B i o g r a p h y
Msgre Prof. PhDr. Tomáš Halík ThD.
Prof. Tomáš Halík (born June 1st, 1948 in Prague) is a Czech leading public intellectual, philosopher, sociologist and priest.
Tomáš Halík studied sociology, philosophy, and psychology and graduated with a Ph.D. from the Faculty of Philosophy at Charles University in Prague. During the Communist period he was banned from university teaching and persecuted by the secret police as “an enemy of the regime.” Clandestinely ordained priest in Erfurt, in 1978, he worked in the “underground Church” where he was one of Cardinal Tomášek's closest associates. He was initiator of the ecumenical pastoral project “Decade of National Spiritual Renewal.” He was also involved in clandestine seminars in private homes, published in samizdat and helped publish illegal philosophical and theological books and journals. He closely cooperated with the country’s future president, Václav Havel, as well as theologians Josef Zvěřina and Oto Mádr, and other dissidents.
After the fall of Communism he served as General Secretary to the Czech Conference of Bishops (1990-93) and lectured in pastoral psychology and sociology at the Catholic Theological Faculty of Charles University. Since 1993 associate professor and since 1997 professor of sociology of Charles University, Prague (Department of the Religious studies, Faculty of Art), pastor of the Academic Parish, and President of the Czech Christian Academy (since 1990). Focus of academic work: philosophy of religion, inter-religious relations; the sociology of religion; the relationship between religion, politics and culture.
Since the mid-nineties he has been involved in international efforts to promote dialogue and understanding between religions and cultures, taking part in talks with Jewish thinkers in Israel and the USA, with Hindus in India and Great Britain, with Buddhists in Nepal, Japan and Thailand, with Muslims in Egypt, Jordan and Great Britain.
Since 1989 he has participated actively in public life, maintaining a high media profile and being involved in civic initiatives. He has taken public stands against racial, national, religious and political intolerance and violence. He has actively promoted Czech-German reconciliation and the ecumenical reconciliation of the different churches, and has spoken out on issues of political and economic ethics. In the 1990s he served as one of President Václav Havel’s external advisers. In 1998 Václav Havel indicated in the Czech media that Tomáš Halík was an eligible candidate for Havel's successor in the office of Czech President. However, Halík refused any active involvement in the politics and decided to continue his work as an academician, priest and writer. In 1998, he was appointed a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Since 1989 he has lectured at a number of universities and international scholarly conferences in Europe, in the USA, in the USA, in Asia, Australia, Canada and Southern Africa; he was also visiting professor at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and read annual lectures at Harvard University (The Inaugural Greeley Lecture 2009), Cambridge University (von Huegel lecture 2005), at Calvin College (January Series 2001), at Catholic University Leuven (St. Thomas Feast 2013) etc. His innovative contribution to contemporary theological thinking, particularly to the dialogue with atheists and agnostics, has already posed a theme for several doctoral and master´s theses at European universities including Louvain, Krakow and Warsaw.
Since 1999 he has been a frequent participant in international debates and panel discussions with European politicians regarding the widening of the European Union and the cultural and spiritual aspects of the process of European integration (Berlin, Hanover, Passau, Lausanne, Paris, etc.) He has acted on several occasions as an expert at the European Parliament in Brussels and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. In 2006, he was appointed a member of the European board of experts (Comate des sages) of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) in Brussels. He has been a member of the OSCE International Advisory Panel since 2002.
Tomáš Halík is a member of the organizing committee of the Forum 2000 conference. In 1998 he was appointed a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. In 1992, Pope John Paul II appointed him advisor to the Pontifical Council for Dialogue with Non-Believers and in 2009, Pope Benedict XVI granted him the title of Monsignor – Honorary Prelate of His Holiness.
Tomáš Halík has received several prizes at home and abroad for literature, for services to the cause of intercultural and interreligious dialogue and for his promotion of human rights and spiritual freedom, including the Cardinal Koenig Prize (2003) and the Romano Guardini Prize (2010), the honorary title Man of Reconciliation 2010 for his contribution to dialogue between Christian and Jews, the Medal for intercultural and religious dialogue from the Islamic Fund, and Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (2012).
