Theologian John W. Deschner dead at 76
7/31/2000 By United Methodist News Service The Rev. John W. Deschner, professor emeritus of Christian doctrine at United Methodist-related Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, died July 28 of complications of dementia at a Dallas nursing home. He was 76.
Deschner, a clergy member of the Southwest Texas Annual Conference, joined the faculty of the seminary in Dallas in 1956. He began his early career as executive secretary of the United Student Christian Council, the national ecumenical council of 14 U.S. student Christian movements. In 1952, he moved to Switzerland to study at the University of Basel under the direction of noted theologian Karl Barth.
When he took the teaching position at Perkins, he continued to participate in ecumenical activities. From 1983 to 1991, he was moderator of the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches as it carried out its major theological studies on "Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry" or "The Unity of the Church and the Renewal of the Human Community." He also participated in the Roman Catholic-United Methodist bilateral dialogue.
Deschner considered teaching his most important work. In addition to teaching theology courses, he taught honors courses in humanities at SMU. Most significant work is local, he said, and the most important students in a university are the freshmen. He retired in 1991.
Deschner was a member of the American Theological Society, the American Academy of Religion and the Society for Values in Higher Education. He earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1944. He attended Yale University as a theology student, where he became dedicated to ecumenical causes. He did post-doctoral studies at the University of Heidelberg in Germany.
He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Margareta Neovius, a native of Finland; three sons and two grandchildren. A memorial service was held July 31 at the Perkins Chapel.
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