Welcome to the English section of my website. For the moment, only my academic work is available here. A significant part of it, however, has been published in this very language. So please have a look, and whatever you are interested in: Feel invited to explore my ideas!

The most recent focus of my work is the development of an ethics of planetary sustainability. As principal investigator within this research project, I actively attended UNISPACE+50, the invitation-only UN millenium space conference. Like the idea of a sustainability embracing earth and its space environment? Be invited to support the project!

Before, I worked at the interface of astrobiology and theology.
I am an expert on critical realism and – having been employed by scientists three years – very well acquainted with the field of science and religion in general.
My theoretical backbone is called „constructive-critical realism“.

I have one leg in modern Jewish philosophy, and here particularly in the philosophies of Martin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig.
Finally, one should not forget my pioneering work on mission statements of German welfare organizations.

English and French Publications (only)

For a full list of publications, see my CV.
Abstracts of the published works you will find on my profile on academia.edu Thank you.

1. Books published

9780567680167
With Zoe Lehmann Imfeld (Eds.), Our Common Cosmos. Exploring the future of theology, human culture and space sciences, Bloomsbury 2018 (Paperback 2020)

„Theologians as well as scientists should thank Zoe Lehmann Imfeld and Andreas
Losch for putting together this collection of thoughtful essays. Each contributing
author cultivates the mood of exploration and follows a path that leads to
expanded horizons and deeper understanding.“
Theology (August 2019)

Andreas Losch (Ed.), What is Life? On Earth and Beyond, Cambridge University Press 2017 (TOC)

> Read an interview with me regarding the book

„All the contributions are well written and extensively referenced. They fit together well and give the impression of careful editing.“ The Observatory: A Review of Astronomy

„The book is a stimulating read for an open-minded interdisciplinary audience that is eager to learn more about very different concepts of life … and intelligence.“
Zeitschrift für Luft- und Weltraumrecht

