Bernard Schweizer

{{short description|American academic}}

Bernard Schweizer (née Bernhard Schweizer, born, 1962) is a Professor Emeritus of English at Long Island University, Brooklyn.{{cite web|url=http://www.liu.edu/Brooklyn/Academics/Faculty/Faculty/S/Bernard-Schweizer|title=LIU Schweizer, Bernard|website=Liu.edu|accessdate=9 July 2018}} He has published several books and essay collections on topics in British and European literatures. He is a leading Rebecca West scholar and has edited or co-edited a number of Rebecca West’s previously unpublished and uncollected works. In 2003, he founded the International Rebecca West Society in New York[http://rebeccawestsociety.com/about-us-aboutus.html] {{dead link|date=October 2016|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} and was the second president of the Society. In 2013, Schweizer founded another scholarly organization, the [http://heresystudies.org International Society for Heresy Studies], and served as its vice-president.{{cite web|url=http://heresystudies.org/about/society/|title=About the Society » ISHS: International Society for Heresy Studies|website=Heresystudies.org|accessdate=9 July 2018}}

Schweizer's scholarship focuses on heterodox, rebellious, and challenging ideas channeled through literary expression. His most influential book, an interdisciplinary work titled Hating God: The Untold Story of Misotheism is devoted to humanists who believe in God yet deny that he is benevolent. And his book, Christianity and the Triumph of Humor: From Dante to David Javerbaum traces the development of Christian religious comedy through the ages to show that humor was able to conquer all conceivable Christian taboos while delivering significant artistic and intellectual benefits. Using history, literary criticism, theology, philosophy, and social science, Schweizer demonstrates that what begun with grotesque scenes in Dante's hell ended with unfettered comical irreverence in the work of David Javerbaum.

In January 2023, Schweizer founded [https://heresy-press.com/ Heresy Press LLC], a publishing house whose aim it is to serve as a bridge between authors writing fearless prose and readers looking for products of unbounded imagination.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/26/opinion/american-dirt-book-publishing.html/|title=The Long Shadow of American Dirt," Pamela Paul. The New York Times, January 26, 2023|work=The New York Times |date=26 January 2023 |last1=Paul |first1=Pamela }} The press sees itself as a counterweight to current trends in the publishing industry where sensitivity readers and own-voice requirements limit what themes and perspectives are acceptable.{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/publishers-cower-in-fear-of-ambush-by-woke-critics-l20s9vcv9|title=Publishers cower in fear of ambush by woke critics," Will Pavia. The London Times, January 30, 2023}} Heresy Press, which focuses on fiction by writers of every identity and background, has to date published one short story anthology titled Nothing Sacred: Outspoken Voices in Contemporary Fiction, and five novels. In July 2024, Heresy Press became an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing.

Schweizer is a naturalized American citizen, born in Switzerland. His education included elementary schooling at the Waldorf School in Biel, Switzerland, an apprenticeship in health care, autodidactic study for the federal Swiss baccalaureate, backpacking around the world,{{cite web|url=http://merelvanbeeren.com/wp-content/uploads/bernardschweizer-profile.pdf|title=A Life of Chance Encounters : Bernard Schweizer on misotheism, rebellion, and happy coincidences|author=Merel Van Beeren|website=Merelvanbeeren.com|accessdate=9 July 2018}} two years of college study at the University of Lausanne, a B.A. in English earned at the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities Campus), and a Ph.D. in English literature from Duke University in 1997. Schweizer held a teaching and research appointment at the University of Zurich from 1996-1999,{{cite web|url=http://myweb.brooklyn.liu.edu/bschweiz/Schweizer/About_Me.html |title=Bernard Schweizer Professor of English Long Island University, Brooklyn |accessdate=2016-05-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507132359/http://myweb.brooklyn.liu.edu/bschweiz/Schweizer/About_Me.html |archivedate=2016-05-07 }} he was a research fellow for the Swiss National Science Foundation from 2000-2002 and then joined the English Department faculty of Long Island University in 2002, being promoted there to full professor in 2012. After retiring early in 2019, Schweizer was named Emeritus Professor.