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2020 Laureate
- Munib A. Younan
- Former Chair of the Lutheran World Federation
Bishop Dr. Munib A. Younan is a pioneer who has devoted his life to religious harmony, believing that dialogue and reconciliation between religions are the basis for human peace.
Born in Jerusalem in 1950 as a Palestinian refugee, Bishop Younan has been advancing religious harmony among Islam, Christianity and Judaism in the Middle East for more than four decades since being ordained as a Lutheran priest in 1976. In particular, he promoted religious harmony on a worldwide level while serving as the Chair of the Lutheran World Federation from 2010 to 2017, by bringing together a wide network of religious leaders from different faiths.
![수상자 소개영상 썸네일](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jBOoSbNbRWM/0.jpg)
Promoting harmony among Judaism, Christianity and Islam in the Middle East
for 40 years
Bishop Munib Younan
emphasized that a religion's role is to serve all humans regardless of sex,
race, ethnicity, religion and political factions. In addition, as he traveled
around the world, he spread the message “to achieve consensus in diversity, one must guard against religious
extremism, accept the diversity of biblical interpretations, and also accept
different religious traditions”
Born in 1950 as a Palestinian refugee in Jerusalem, Bishop Younan devoted his
life to promoting dialogue among Jews, Christians and Muslims and to advancing
reconciliation. In particular, he served as the President of the Fellowship of
the Middle East Evangelical Churches from 2004 to 2010, and as a founding
member of a coalition movement for Palestine and Israel, he took the lead in
resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict. In addition, he was the first to
translate the Augsburg Confession (1530), a key doctrinal document of
Lutheranism, into Arabic, contributing to furthering an understanding between
Christianity and Islam. He also published several books containing messages of
religious harmony.
Reconciling the Conflict between Catholic and Protestant Churches
Bishop Younan has
talked continuously with the Catholic Church for decades to overcome the
deep-rooted conflict between the Catholic Church and Protestant Church. As a
result, in 2013, the Lutheran World Federation and the Vatican jointly adopted
a document called "From Conflict to Sacrifice," unraveling the 500-year-old
conflict. This came to be regarded as a historical reconciliation between the two
churches where both sides promised to “renew their commitment to theological dialogue and continue the
journey towards unity, guided by God’s spirit according
to the will of Lord Jesus Christ.” This was done with
the aim to bring together the two churches, accepting that the Lutheran Church
and the Catholic Church are from the same roots and should work towards
reconciliation.
In 2016,
Lutheranism and Catholicism celebrated together the 500th anniversary of the Reformation,
and Pope Francis and Bishop Younan signed a declaration to go towards a “common path." It was the first
time in history that a pope took part in the founding anniversary of the Lutheran
Church. At the event, the two sides stated together that "Theological
distinction entails prejudice and conflict, degenerates into a tool for
political purposes," and that they "reject all past and present
hatred and violence expressed in the name of religion," sending a strong
message of religious harmony to the world.
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Munib A. Younan
- Born
- September 18, 1950
- Country
- Jerusalem
- Awarded for
- Pioneering religious harmony
Promoting harmony among Islam, Christianity and Judaism in the Middle East
Leading the reconciliation between the Catholic and Protestant Churches
Academic background
Graduated from Finnish Jürvenpü Luther Theological Seminary (Finland)
Master of theology at the University of Helsinki (Finland)
Graduated from Chicago Lutheran School (USA)
Honorary Degree
Honorary Ph.D., University of Münster (Germany)
Honorary Ph.D. of Theology, Wartburg College (USA)
Professional Background
2016-Present Board Member, Yasser Arafat Foundation
2016-Present Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
2016-Present Honorary President of the Evangelical Family, MECC
2010-Present Chair, Executive Committee & the Board of Trustees, (Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
2010-Present Member, Executive Committee, Fellowship of the Middle East Evangelical Churches (FMEEC)
2007-Present Chair, Board of Trustees, Al Diyar Consortium in Bethlehem, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL)
2007-Present Chair, Baptismal Site Committee, ELCJHL
2007-Present Chair, Board of Trustees, Severance and Pension Fund, ELCJHL
2007-Present Board Member of the Swedish Theological Institute, Jerusalem
2004-Present Chair, Abraham’s Herberge in Beit Jala, ELCJHL
2004-Present International Grand Chaplain, International Grand Priory of the Sovereign Military Order, Temple of Jerusalem (OSMTH)
2003-Present Member, Board of Managers, Near East School of Theology in Beirut
2002-President Chair, Local Reference Group, and Founding Member of the original church initiative, Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme for Palestine and Israel (EAPPI)
2001-Present Member, Priory of Finland, OSMTH
1998-Present Bishop of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, ELCJHL (Consecrated January 5, 1998)
1998-Present Chairperson, Coordination Committee for Cooperation between the ELCJHL and Overseas Partners of the ELCJHL
1998-Present Chair, Evangelical Lutheran School Board, ELCJHL
1998-Present Chair of the Board, Augusta Victoria Hospital, Lutheran World Service in Jerusalem
1995-Present Member, Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches, MECC
2010-2017 President, LWF
2010- 2016 President, Evangelical Family, MECC
2003- 2010 Vice-President & Member of Council, LWF
2003-2010 Member, Executive Committee & the Board of Trustees, LWF
2004-2010 President, Fellowship of the Middle East Evangelical Churches, FMEEC
2001-2004 Member of the Board, Vocational Training Center in Beit Hanina, LWF
1999-2003 Vice-President, Board of Managers, Near East School of Theology, Beirut
1998-2010 Chair, Asian Regional Church Leaders Conference, LWF
1998-2006 Member, World Council of Churches Orthodox Study Group, WCC
1998-2004 Member, Executive Committee, FMEEC
1998-2004 President, Board of Managers, International Christian Committee (ICC), Jerusalem
1997-2010 Member, Committee for the Department for Mission and Development, LWF
1997-2003 Vice-Chair, Program Committee for Mission Development, LWF
1997-2003 Vice-Chair, Board of Trustees, Institute for Ecumenical Research, LWF
1993-1998 Member, Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees, MECC
1993-1998 Member, Theological Committee, FMEEC
1990-1998 President, Synod of the ELCJHL
1990-1995 Member, Life and Service Committee, MECC
1985-1990 Member, Education Committee, MECC
1984-2000 Pastor, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hope in Ramallah, ELCJHL
1979-1984 Pastor, Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Beij Jala
1976-1979 Pastor, Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem, ELCJHL
1977-1988 Youth Pastor, ELCJHL
1976-1997 Teacher & Coordinator of Christian Education, ELCJHL Schools
Awards
2019 Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award (Roman Catholic Church)
