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Bernhard Ott (born 7 June 1952 in Rüti , Canton of Zurich ) is a Swiss Mennonite theologian , mission scientist , university professor and author.

life and work

Bernhard Ott grew up in the Zurich Oberland , where his father ran a carpentry business. He was spiritually influenced by the Association of Evangelical Baptist Congregations . He trained as a structural draftsman and, after working for several years in an architectural firm, studied theology at the European Mennonite Bible School Bienenberg , today's Bienenberg Training and Conference Center , until 1979. He was initially hired there as a guest teacher in 1980 and later appointed to full-time teaching. In 1981 he spent two years studying in North America, where he graduated in 1984 with an M.Div. from the Mennonite Brethern Biblical Seminary (MBBS, now part of Fresno Pacific University) .

From 1984, Ott was director of studies, from 1999 seminar director of the Bienenberg Bible School and until 2009 director of the entire work. He was involved in the establishment and expansion of various theological programs, the accreditation of the undergraduate course (Bachelor's program) by the "European Evangelical Accreditation Association" (now the "European Council for Theological Education"), of which he was chairman until 2022 [ 1 ] and the validation of the postgraduate course (Master's program) by the University of Wales. He was a lecturer in practical theology and missiology there until 2017. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] In 1994, during his sabbatical year at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (OCMS) in Oxford, he began his doctoral studies on the subject of "Mission Studies in Theological Education. A Critical Analysis of Mission Training in Evangelical Bible Colleges and Seminaries in German-Speaking Switzerland from 1960–1995», which he completed in 1999 and received his Ph.D. in 2000 with his dissertation Beyond Fragmentation: Integrating Mission and Theological Education . Here he expressed his criticism of the state of theological mission training at German-speaking evangelical seminaries and Bible schools. [ 4 ]

From 2000, Ott supervised the MA, MTh and PhD theses and dissertations at the University of Wales, Lampeter , Columbia International University and the University of South Africa . At the European School for Culture and Theology (ESCT) of the AWM gGmbH in Korntal, he was a lecturer from 2005, Program Director of Doctoral Studies (PhD in International Theological Education and Doctor of Ministry) between 2007 and 2018, and its dean from 2013 to 2018 [ 5 ] , where from 2007 he set up a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree program with a focus on Leadership in International Theological Education as part of its study programs in cooperation with Columbia International University and is still a professor and supervisor for doctoral students today. [ 6 ]

In Paraguay , he was already a guest lecturer at the Mennonite Institute of Asunción (IBA) in 1997 and at the Mennonite Center of Asunción (CEMTA), which is affiliated with the Evangélic University of Paraguay , in 2002. From March to May 2006, he was again in Latin America for a study visit to Paraguay and Peru , and during this time he was again a guest lecturer at the theological faculty of the Evangélic University of Paraguay in Asunción. [ 7 ] He also conducted workshops on theological education in various institutions in Paraguay and Peru.

Ott has been Professor Extraordinarius at the University of South Africa in the areas of Christian spirituality, church history and missiology since 2017. He is also a lecturer in introductory theology and introductory missional theology at the Institute for Church Building and World Mission , Zurich. [ 8 ]

memberships

Ott was involved in voluntary work with the Federation of Evangelical Anabaptist Congregations (ETG): from 1974 to 1982 as a member of the youth commission, from 1984 to 2008 as a member of the education committee and between 2012 and 2017 as chairman of the board. From 1984 to 2009 he was a member of the board of the Mennonite Church in Switzerland and since 1986 a member of the Mennonite Historical Society of Switzerland. From 1997 to 2002 he was a member of the steering committee for the establishment of the Evangelical Institute for Social Ethics in Switzerland. Since 1987 he has been a member of the Working Group for Biblical Renewed Theology in Switzerland, on its board from 1999 to 2007 and deputy chairman from 2001 to 2007. Since 2007 he has been a member of the Accreditation Council of the European Evangelical Accreditation Association (now the European Council for Theological Education (ECTE)), since 2013 a member of the Steering Committee of the Doctoral Initiative of the International Council for Evangelical Theological Education (ICETE) and since 2017 a member of the Board of the ICETE Academy. [ 9 ] Between 2013 and 2016 he was a member of the Board of the Study Center for Faith and Society at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) and since 2018 he has been a member of the Board of the Society for Education and Research in Europe (GBFE). [ 10 ]

His preaching and teaching ministries have taken him to local, national and international church associations, to Christian missions and relief organizations, and to worldwide networks of biblical-theological training centers. [ 11 ]

private life

Ott is married to his wife Margrit, née Keller. The couple has four children [ 12 ] and lives in Liestal , Switzerland. [ 13 ] They are members of the church in Spalen of the Evangelical Baptist Community of Basel. [ 14 ]

honors

2022: Life.Work Prize [ 15 ]

Publications (selection)

