Günter Wagner
1928-2013
G
|
ünter Wagner,
Professor Emeritus of New Testament and internationally known theologian, died
peacefully in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on January 16, 2013, after a long and courageous
struggle with Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. He was 84.
He is survived by his wife Doris of Corrales, New Mexico, and his
daughter Undine Wagner of Richterswil, Switzerland.
Born in Jüterbog,
Germany, on July 5, 1928, Dr. Wagner was educated in his hometown until the
last years of World War II. After the
war, he studied theology in Hamburg, Germany, and Zurich, Switzerland,
obtaining his doctorate from the University of Zurich in 1960.
From 1958 to
1993, Dr. Wagner taught New Testament at the International Baptist Theological
Seminary in Rüschlikon, Switzerland, where he also served as Acting President
in 1972 and 1982 and President ad interim
in 1987. Between 1964 and 1984, he was
Visiting Professor at seminaries in Eastern Europe, the U.S. and Africa. In 1976-1977 he was a Visiting Scholar at the
Harvard Divinity School. Following his
retirement from the Rüschlikon seminary in 1994, he and his wife moved to
Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he taught as Adjunct Professor in the Department
of Philosophy (Religious Studies Program) of the University of New Mexico from
1995-2007.
From the
beginning of his professional career, Dr. Wagner was active in ecumenical and
denominational circles. Between 1956 to
1958, he represented the German Free Churches at the Ecumenical Centre of the Council
of Churches of the Federal Republic of Germany, where he served as assistant to
the well-known German anti-Nazi theologian, Martin Niemoeller. Other responsibilities included the Faith and
Order Commission of the World Council of Churches (1968-1991), the Baptist World Alliance
Commission on Cooperative Christianity (1968-1975), the Roman Catholic-World
Alliance of Reformed Churches dialogue (1982-1988), and the Forum on Bilateral
Conversations sponsored by the World Council of Churches and the Conference of
General Secretaries of Christian World Communions. After moving to the U.S. in
1994, he was a member of the Faith and Order Task Force of the New Mexico
Conference of Churches and was awarded its Ecumenical Pioneer Award in 1998.
Although a
meticulous scholar and dedicated ecumenist who published widely, Günter Wagner
was above all a teacher, who loved and was beloved by his students. They awarded him the only Scroll of Honor ever presented for
teaching excellence at the Baptist Theological Seminary of Rüschlikon,
Switzerland (1993). He also received the
Award of Appreciation for outstanding and dedicated service to the students of the
University of New Mexico Religious Studies Program (May 2007).
Dr. Wagner
had a great zest for life and celebrated each day, often with a glass of wine
and his famous Rouladen (German meat
rolls). He thrived on good conversation
and lively debates. He will be
remembered for his magnanimous spirit, his fierce and wide-ranging
intelligence, his command of languages, his courtly politeness, his subtle
sense of humor, his selflessness and humility, and his intellectual and moral
integrity. In the end, his greatest legacy
is his students, scattered across the globe. We will miss our dear Günter
terribly. May his memory be a blessing
to all who knew him.
In lieu of flowers,
donations can be made to The Storehouse food bank in Albuquerque, NM, Brot für
die Welt/Bread for the World in Germany, or the YWCA of Lebanon.