2018 The Building Bridges of Understanding Award (Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.)
2017 Niwano Peace Prize (Niwano Foundation, Japan)
2016 Jerusalem Golden Award (Al Quds University, Palestine)
2014 Civis Mundi Award (Canada)
2013 Al-Hussein Decoration for Distinguished Service, First Class (Jordan)
2008 Mikael Agricola Medallion (Finland)
2007 Templar Peace Prize (Jerusalem)
2005 Bethlehem Star Award (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas)
2004 Holyland Christian Ecumenical Foundation Prize (Washington, D.C.)
2004 Bethanien Prize (Methodist Church, Oslo, Norway)
2001 Human Rights Award (United Nations Association, Washington, D.C.)
2001 The Finnish Peace Prize (Finnish Christian Peace Movement)
Recognitions
2010 President of the Lutheran World Federation
2004 President of the Fellowship of the Middle East Evangelical Churches
2003 Vice president of the Asian region of the Lutheran World Federation.
1997 - 2003 Council member, vice-chair of the Lutheran World Federation Program Committee for Mission and Development, and vice-chair of the Board of Trustees of the Institute for Ecumenical Research
1990 - 1997 Adviser to the Council of the Lutheran World Federation
1990 Named President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
1985 Became an active member of the Middle East Council of Churches
1982 Founded the Al-Liqa' Center for Religious Studies in Jerusalem
1981 Became involved with the Lutheran World Federation
1976 Ordained at the Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem. This began a long career within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.
Initiatives
2016 With His Holiness, Pope Francis, signed the Joint Statement commemorating the Lutheran Reformation and Historical Reconciliation between the Lutheran and Roman Catholic Churches
2010-Present Lutheran Patron of the Anglican Lutheran Society
2010-Present Member of the Religious Leader Commission, C-1 World Dialogue Foundation)
2006-Present Founding Member of the Council for Religious Institutions in the Holy Land (CRIHL)
2000-Present Member of the Jordanian Interfaith Coexistence Research Center (Amman, Jordan)
1998-Present Continuing work for the deepening of communion relationships with churches, synods, and diocese around the world
1997-Present Active in local Church-to-Church relationships
1997-Present Evaluator, Palestinian religious curriculum
1991-Present Initiator of the Jonah Group (various informal long-running dialogue groups, serving as forums for joint reflection of local Christians and Jews)
2009 Contributing writer, 2011 Worship Resources, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
2006 Instrumental in the “Amman Agreement,” a mutual recognition agreement among Middle East evangelical churches, Fellowship of Middle East Evangelical Churches (FMEEC)
1997-2000 Developer of the Palestinian Christian Instruction Curriculum (recognized by the Palestinian Ministry of Education for use in Palestinian schools)
1998 Author of “The Christian Dimension of the Palestinian Curriculum” (adopted in 1998 by the Church leaders in Jerusalem as the main document for negotiations with the Ministry of Education
1993 Translator, Arabic translation of the Augsburg Confession with study guide
1984 Participant in the Jewish-Christian Dialogue Symposium, World Council of Churches
1984 Participant in the Anglican-Lutheran Dialogue (Jerusalem)
1982-2008 Co-founder and member of the Al-Liqa’ Center for Religious Studies(Jerusalem)
Publications - Books
Our Shared Witness: A Voice for Justice and Peace. Lutheran University Press, Minneapolis, 2012
Witnessing for Peace: In Jerusalem and the World. Augsburg Fortress, Minneapolis, 2003.
The Augsburg Confession in Arabic. Emerezian Est., Jerusalem, 1993.
Publications - Chapters
“Beyond Luther: Prophetic Interfaith Dialogue for Life,” in The Global Luther: A Theologian for Modern Times. Fortress Press, 2009.
“The Future of the Lutheran Reformation Tradition: From the Perspective of Palestinian Christians,” in The Future of Lutheranism in a Global Context. Augsburg Fortress, Minneapolis, 2008.
“The Role of the Church in Peacemaking: Raising a Prophetic Voice,” in The Forgotten Faithful. Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, Jerusalem 2007
“Theological Reflection and Theology,” in Theological Reflection on Accompaniment. World Council of Churches, 2005.
Publications - Chapters
“Beyond Luther: Prophetic Interfaith Dialogue for Life,” in The Global Luther: A Theologian for Modern Times. Fortress Press, 2009.
“The Future of the Lutheran Reformation Tradition: From the Perspective of Palestinian Christians,” in The Future of Lutheranism in a Global Context. Augsburg Fortress, Minneapolis, 2008.
“The Role of the Church in Peacemaking: Raising a Prophetic Voice,” in The Forgotten Faithful. Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, Jerusalem 2007
“Theological Reflection and Theology,” in Theological Reflection on Accompaniment. World Council of Churches, 2005.
Notes
Born to Palestinian refugee parents