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🇦🇹 Austria /Culture & Society

Books of the Week: God, the Future of Cities and a Shop Cabinet

From Der Standard · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Der Standard’s ALBUM editorial team presents a selection of current reading recommendations across several genres.
  • One highlighted title, “God. A Debate,” brings together Catholic theologian and YouTuber Johannes Hartl and emeritus philosopher Konrad Paul Liessmann.
  • Hartl grounds his theistic faith in personal experience, rational reflection and the effects of faith on a person’s life.

This week’s reading recommendations move from debate to crime fiction, poetry, children’s books and illustrated volumes. Among the featured titles is “God. A Debate,” a book based on a conversation between two markedly different personalities.

The meeting took place during the BUCH WIEN book fair in November 2025. One participant was Catholic theologian Johannes Hartl, a successful YouTuber described as a “hip missionary.” The other was Konrad Paul Liessmann, an emeritus philosopher and essayist.

hip missionary

· Not specifiedThe article uses this description for theologian and YouTuber Johannes Hartl.

Hartl says an existential experience led him to theistic belief. He explains that belief through three steps: first comes personal experience, followed by rational reflection on that experience and one’s faith. The third step is to look at the “fruits” faith produces in life.

The book includes a foreword by Renata Schmidtkunz and an afterword by Patrick Zöhrer. It runs to 80 pages and is published by Herder in Freiburg, Basel and Vienna.

fruits

· Johannes HartlHartl’s third step in explaining faith focuses on the effects it produces in life.
About this summary

Originally published by Der Standard in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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