University of Dubuque Mourns the Loss of Donald Bloesch, Professor of Theology, emeritus

Sep 8, 2010 | University of Dubuque Theological Seminary

The University of Dubuque community is mourning the loss of revered Professor of Theology, emeritus, Donald Bloesch, who passed away on August 24, 2010.

A memorial service will be held to honor Bloesch's life on Saturday, September 18, at 3:00 p.m. in Blades Chapel, with visitation with Mrs. Bloesch from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Couchman Reading Room of the Charles C. Myers Library. Following the service, guests are invited to return to the Couchman Reading Room for a reception.

Bloesch served as Professor of Theology at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary (UDTS) from 1957 until his retirement in 1992, when he was named professor emeritus. Born in Bremen, Indiana, Bloesch earned a bachelor of arts degree at Elmhurst College, a bachelor of divinity degree at Chicago Theological Seminary, and a doctor of philosophy degree at the University of Chicago. He did postdoctoral study at the universities of Oxford, Tubingen, and Basel. While at Basel, he studied with noted Swiss Protestant theologian Karl Barth.

"Without question, Donald Bloesch was one of the most highly respected systematic theologians of the 20th Century whose writing, lecturing, and mentorship strengthened the voice and thought of evangelical Christians around the world," stated University of Dubuque President, Jeffrey F. Bullock. "The corpus of Bloesch's work will not be matched anytime soon, and was made possible with the research and editorial assistance from his beloved wife, Brenda. Dr. Bloesch was a kind and gentle man. His piety informed his thinking and his rigorous engagement with with both Christ and culture. Clearly, his reputation was the result of his work and not his own self-promotion. He was a quiet and humble servant of Jesus Christ, and I believe that is how he would want to be remembered."

An ordained minister of the United Church of Christ, Bloesch served as a pastor before joining the UDTS faculty. He taught hundreds of students at the seminary and thousands more through dozens of published works. Bloesch authored over 50 books, including Essentials of Evangelical

Theology ; The Ground of Certainty: Toward an Evangelical Theology of Revelation ; Freedom for Obedience: Evangelical Ethics in Contemporary Times ; and the Christian Foundations series which has been hailed as "evangelical theology at its best."

A past president of the American Theological Society, Bloesch was widely regarded as one of the leading evangelical theologians in North America with a reputation for outstanding scholarship and creative thinking. A prolific writer, he was one of the most quoted theologians in the United States. All who encountered Donald Bloesch knew him to be a person of gracious spirit and generous personality. His life and work leave a rich legacy for his family, for the students who were privileged to have him as a teacher, for the colleagues who were privileged to serve with him during his thirty-five year tenure at UDTS, for our entire University community, and for many friends - near and far - who continue to be inspired and challenged by his writing.