He has over 200 publications to his credit, including full-length books, teaching texts, and articles, both specialized and for the general reader, published at home and abroad. His books have been translated into 11 languages. His book Patience with God received the prize for the best European Theological Book 2009/10, and in the USA it was named book of the month in July 2010.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Tomáš Halík´s books
Books in Czech:
HALÍK, T.: O přítomnou církev a společnost. Praha, Křesťanská akademie Praha, 1992, 78 s.,ISBN 80-900615-5-9.
HALÍK, T.: Sedm úvah o službě nemocným a trpícím. 1.vyd. Brno, Cesta 1993, 59 s.
ISBN 80-85319-27-6
HALÍK, T.: Víra a kultura. 1.vyd. Praha, Zvon 1995,
ISBN 80-7113-117-2.
HALÍK, T., JANDOUREK J: Ptal jsem se cest. 1. vydání. Praha, Portál 1997,
ISBN 80-7178-143-6
HALIK, T.: Co je bez chvění, není pevné. Praha, Lidové noviny 2002,
ISBN 80 – 7106- 628-1
HALIK, T.: Oslovit Zachea. Praha, Lidové noviny 2003,
ISBN 80 – 7106- 547-1
HALÍK, T.: Vzýván i nevzýván. Evropské přednášky k filozofii a sociologii dějin křesťanství Praha, Lidové noviny; 2004,
ISBN 80-7106-692-3
HALÍK, T.: Noc zpovědníka, Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, Praha 2005,
ISBN 80-7106-777-6
HALIK, T.: Prolínání světů, nakladatelství Lidové noviny, Praha 2006,
ISBN 80-7106-834-9
HALIK, T.: Vzdáleným nablízku , Naklad. Lidové noviny, Praha 2007,
ISBN 978-80 – 7106- 907-2
HALÍK, T.: Dotkni se ran, Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, Praha 2008,
ISBN 978-80-7106-979-9
HALÍK, T.: Stromu zbývá naděje, Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, Praha 2009,
ISBN 978-80-7106-989-8
HALÍK, T.: Úvahy na prahu tisíciletí, nakl. Bonaventura, Praha 2009,
ISBN 978-8085197-50-1
HALÍK,T: Divadlo pro anděly, Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, Praha 2010,
ISBN 978-80-7422-051-7
HALÍK T., DOSTATNI T.: Smířená různost, Portál, Praha 2011,
ISBN 878-80-7367-860-9
HALÍK,T: Úvahy na prahu tisíciletí, Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, Praha 2011,
ISBN 978-80-7422-117-0
HALÍK,T: Chci, abys byl, Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, Praha 2012,
ISBN 978-80-7422-177-4
Books in English:
HALÍK, T., Patience with God. Doubleday, New York – London 2009,ISBN 978-0-385-52449-0
HALÍK, T., Night of the Confessor. Doubleday, New York – London
ISBN 978-0-385-5245-0
Books in German:
HALÍK, T.: Du wirst das Angesicht der erde erneuern. Kirche und Gesellschaft an der Schwelle zur Freiheit. 1.vyd. Leipzig, Benno-Verl., 1993, 129 s.,ISBN 3-7462-1079-8
HALÍK, T.: Geduld mit Gott, Herder Verlag Freiburg –Wien, 2010,
ISBN 978-3-451-30382-1
HALÍK, T.: Berühre die Wunden, Herder Verlag Freiburg –Wien, 2013
Books in Polish:
HALÍK T., Wyzwoleni, jesze nie wolni. Poznan, W drodze 1997,ISBN 83-73-127-0
HALÍK T., Radzilem sie dróg. Poznaň. W drodze. 2001,
ISBN 83-7033-349-4
HALÍK, T., Co nie jest chwiejne, jest nietrwale. Kraków, WAM, 2004,
ISBN 83-7318-307-8
