Lehrstuhl für Orientalische Philologie und Islamwissenschaft

Georges Tamer wurde 1960 im Libanon geboren. Er studierte Philosophie, Soziologie, Theologie und Klassische Philologie an der Goethe-Universität und der Philosophisch–Theologischen Hochschule St. Georgen Frankfurt a.M. (1989-1992) und der Freien Universität Berlin (1992-1995). Promotion in Philosophie an der FU Berlin 2000 (Islamische Philosophie und die Krise der Moderne. Studien zum Verhältnis von Leo Strauss zur islamischen Philosophie des Mittelalters), Habilitation in Islamwissenschaft 2007 an der Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Von Dahr zu Allah. Zeitvorstellungen und hellenistische Ideen in der vorislamisch-arabischen Poesie und im Koran).

Er war 2001-2006 Lektor für Arabisch in Erlangen, 2006/2007 Gastprofessor für Arabistik an der FU Berlin und 2007-2012 Sofia Chair in Arabic Studies an der Ohio State University. Seit Oktober 2012 hat er den Lehrstuhl für Orientalische Philologie und Islamwissenschaft an der FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg inne.

Er verbrachte Forschungsaufenthalte am Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, am Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton und am Internationalen Kolleg für Geisteswissenschaftliche Forschung (IKGF) in Erlangen. Er war 2012-2013 Marie Curie Fellow der Gerda Henkel Stiftung. Von 2009 bis 2012 war er Mitglied des Wissenschaftlichen Beirats, seither affiliierter Research Partner des IKGF.

Seine Forschungsinteressen umfassen verschiedene Gebiete der arabisch-islamischen Geistesgeschichte wie die Koranhermeneutik, die arabische Philosophie und ihre moderne Rezeption, die arabische Literatur in Geschichte und Gegenwart und die interreligiösen Beziehungen.

• 2007 Habilitation (2nd Ph.D.) in Islamic Studies at the Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. Dissertation title: Von Dahr zu Allah. Zeitvorstellungen und hellenistische Ideen in der vorislamisch-arabischen Poesie und im Koran.
• 2000 Ph.D. in Philosophy, Freie Universität Berlin. Dissertation title: Islamische Philosophie und die Krise der Moderne. Studien zum Verhältnis von Leo Strauss zur islamischen Philosophie des Mittelalters.
• 1997 – 1999 Active participant at the Berliner Seminar of the Working Group Modernity and Islam at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin.
• 1995 Magister Artium in Philosophy, Freie Universität Berlin. Thesis: Schwermut und Leiden in Kierkegaards „Stadien auf des Lebens Weg“.
• 1993 Courses at the Evangelical Kirchliche Hochschule Berlin.
• 1992 Regular student at the Freie Universität Berlin.
• 1991/92 Courses taken at the Jesuit Philosophisch–Theologische Hochschule St. Georgen in Frankfurt am Main.
• 1989/90 – 1991/92 Studied Philosophy as a major, Evangelical Theology and Sociology as a minor at the J.-W. Goethe Universität in Frankfurt am Main.
• 1988/89 Preparatory course for the foreign students at the J.-W. Goethe Universität in Frankfurt am Main.
• 1985/86 – 1987/88 Studied Philosophy at the Lebanese University and German at Goethe-Institute in Tripoli.

• March-April 2022: Guest Professor at the Université Saint-Joseph and the University of Balamand (Erasmus+ Exchange Program).
• March-April 2023: Guest Professor at the Université Saint-Joseph and the University of Balamand (Erasmus+ Exchange Program).
• Since 01.10.2020: Founding director of the Bavarian Research Center for Interreligious Discourses at the FAU Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
• 2017-2022: Co-Director of the Interdisciplinary Elite MA-Program “Cultural Studies of the Middle East” at the Universities of Bamberg and Erlangen.
• October 2017: Guest Professor at the Sharia College of the University of Jordan (Erasmus+ Exchange Program).
• February-March 2017: Guest Professor at the University of Balamand (Erasmus+ Exchange Program).
• March 2016: Guest Professor at the University of Balamand (Erasmus+ Exchange Program).
• March-April 2014: Guest Professor at the School of Theology at the University of Balamand. Teaching an MA-Course “Reading the Bible through the Qurʾān”.
• Since 01.10.2012:  Chair of Oriental Philology and Islamic Studies at the FAU Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
• October 1, 2007 – September 30, 2012:  M.S. Sofia Chair in Arabic Studies at the Ohio State University.
• July 2009 – September 2012:  Member of the Advisory Board of the International Consortium for Research in the Humanities “Fate, Freedom, and Prognostication. Strategies for Coping with the Future in East Asia and Europe” at the Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
• July 14 – 25, 2008:  Faculty Member of the Summer University Course “Religion and Politics: The Presence of Sacred and Secular Traditions in Europe and the Middle East” at the Central European University in Budapest.
• February 1 – September 30, 2007:  Permanent Research Fellow at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
• October 1, 2006 – September 30, 2007:  Guest Professor, Institut für Arabistik at the Freie Universität Berlin, Director.
• 2003/2004:  Taught courses at the Divinity School at the Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
• 2001:  Invitation to join the University of Balamand in Lebanon as assistant professor, declined.
• November 1, 2000 – January 31, 2007:  Lecturer of Arabic at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
• 1997/98:  Instructor at the Institut für Arabistik und Semitistik, Freie Universität Berlin.
• 1997/98:  Assistant of Prof. Ulrich Haarmann, Chair of the Berliner Seminar “Modernity and the Past” of the Working Group Modernity and Islam at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin.