Becoming a missionary community. The path of the Evangelical Baptist communities , Verlag ETG, Uster 1996, ISBN 978-3-9520929-0-3 . Shalom: God's Project , Agape-Verlag, Weisenheim 1996, ISBN 978-3-88744-202-6 ; 2nd revised edition 2007, ISBN 978-3-88744-203-3 . Roots and Wings: Steps to Holistic Growth , ArteMedia, Birsfelden 2004, ISBN 978-3-905290-35-6 . Handbook of Theological Training: Fundamentals – Program Development – Leadership Issues , R. Brockhaus, Wuppertal 2007, ISBN 978-3-417-29547-4 ; Neufeld Verlag , Schwarzenfeld 2013, ISBN 978-3-86256-041-7 . The Church: 7 Reasons Why I Love It , Neufeld Verlag , Schwarzenfeld 2007, ISBN 978-3-937896-34-2 . Beyond Fragmentation: Integrating Mission and Theological Education: A Critical Assessment of Some Recent Developments in Evangelical Theological Education (also dissertation), Wipf & Stock Pub, Eugene, Oregon 2011, ISBN 978-1-61097595-7 . PhD Thesis Online Best Practice Guidelines for Doctoral Programs (ICETE Series; with Ian Shaw and Scott Cunningham), Langham, Carlisle 2015, ISBN 978-1-78368080-1 . Dancers and stumblers. When the Sermon on the Mount shapes our character , Neufeld Verlag , Cuxhaven 2019, ISBN 978-3-86256-156-8 . Companions in times of crisis. Impulses from Martin Buber , Neufeld Verlag , Cuxhaven 2020, ISBN 978-3-86256-165-0 .

as co-author

Fascination of the Holy Spirit. Challenges of charismatic piety , Neufeld Verlag , Schwarzenfeld 2005, ISBN 978-3-937896-13-7 .

essays

The Anabaptists and their theology . In: Old and New Anabaptists: A common past!? A common future?! , Bienenberg Study Booklet 1/1993, pp. 42–56. The KBA schools in the light of global changes in theological education . In: Wilhelm Faix (ed.): Theological education at the beginning of the 21st century: results of a survey at evangelical training institutions. Verlag für Kultur und Wissenschaft 1998. ISBN 978-3-93282-901-7 . Mission theology in evangelical theological education . In: Heinrich Löwen and Hans Kasdorf (eds.): Together on the Lord’s behalf , Puls Verlag, Bornheim 1999, ISBN 978-3-93339806-2 , pp. 123–139. Mission Oriented Theological education: Moving Beyond Traditional Models of Theological Education . In: Transformation 18/2, 2001, pp. 74–86. Mission and Theological Education . In: Transformation 18/2, 2001, pp. 87–98. Beyond Fragmentation: Integration, Mission and Theological Education . In: Transformation 19/2, 2002. The Holy Spirit. Biblical-theological and community-practice statements on questions about the work of the Spirit of God . In: Bienenberg Study Booklet 2/1996. Creative tension beyond polarization? . In: Mennonite Yearbook 1998. Mission training in evangelical theological education . In: H. Loewen and H. Kasdorf: Together on the Lord's behalf (Festschrift John Klassen). Puls Verlag, Bornheim/Bonn 1999, pp. 123–139. Theological education in the tension between theory and practice . In: Yearbook for Evangelical Theology 17/2003, pp. 149–196. Living the truth: A convincing confession in our pluralistic world . In: Heinrich Klassen and Johannes Reimer (eds.): Mission in the Sign of Peace (Edition afem, Mission Academics), Logos, Lage 2003, pp. 197–237. Tradition and transformation. Impulses for transformative theological education . In: Tobias Faix , Johannes Reimer, Volker Brecht (eds.): Changing the world. Basic questions of a theology of transformation , Francke, Marburg 2009, pp. 296–302. 'Fit for purpose' – theological training that is fit for the future . In: Walter Dürr and Stefan Wenger (eds.): Theological training and spirituality , Aschendorff Verlag, Münster 2015, pp. 155–172. encyclopedia article Article in Religion in History and Present , 4th ed. (RGG) 2002, Vol. 5 (L–M). missionary training Mission House Bible School Wiedenest

Literature

Lukas Amstutz and Hanspeter Jecker (eds.): Fit for the world!? Contributions to a peace church theology and parish practice (Edition Bienenberg), Festschrift for the 65th birthday of Bernhard Ott, Neufeld Verlag , Cuxhaven 2017, ISBN 978-3-86256-084-4 .

Individual References

1. Change at the European Council for Theological Education , idea.de, report from July 5, 2022.

2. Teachers at the TSB ( Memento from 3 June 2017 in the web archive archive.today )

3. Bernhard Ott says goodbye: influential figure in Anabaptist theology retires , jesus.ch, article from March 13, 2017.

4. Bernd Brandl : Evangelical Mission Theology: Consequences for Theological Education ( Memento from 3 June 2017 in the web archive archive.today )

5. Short CV: Bernhard Ott , awm-korntal.eu, accessed on August 4, 2018.

6. Change of management at the academic branch of the AWM in Korntal , idea.de, report from July 17, 2018.

7. Foreword to the Handbook of Theological Education , R. Brockhaus, Wuppertal 2007.

8. Ott Bernhard: Lecturer at the IGW ( Memento from 3 June 2017 in the web archive archive.today )

9. Bernhard Ott: Hearing with your eyes and thinking with your feelings , livenet.de, accessed on August 3, 2018.

10. Bernhard Ott: Curriculum Vitae ( Memento from August 30, 2018 in the Internet Archive )

11. Foreword to Fit for the World!? ( Memento from 3 June 2017 in the Internet Archive ), p. 9f.

12. Teachers at the TSB ( Memento from 3 June 2017 in the web archive archive.today )

13. Lectures by Bernhard Ott , accessed on August 3, 2018.

14. Ott Bernhard: Member of the Evangelical Baptist Community of Basel ( Memento from 3 June 2017 in the web archive archive.today ), p. 3

15. Life.Work Prize 2022 for Dr. Bernhard Ott , awm-korntal.eu, awarded on June 2, 2022.