Albert Schweitzer was born of an evangelical Lutheran preacher and was a renowned medical missionary, doctor, organist, theologian, and at the same time a philosopher. Schweitzer was born in January 1875 in a place called Kaysersberg, Germany (Martin, 2016). As a young man, Schweitzer demonstrated great talent, skills, and desire for being an organist, a step that caused several European professionals to recognize and admire him. Because of his immeasurable passion for the organ, Schweitzer was later declared the world’s main organ building professional. Schweitzer began his schoolwork in 1893 at the University of Strasbourg (Kraftchick, Matlock, Morgan, Chalamet, Schützeichel, Cicovacki, & Steinhoff, 2016) . It is in this institution where he was conferred with a Doctorate degree in Philosophy six years later. Moreover, Schweitzer joined the University of Berlin as well as Sorbonne to expand his education roots. Having been bestowed the doctorate of philosophy degree; Schweitzer became a staff in the St. Nicholai’s Church in Strasbourg. In his entire lifetime, Albert Schweitzer endeavored to make the world the most preferable place for all people. He had a productive and prosperous life of contributing positively to society and the world at large.
Biography
When in school, Schweitzer determined that his family was better than other families that lived in the village. Such determination disheartened Schweitzer so that he clashed with his father and mother over his resolve not to have exaggerated attires but to look like his colleagues who were poor. In fact, this position redirected his new course of life of being concerned about the welfare of others and helping those that were in need in the community. Seaver (2016) determined that when Schweitzer became an adult (18 years old); he chose to invest in professional organ plating. Fortunately, he received comprehensive training in the career of music not just within his community Kaysersberg, but also in the whole of Paris. His Paris teacher greatly acknowledged his distinctiveness in the music career so that he referred to him as a genius ( Steffahn, 2015) . Nonetheless, after beginning the music classes in Paris, Schweitzer considered his plans again and opted to collaborate with his father in the ministry.
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At 38 years of age after graduating with a degree in medicine, specializing in tropical medicine and surgery, Schweitzer together with his wife left for Africa. He called for the help of Paris Missionary Society to go offer his humanitarian services to the Africans (Schweitzer, 2016). Albert Schweitzer also began to plan several music concerts to solicit funds that would be significant for extending services to the Africans once he reaches there. The Paris Missionary Society granted Schweitzer’s request to relocate to Africa. He was posted to Lambarene, along the Ogooue River in today’s Gabon with an instruction to start a hospital for the African communities (Seaver, 2016) . When he arrived there together with his wife, they found an old house that was meant for chicken. Schweitzer did not spare time but immediately began a hospital in that place. The chicken house is what was later transformed to be an established makeshift hospital where the sick in the central part of Africa could go for their treatment. Commendably, within half a year in Lambarene, Schweitzer had attended to more than two thousand African natives. Some of the diseases that he attended to comprised tropical malaria, premeditated poisonings, necrosis, dysentery, fevers, etc.
Evidently, Albert Schweitzer is recognized for his committed service to humanity and a great contribution to the field of theology. In 1952, Schweitzer was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize award ( Kraftchick et al., 2016) . Remarkably, he channeled all the money that was attached to the Nobel Peace Prize award to a modern building in his Lambarene camp, which he dedicated to the lepers. In 1952, Queen Elizabeth II recognized the contributions of Schweitzer that he gave him an honorary award of the Order of Merit. Schweitzer further extended his service to people in 1957 and 1958 so that he broadcasted many sermons over the Radio Oslo where he published the Peace or Atomic War (Martin, 2016). Among the most earnest speeches ever produced by Schweitzer, include the Declaration of Conscience where he urged the world superpowers to eliminate nuclear weapons. Schweitzer spent about fifty years offering services to the less privileged in Africa. He died on September 4, 1965, still working in the hospital he initiated in Gabon.
Contribution to Theology
Albert Schweitzer contribution to the field of theology began when he first obtained a pioneering degree in theology. Having passed exemplarily, Schweitzer was chosen to be the principal in Strasbourg based St. Thomas College, Curate. He also headed the faculty of theology and philosophy that was situated at the University of Strasbourg. Thus, he first contributed to the field by sharing his knowledge and skills to students across the world on theology. Schweitzer started his writing career when he was a teacher and published a number of books that have been used as references even up to date. Some of the books that Schweitzer published include The Quest for the Historical Jesus, The Definitive Biography of Back in 1905, and some books that talked about organ building in the subsequent year (Martin, 2016). The books were resourceful for those in the field of theology as well as those who depended on them for spiritual growth.