2. Articles & Chapters Published

  • “The Nature of Life”, in: Georges Chapouthier, Marie-Christine Maurel (Hg.), The Explosion of Life Forms. Living Beings and Morphology, ISTE Wiley: London 2020, 19-28
  • An artful contribution to our planetary concerns, Dialog, https://doi.org/10.1111/dial.12625
  • “La nature de la vie”, in: Georges Chapouthier, Marie-Christine Maurel (Ed.), L’explosion des formes de vie. êtres vivants et morphologie, ISTE editions: London 2020, 32-32
  • “Developing our Planetary Plan with an 18th United Nations Sustainable Development Goal: Space Environment”, HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies vol. 76 no. 1 2020, 1-7
  • Editorial Planetary Sustainability Collection, GlobalSustainability vol. 3 2020
  •  Preserving the Heavens and the Earth: Planetary Sustainability from a Biblical and Educational Perspective, in: Michael Fuller et. al. (eds.), Issues in Science and Theology: Nature – and Beyond, Transcendence and Immanence in Science and Theology, Springer: Cham 2020, 79-86
  • La richesse de la réalité: l’idée d’un réalisme critique-constructif, in: REVUE DES SCIENCES PHILOSOPHIQUES ET THÉOLOGIQUES Janv-Mars 2019, 43-64
  • With André Galli, Beyond planetary protection: What is planetary sustainability and what are its implications for space research?,  Life Sciences in Space Research
  • Interplanetary Sustainability. Mars as a means of a long term sustainable development of humankind in the solar system?, in: Konrad Szocik (ed.), The human factor in a mission to Mars. An interdisciplinary approach, Springer 2019, 157-166
  • Planetary Sustainability – Transitions of an Idea. Commentary on Claus Beisbart, „Is Transplanetary Sustainability a Good Idea? – An Answer from the Perspective of Conceptual Engineering “, in: International Journal for Astrobiology
  • „The very good vastness of creation„, 19 October 2018, Sapientia Project online
  • „Martyrdom in the Name of God. Hope for Justice in an Afterlife or Justification for Terror Acts?“, in: Alexander Massmann, Christopher Hays (Hg.), Deathless Hopes. Reinventions of Afterlife and Eschatological Beliefs, Zürich 2018, 117-130
  • „Modelling the relation between theology and science“, in: Zoe Lehmann Imfeld, Andreas Losch (Eds.),  Our Common Cosmos. Exploring the future of theology, human culture and space sciences, Bloomsbury 2018, 36-50
  • „The challenges of cultural sustainability on an (inter)planetary scale“, in: Torsten Meireis and Gabriele Rippl (Eds.),Cultural Sustainability: Perspectives from the Humanities and Social Sciences, Routledge 2019, 98-108
  • „Appreciating Faith and Culture in an Age of Scientific Reasoning. On Constructive-Critical Realism“, in: Theology Today vol. 75, nr. 2 (2018), 154-166
  • “A physicist’s belief. John Polkinghorne’s consonance of theology and science”, in: Rocznik Filozoficzny Ignatianum vol. 24 nr. 1 (2018), S. 97-116
  • „The Need of an Ethics of Planetary Sustainability“, in: International Journal of Astrobiology 2018 https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550417000490
  • „The Cosmic Christ’s End. The Cosmological Meaning of Christ in an Interreligious Perspective, with a Focus on Jewish-Christian Eschatology“, in: Dirk Evers, Michael Fuller, Anne Runehov and Knut-Willy Saether (Hg.), Are we special? Issues in Science and Religion, Springer 2017, 43-52
  • Introduction, in: Andreas Losch (Ed.), What is Life? On Earth and Beyond, Cambridge University Press 2017, 1-10
  • „What theology can contribute to the question ‚What is Life?‘, in: Andreas Losch (Ed.), What is Life? On Earth and Beyond, Cambridge University Press 2017, 201-212
  • Conclusion,  in: Andreas Losch (Ed.), What is Life? On Earth and Beyond, Cambridge University Press 2017, 303-310
  • „Éternel“, dans: Salomon Malka (Ed.), Dictionnaire Rosenzweig. Une étoile dans le siècle, cerf 2016,123-128
  • „Kant’s wager. Kant’s strong belief in extra-terrestrial life, the history of this question and its challenge for theology today“, in: International Journal of Astrobiology vol. 15 no. 4, 261-270
  • „On the Relationship of Ian Barbour’s and Roy Bhaskar’s Critical Realism.“, in: Journal of Critical Realism (online), DOI:10.1080/14767430.2016.1193676
  • „Astrotheology: on exoplanets, Christian concerns and human hopes“, in: Zygon vol. 51 no. 2, 405-413 (Section editorial)
  • „Wright’s Version of Critical Realism“ in: God and the Faithfulness of Paul: A Critical Examination of the Pauline Theology of N.T. Wright. Edited by Christoph Heilig, Jay-Thomas Hewitt and Michael F. Bird. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament II., Tübingen 2016, 101-114 (Also regard Wright’s critique of the hypothesis 718-719 in this very book)
  • „Downward Causation – the way how mind and matter interact?“, in: De Gruyter Open Theology Journal 1 (2015)
  • “‘To research living beings one has to participate in life.’ Viktor von Weizsäcker’s legacy”, in: Dirk Evers et.al. (Eds.), Issues in Science & Theology: What is Life?, Cham 2015, 157-167
  • „What is behind God’s name? Martin Buber’s and Franz Rosenzweig’s Reflections on the Name of God“, in: Leo Baeck Institute Year Book Vol. 60 Nr. 1 (2015), 91-106
  • together with Andreas Krebs: „Implications for the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life – a Theological Approach“, in: Theology & Science  Vol. 13 No. 2 2015, 230-244
  • „Critical Realism – a sustainable Bridge between Science and Theology?“ , in: Theology & Science Vol. 8 No.4 2010, p. 393-416
  • „On the Origins of Critical Realism“, in: Theology & Science Vol.7 No.1 2009, 85-106
  • „Our world is more than physics – a constructive-critical comment on the current science & theology debate“, in: Theology & Science Vol.3 No.3 2005, 275-290. The article wins the ESSSAT Student Prize 2006.

