Albert Schweitzer
Ludwig Philipp Albert Schweitzer (; 14 January 1875 – 4 September 1965) was a German and French
polymath from
Alsace. He was a theologian, organist, musicologist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and physician. As a
Lutheran minister, Schweitzer challenged both the secular view of the
historical Jesus as depicted by the
historical-critical method current at this time, as well as the traditional
Christian view. His contributions to the interpretation of
Pauline Christianity concern the role of
Paul's
mysticism of "being in Christ" as primary and the doctrine of
justification by faith as secondary.
He received the 1952
Nobel Peace Prize for his philosophy of "
Reverence for Life", becoming the eighth Frenchman to be awarded that prize. His philosophy was expressed in many ways, but most famously in founding and sustaining the
Hôpital Albert Schweitzer in
Lambaréné,
French Equatorial Africa (now
Gabon). As a music scholar and organist, he studied the music of German composer
Johann Sebastian Bach and influenced the
Organ Reform Movement (''Orgelbewegung'').
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