HALIK, T., Premowicz do Zacheusza. WAM, Kraków 2005,
ISBN 83-7318-531-3
HALÍK T., Zacheuszu! WAM, Krakov 2006,
ISBN: 83-7318-748-0
HALÍK T., Wzywany czy newzywany, WAM, Krakov 2006,
ISBN: 83-7318-621-2
HALÍK T., Noc spowiednika. Ksiegarnija sw. Jacka, Katovice 2007,
ISBN 978-83-7030-534-5
HALÍK T., Cierpliwosc wobec Boga, WAM, Krakov 2009,
ISBN 978-83-7505-368-5
HALÍK T., Drzewo ma jeszcze nadzieje, Znak, Krakov 2010,
ISBN 978-83-240-1412-5
HALÍK T., Dotknij ran, Znak, Krakow 2010,
ISBN 978-83-240-1306-7
HALÍK T., Teatr dla aniolow, Znak, Krakow 2011
HALÍK T., Przenikanie Swiatow, Ks. sw. Jacka, Katovice 2012
ISBN 978-83-7030-759-2
HALÍK T., Hurra, nie jestem Bogiem, Agora, Warszawa 2013
ISBN 978-83268-1235-4
HALÍK T., DOSTANI T., Roznorodnosc pojednana, Znak, Krakow 2013
Books in Slovenian:
HALÍK, T.: Blizu pola: Molk na Antarktiki, Društvo apokalypsa, Lublaň 2008,ISBN 978-961-6644-34-1
HALÍK, T.: Dotakni se ran, Društvo apokalypsa, Lublaň 2010,
ISBN 978-961-6644-67-9
Books in Italian:
HALÍK T., „Mistica, anima della filosofia?“, Fondazione nazionale „Vito Fazio-Allmayer“, Palermo 1999HALÍK T., Vicino ai lontani, Libreria editrice Vaticana, Vatican 2012
ISBN 978-88-209-8916-3
Books in Spanish:
HALÍK, T.: Un proyecto de renovación espiritual., Madrid, Narcea, 1996,ISBN 84-277-1174-3
Books in Ukraninian:
HALÍK, T.: Nič zpovidnika, Misioner, Lviv,ISBN 978-966-658-222-8
HALÍK, T.: Terpelivist iz Bogom, Svicado, LVIV 2012
ISBN 978-966-395-599-5
Books in Hungarian:
HALÍK, T.: A gyóntató éjszakája, Kairosz, Budapest 2010,ISBN 978-963-662-294-7
Books in Portuguese:
HALÍK, T.: Paciencia com Deus, Paulinas, Prior Velho 2013ISBN 978-989-673-258-1
Books in French:
HALÍK, T.: La Patience envers Dieu, CERF Paris 2013 (in print)Books in Chinese:
(Halík´s book Patience with God was translated in Chinese by his doctor-student Mei-Chi /sister Epiphany in Taiwan, but he hasn’t found a publisher in continental China yet.)Honors, awards, and prizes:
- Prize for literature and creative activity (the Masaryk Academy of Art, 1997)
- Andrew Elias Human Tolerance Award “for outstanding services in disseminating the values of tolerance and spiritual and intellectual freedom”, 2002
- Cardinal König Prize (for outstanding merits for spiritual freedom) Austria 2003
- Prize for literature (Czech National literary Fund, Prague 2007) – for the best book of the year 2006
- Feniks – Polish prize for Literature, for the best book of foreign author (Warsaw 2007)
- Prize of Czech and Slovak Society for Art and Science - for literary, scholarly and pedagogical activity, Prague 2007
- “Romano Guardini Prize” for „outstanding merits in interpreting contemporary world and society“ (Germany, 2010)
- Honorary title “Man of Reconciliation 2010” for the outstanding merits for dialogue between Christians and Jews, (Poland, 2011)
- Award for interreligious and intercultural dialogue (Islamic society Mosaika-Platform, Prague 2010)
- The Golden Medal of St. Adalbert ( Prague, 2010)