Author Description

Dietrich Werner has been an important person for many, and so also for me in various aspects. Encounters and experiences are, initially, very personal. However, browsing through the chapters of this book, with its marvellous diversity of authors, women and men, persons from North and South, East and West, of different confessions and theological convictions, each one of which has known Dietrich Werner in his or her own special way, it seems to me that the same kind of experiences resound among them. Thus, a quite representative picture emerges of Dietrich's engagement and ability dedicated to the mission of ecumenical theological education over the past thirty years: as a networker, author, teacher and mentor, and, not least, a caring pastor and worker in God's mission toward life in abundance for all. Among his own mentors were great ecumenists like Samuel Amirtham and Konrad Raiser, and his engagement was forged in the early 1980s when contextualization and ecumenicity of theological education where at their height. In his indefatigable passion and apostolic conviction Dietrich never let himself be demotivated by less favourable times, called by some an ecumenical winter, and indeed has always continued to motivate others not to give up their part in God's mission through a meaningful and contextualized ecumenical theological education. I humbly and gladly join the choir of those who express their thanks and appreciation to Dietrich for all he has given to us, and commend this Festschrift as an academically insightful and spiritually meaningful sign of gratitude, respect and willingness to carry the cause onwards. From the Foreword by Rev. Prof. Dr. Rudolf von Sinner, Moderator, World Council of Churches' Commission on Ecumenical Education and Formation 2014-20 This is a useful collection of essays that will stand as a testament to the contribution of Dietrich Werner to both the study of World Christianity and Mission. Werner has worked both as an academic and pra