systematic Theology)
- Since 1996 Member of the Working Group for Theological Business and Technology Ethics
Selected publications
- Gräb-Schmidt, E. (2019): Transcendence and freedom: on the anthropological and cultural centrality of religion. In: Fuchs, M. et al. (ed.): Religious Individualisation. Historical Dimensions and Comparative Perspectives. Berlin: De Gruyter, 141–158. DOI: 10.1515/9783110580853-006
- Gräb-Schmidt, E.; Stritzelberger, C.P. (2018): Ethische Herausforderungen durch autonome Systeme und Robotik im Bereich der Pflege. Zeitschrift für medizinische Ethik, 64 (4), 357–372. DOI: 10.14623/zfme.2018.4.357-372
- Gräb-Schmidt, E. (2018): Zwischen System und Verantwortung. Ethische Überlegungen zum Begriff der Autonomie angesichts der Entwicklung autonomer Systeme. Sankt Augustin: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. https://www.kas.de/documents/252038/3346186/Zwischen+System+und+Verantwortung.pdf
- Gräb-Schmidt, E. (2017): Menschenrechte und Christentum. Metaphysische und rechtssystematische Überlegungen zur Frage ihrer Geltung und Universalisierung. In: Altmeyer, S. et al. (ed.): Menschenrechte und Religionsunterricht. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 26–37. DOI: 10.13109/9783788732240.26
- Gräb-Schmidt, E. (2017): Autonome Systeme. Autonomie im Spiegel menschlicher Freiheit und ihrer technischen Errungenschaften. Zeitschrift für Evangelische Ethik, 61 (3), 163–170. DOI: 10.14315/zee-2017-0303
- Gräb-Schmidt, E. (2015): Der Mensch – seine Natur als Freiheit. Zu den Bestimmungen des Verhältnisses von Natur und Freiheit in anthropologischer, kosmologischer und verantwortungsethischer Absicht. In: Gräb-Schmidt, E.; Preul, R. (ed.): Natur. Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 29–50.
- Gräb-Schmidt, E. (2015): Autonomie. Zeitschrift für Evangelische Ethik, 59 (2), 133–137. DOI: 10.14315/zee-2015-0208
- Gräb-Schmidt, E. (ed.) (2015): Was heißt Natur? Philosophischer Ort und Begründungsfunktion des Naturbegriffs. Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt.
- Gräb-Schmidt, E. (2015): Umweltethik. In: Huber, W.; Meireis, T.; Reuter, H.-R. (ed.): Handbuch der Evangelischen Ethik. München: C.H. Beck, 649–709.
- Gräb-Schmidt, E. et al. (ed.) (2015): Leibhaftes Personsein. Theologische und interdisziplinäre Perspektiven. Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt.
- Gräb-Schmidt, E. (2013): Abschied von der Säkularisierungsthese. Herausforderung für die protestantische Theologie der Gegenwart im Anschluss an Friedrich Schleiermacher und Karl Barth. Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche, 110 (1), 74–108. DOI: 10.1628/004435413X13606666522265
- Gräb-Schmidt, E. (2012): Wessen Werte zählen in einer pluralistischen demokratischen Gesellschaft? In: Weilert, A.K.; Hildmann, P.W. (ed.): Ethische Politikberatung. Baden-Baden: Nomos, 135–150.
- Gräb-Schmidt, E. (2011): Die Herausforderungen der Neurowissenschaften als Anfrage an das Verhältnis von Ethik und Technik. In: Polke, C. et al. (ed.): Niemand ist eine Insel. Menschsein im Schnittpunkt von Anthropologie, Theologie und Ethik. Berlin: De Gruyter, 429–450. DOI: 10.1515/9783110247893.429
- Gräb-Schmidt, E. (2002): Technikethik und ihre Fundamente. Dargestellt in Auseinandersetzung mit den technikethischen Ansätzen von Günter Ropohl und Walter Christoph Zimmerli. Berlin: De Gruyter. DOI: 10.1515/9783110904444
- Berg, C. et al. (ed.) (2001): Der Mensch als homo faber. Technikentwicklung zwischen Faszination und Verantwortung. Münster: Lit.