Even with his presence being felt in the teaching and writing career, Schweitzer continued to venture in organ music. He was involved in organ playing to the point that he received global recognition. This music endeavor helped Schweitzer to finance his education, particularly in medicine. Through his professional engagements, he raised many funds, which he spared to further his education. When he was 28 years of age, Schweitzer came across a report on the African needs of citizens of Congo ( Kraftchick et al., 2016) . Consequently, this aspect grieved him that he had to respond to the cry of the Africans causing him to resign from his position as a teacher at the University of Strasbourg and join medical school. This bold step was to make Schweitzer devote more time to offer help or service to humanity directly. Schweitzer took seven more years in the medical school, with a specialization in tropical medicine and surgery. Afterward, he persuaded the Paris Missionary Society to support him together with his wife on his trip to Africa. Schweitzer did not just offer knowledge to the theological field but demonstrated the practicality of life, which is central to the field.
Albert Schweitzer and his family remained in Lambarene where they had gone to offer the needy Africans for about a year and a half. After this period, he faced a lot of opposition that threatened his humanity service. This is so because within this time the France and Germany had gone to war. Significantly, the Schweitzers were now subject to the French government since they found themselves in an African region that the France dominated and controlled. Immediately after the eruption of the war, the government restricted the Schweitzers to be in their hut such that they could not give their services to them that were sick. After some time, the government became lenient with their restriction permitting them to resume their treatment services. Nonetheless, the government turned their decision in 1917 and sent them back to France as convicts of war (Martin, 2016). They were later released the following year after which they spent in Europe in the next six years. All through this time, Albert Schweitzer was focused on contributing to the field of theology by preaching in his former church where he had concerts and lectures on theology (Steffahn, 2015). Moreover, he enrolled in more medical courses and published more books such as The Decay and Restoration of Civilization, Christianity, and Religions of the World, On the Edge of the Primeval Forest, and Civilization and Ethics.
Reaction to Albert Schweitzer’s Contributions
Albert Schweitzer is a man that has demonstrated sustained commitment to love people from the beginning of his life. His contributions to the institutions in which he lectured, and engaging in organ music, as well as finally offering direct services to the African natives in Lambarene, confirm that the love he has for humanity is just immeasurable (Schweitzer, 2016). It is remarkable that he sensed equality even as a young man, when he amazed his parents by rejecting expensive clothes and wearing normal clothes just like his schoolmates. It is rare to find a man who lives his home country to go take help to a people that he even do not know to begin with.
Schweitzer’s response to the report he read about the African natives in Congo is also intriguing. Many people would make excuses not to support others, particularly if there are reasons not to do so. For instance, Schweitzer incredibly overcame the harsh conditions, distance, and persecutions from the French government to offer help to the needy people ( Kraftchick et al., 2016) . He was also consistent in publishing spiritual books that contributed greatly to the field of theology. He was also willing to train and teach many people on what he knows in medicine and theology, with the press and doctors gathering in a jungle-based camp where he was attending to the sick. Indeed his intentions of responding to the needs of the poor African natives were eventually fulfilled when several other volunteers, doctors, and other professionals joined to contribute to his dream. Schweitzer is a true model of having a passion for humanity.
Conclusion
Albert Schweitzer is recognized for dedicatedly offering his service to humanity and greatly contributing to the field of theology. Besides the books he published, and the lectures he offered on the subject of theology, Schweitzer’s presence was also felt in the music industry through his unique organ music. He spent about fifty years directly offering service to humanity, especially those who were sick in Africa. Beyond being a doctor, Schweitzer was recognized as a major humanitarian. He attended to thousands of African natives regardless of their challenging situations such as diseases, war, and old age that were a common norm in Africa. Assuredly, Albert Schweitzer accomplished his goal of life that he had begun as a young person of offering direct service to the vulnerable people. Albert Schweitzer, a renowned author, doctor, musician, and philosopher died on September 4, 1965, aged 90 while still on duty at Lambarene hospital in Gabon .
References
Kraftchick, S. J., Matlock, R. B., Morgan, R., Chalamet, C., Schützeichel, H., Cicovacki, P., & Steinhoff, A. J. (2016). Albert Schweitzer in Thought and Action : A Life in Parts . Syracuse University Press.
Martin, M. W. (2016). Albert Schweitzer's reverence for life : ethical idealism and self- realization . Routledge.
Schweitzer, A. (2016). My life and thought an autobiography . The British Publishers Guild Limited (1955).
Seaver, G. (2016). Albert Schweitzer: The man and his mind . Pickle Partners Publishing.
Steffahn, H. (2015). Albert Schweitzer . Rowohlt Verlag GmbH.
