Martin Leiner pursued his academic career in the fields of Protestant theology and philosophy. He obtained his doctorate researching on the psychological exegesis of the New Testament and then moved on to systematic theology. With a long academic career spanning more than four decades, Professor Leiner has made important contributions in a number of areas, including hermeneutics, Paul Tillich, media ethics and transdisciplinary studies on reconciliation, a field in which he was a pioneer ("father of reconciliation studies"). He currently holds the Chair of Systematic Theology and Ethics at the FSU Jena (Germany). Previously, Professor Leiner held prestigious positions at the universities of Mainz and Neuchâtel; since 2017 he is also extraordinary professor at the South African University of Stellenbosch. Professor Leiner has been visiting professor at the universities of Geneva, Fribourg, Kinshasa, Doshisha/Kyoto, Charles University in Prague and Johns Hopkins/Baltimore-Washington. Dr. Leiner's most notable achievements include obtaining a Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) fellowship that led to the establishment of the Jena Center for Reconciliation Studies (JCRS), which hosts two PhD programs with currently twenty PhD students.

He is also founder and director of the Academic Alliance for Reconciliation in the Middle East and North Africa (AARMENA), and scientific director of Satoyama for Peace: Ecosystems for Peace and Reconciliation. 

Publications

2023. Francesco Ferrari/Michael Sternberg/Zeina Barakat/Boaz Hameiri Martin Leiner (Hg.), Encountering the suffering of the other.  Göttingen: Vandenhoeck&Ruprech

2022. Reconciliation and Refuges. Davide Tacchini, Zeina M. Barakat, Iyad Muhsen Al Dajani, Martin Leiner (Hg.) Vandenhoeck& Ruprecht Göttingen 2022.

2022. Reconciliation, Heritage and Social Inclusion in the Middle East and North Africa . Iyad Muhsen al Dajani, Martin Leiner (Hg.). Springer 2022.

2020. Creating space for truth. Reconciliation Studies and the 2014 TRC re-enactment. Martin Leiner (Hg.). In: Unfinished Business? Faith Communities and Reconciliation in a Post-TRC Context. African Sun Media, Stellenbosch 2020, S. 141-162.

2020. Die theologische und philosophische Rezeption der Texthermeneutik Paul Ricoers. Zum Stand der Forschung. Jean-Marc Tétaz/Martin Leiner (Hg.) In: Theologische Rundschau, 85. Jahrgang Heft 1, Mohr Siebeck 2020, 46-71.

2020. Martin Leiner/Joseph Famerée (Hg.), Les ‚sola‘ de la Réforme. Relectures protestantes et catholiques. Louvain la Neuve 2020. Cahiers de la Revue théologique de Louvain 44.

2018 .Martin Leiner/Christine Schließer (Hrsg), Alternative Approaches in Conflict Resolution. London: Palgrave pivot 2018.

2016. Martin Leiner: Thinking differently about Identity and Harmnony - The Potential of Asian thinking for Reconciliation. Is reconciliation a topic for East Asia? In: Phillip Tolliday/Maria Palme/Dong-Choon Kim /ed.), Asia-Pacific between Conflict and Reconciliation, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht 2016. pp. 183-203.

2012. M.Leiner and S. Flämig, eds., Societies in Transition. Latin America between Conflict and Reconciliation. (=International Research on Religion, Conflict and Reconciliation vol. 1). Göttingen: Vandenhoeck&Ruprecht

2007. Was wird bleiben von Auschwitz? -Von der Sprachnot zur Stellvertretung. In. M.Wermke (ed.), Keine Pflicht, aber Kür. Beiträge aus Theologie und Pädagogik. Jena: IKS Garamond, pp. 65-82

2006. Medienethik in der Gegenwart (Medienethik II). In: N.Knoepffler,P. Kunzmann, I.Pies and A.Siegetsleitner, eds., Einführung in die Angewandte Ethik. Freiburg/München: Alber-Verlag, pp. 155-197

2006. "Mística y dogmática: ¿Convergencia u opposición? In: Selecciones de teología. 43, pp. 129-136. (=Spanish Version of "Mystique et dogmatique?" combined with a price for one of the best not Spanish articles of the year 2003).

2000. Gottes Gegenwart. Martin Bubers Philosophie des Dialogs und der Ansatz ihrer theologischen Rezeption bei Friedrich Gogarten und Emil Brunner.(= Publication of the habilitation). Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus.

1995. Psychologie und Exegese. Grundfragen einer textpsychologischen Exegese des Neuen Testaments. Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus/Christian Kaiser Verlag. (= Publication of PhD thesis)