• 2021: Editor of the Erlanger Jahrbuch für Interreligiöse Diskurse. Baden-Baden: Ergon-Verlag.
• 2019: Editor of the Book Series “Key Concepts in Interreligious Discourses”. Berlin/Boston: Walter de Gruyter.
• 2019: Co-Editor of the Book Series “Philosophy in the Islamic World in Context”. Berlin/Boston: Walter de Gruyter.
• 2018: Member of the Editorial Advisory Board, Book Series “Islamic History and Thought”. Gorgias Press.
• 2017: Organizing and conducting an international conference “Philosophy and Law: Islamic and Jewish Thought between the Poles of Theocracy and Theology” at the Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg on February 14-16, 2017.
• 2016-2021: Founding Speaker of the Centre for Euro-Oriental Studies at the Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
• 2016-2020: Founding Director of the Research Unit “Key Concepts in Interreligious Dialogue: Judaism, Christianity and Islam” at the Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
• 2016-2018: Member (Expert) of the Enquête-Kommission “Integration in Bayern aktiv gestalten und Richtung geben” (Shaping and Directing Integration in Bavaria) of the Bavarian Parliament.
• 2015: Organizing and conducting an international interdisciplinary Symposium “Kritische Koranhermeneutik – Günter Lüling in Memoriam” at the Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg on June 19-20, 2015.
• 2014: Organizing and conducting an international interdisciplinary conference “Exegetical Crossroads: Understanding Scripture in Judaism, Christianity and Islam in the Medieval Orient” at the Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg on February 20-22, 2014.
• 2013: With Patrice Brodeur, Alexandra Cuffel and Assaad Elias Kattan Co-Editor of the Book Series “Judaism, Christianity and Islam – Tension, Transmission, Transformation”. Berlin/Boston: Walter de Gruyter.
• November 2013: Member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches for seven years. Reelected in September 2022.
• October 1, 2012: Member of several committees at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
• 2011: Organizing and conducting an international interdisciplinary conference “Islam and Rationality: The Impact of al-Ghazālī” at The Ohio State University on November 10-12, 2011.
• 2009 – 2012:  Member of the Faculty Senate of the College of Arts and Sciences at The Ohio State University.
• 2009/2010:  Chair of the search committee for a position in Arabic at The Ohio State University.
• 2009/2010:  Member of the Graduate Study Committee of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at The Ohio State University.
• 2007:  Organizing and conducting an international interdisciplinary conference “Humor in der Arabischen Kultur” at the Freie Universität Berlin on July 05-07, 2007.
• 2004:  Founder and director of Maraya Institute for cultural and academic exchange between Europe and the Arab World. Established relationships with academic institutions and intellectuals in Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
• 2004:  Organizing and conducting an international interdisciplinary conference “Die Trias des Maimonides” at the Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg on July 07-11, 2004.
• 2003/2004:  Supervising the Arabic translation of Harald Motzki, Die Anfänge der islamischen Jurisprudenz in Mekka bis zur Mitte des 2./8. Jahrhunderts (The Origins of Islamic Jurisprudence), Stuttgart 1991. Published in 2010.
• 2000:  Research project “Der Einfluss von Globalisierungs- und Regionalisierungsprozessen in der Geschichte der Ostkirche auf die Entstehung, Ausbreitung und frühe Entwicklung des Islam im 6. und 7. Jahrhundert” proposed to the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Erfurt. Project accepted by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Invitation declined.

• Member of the Academia Europaea
• Member of the Deutsche Morgenländische Gesellschaft
• Member of the Deutscher Hochschulverband
• Member of the Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft Vorderer Orient
• Member of the Theologischer Arbeitskreis Pfullingen
• Member of the Interkonfessioneller Theologischer Arbeitskreis

• September 2017-September 2018: Research Fellow at the Nahyan Center for Arabic and Intercultural Studies and Consultant of the President of the University of Balamand, Lebanon.
• March-April 2017: Research Fellow at the Nahyan Center for Arabic and Intercultural Studies at the University of Balamand.
• October 1, 2014 – September 30, 2015: Research Fellow of the International Consortium for Research in the Humanities “Fate, Freedom and Prognostication. Strategies for Coping with the Future in East Asia and Europe” at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg.
• 01.01.2012 – 31.12.2013:  Marie Curie Fellowship (Senior Researcher) of the Gerda Henkel Foundation.
• 2010 – 2011:  Considerable Grants from Mershon Center for International Security Studies, Middle East Studies Center, Arts and Humanities, Melton Center for Jewish Studies, Office of International Affairs and Humanities Institute at The Ohio State University dedicated to the conference “Islam and Rationality: The Impact of al-Ghazālī” to be held on November 10-12, 2011.
• June – September 2010:   Visiting Scholar at the International Consortium for Research in the Humanities “Fate, Freedom, and Prognostication. Strategies for Coping with the Future in East Asia and Europe” at the Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
• 2009-2010:  OSU Humanities Research Grant.
• 2008-2009:  OSU Humanities Research Grant.
• 2008-2009:  OSU Mershon Center for International Security Studies Research Funding.
• 01.01. – 08.15.2006:  Member of the School of Historical Studies, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton.
• 01.10.2002 – 31.07.2003:  Fellow of the Working Group Modernity and Islam at the Institute for Advanced Study Berlin (Project: Jewish and Islamic Hermeneutics as Critique of Knowledge).
• 01.20.2001:  Ecumenical prize of the Ecumenical Council Berlin-Brandenburg for the year 2000.
• 1995 – 2000:  Ph.D. scholarship from the DAAD.
• 1989 – 1995:  Scholarship from the Diakonisches Werk of the Evangelical Church in Germany.