Christian Schäfer

Professor Christian Schäfer holds the Chair of Philosophy I at the Otto-Friedrich University of Bamberg within the Faculty of Humanities and Cultural Studies. He has been a full professor at Bamberg since 2009, following academic appointments at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (2004-2009), Justus Liebig University Giessen (2002-2003), and teaching positions in Ecuador and Colombia.

His research interests span Ancient Philosophy, Medieval Philosophy, Scholastic Philosophy, Platonism, Philosophy of Religion, History of Philosophy, Ethics, and Philosophy of Evil. Professor Schäfer's work demonstrates a trajectory from ancient to medieval thought, with particular expertise in Plato, Thomas Aquinas, and Dionysius the Areopagite.

His recent scholarly output shows consistent engagement with foundational philosophical texts, with monographs published in 2006, 2013, and 2022 addressing Dionysius the Areopagite, Thomas Aquinas's treatment of evil, and Plato's Symposium respectively. These works reflect his dual expertise in ancient Greek philosophy and medieval scholastic thought.

Professor Schäfer is actively involved in collaborative research, particularly through the 'Sources and Studies on Philosophy in New Spain' project, which connects his scholarly work to the Bamberg Research Center's focus on 'Methods of Norm Justification.' His international academic network includes collaborations with scholars in Mexico, the United States, and across Europe.

His academic journey began with studies in Catholic Theology, Philosophy and Political Science at LMU Munich and Roman institutions, followed by doctoral work on Xenophanes of Colophon and habilitation research on the origin of evil in Plotinus, Augustine and Dionysius of the Areopagite, establishing the foundation for his current research trajectory.