3. Book reviews in English

  • Ted Peters (Ed.), Astrotheology. Science and Theology Meet Extraterrestrial Life, Eugene/OR 2018, on: Reading Religion March 2019
  • Theodore Walker Jr. and Chandra Wickramasinghe, The Big Bang and God. An Astro-Theology, New York: Palgrave Macmillan 2015, in: Theology & Science Vol. 15 Nr. 3, 371-373
  • Markus Mühling, “Resonances: Neurobiology, Evolution and Theology”, in: Philosophy, Theology and the Sciences vol. 3 nr. 1 (2016), 100-103
  • Clément Vidal, „The Beginning and the End. The Meaning of Life in a Cosmological Perspective“, in: ESSSAT News 25:1 (2015), 30-32
  • Christina Aus der Au, „Im Horizont der Anrede“, in: Theology & Science  vol. 12 no. 1 2014, 117-119
  • Peter Byrne, „God and Realism“, in: ESSSAT News 14:4 (Dezember 2004)

4. Translations from English

Teaching Experience

I have taught courses on several systematic theological topics at the Universities of Bern, Bochum, Duisburg-Essen (Campus Essen) and Dortmund:

  • Ethics of Planetary Sustainability (Bern)
  • Evolution and Creation (Bochum and Duisburg-Essen)
  • HE, the Eternal or just the LORD? The meaning of God’s name and of his translation in the Jewish-Christian tradition (Dortmund)
  • Introduction into the Jewish-Christian Dialog orientated at Franz Rosenzweig, Eugen Rosenstock and Hans Ehrenberg (Bochum) / Franz Rosenzweig and Martin Buber (Dortmund)
  • Reason and Revelation in ecumenical perspective (Bochum)
  • Theology & Physics in international context (Duisburg-Essen)
  • Theology & Science – an introduction (Bochum and Bern)
  • Theology & Science Lecture series (with Traugott Jähnichen, Bochum)
  • Theology at the University (with Stephan Jütte, Bern)

Prizes and Awards

  • Manfred Lautenschläger Award 2013
  • Karl Heim Prize 2011/12
  • ESSSAT Student Prize 2006
  • Finalist of the Award for excellent interdisciplinary Research of the Society of Friends of the Ruhruniversity Bochum

Personal Research Grants and Scholarships

  • Research Grant of the cogito Foundation (164.500 CHF)
  • Research Fellow Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton (40.000 $)
  • Templeton Research Grant (25.000 €)
  • Scholarship for a year of studies in Israel (1997-1998)
  • Esser scholarship of the University of Bochum (declined in favor of a research position)
  • ESSSAT conference scholarships 2004 and 2008
  • Metanexus conference travel stipends 2005–2007
  • ERASTIN travel stipends for exchange with doctoral students in Oslo and Berkeley
  • Scholarship of the University of Bern’s research foundation and COST stipend for participation in a summer school and a conference on „Origins of Life“ in Ven/Höör (Sweden)
  • Scholarship of the University of Bern’s research foundation for participation in the conference of the International Franz Rosenzweig Society 2017 in Rome (Italy)

Third Party Funding

  • Successfull crowdfunding effort on wemakeit (20.000 CHF)
  • LSI-grant for the Science & Theology discussion group in Wuppertal 2005–2007 (15.000 $)
  • ISSR Library Award, acquired for the Theological Faculties in Bochum (250 Hardcover books)
  • SNF-Grant (7.300 CHF) and MVUB-Grant (5.000 CHF) for the Conference „What is Life?“
  • Grant of the Burgergemeinde Bern for the Workshop „Was Physiker glauben“ (1.000 CHF)

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