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David Augsburger

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David W. Augsburger (August 14, 1938 – October 30, 2023) was an American Mennonite pastor, author, theologian, counselor, and educator, known for his influential work in pastoral care, cross-cultural counseling, and conflict mediation.

Early life and education

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Born in Delphos, Ohio, and raised on a farm in Elida, he was the youngest of six children. His parents were Clarence and Estella Augsburger. He earned degrees from Eastern Mennonite College (B.A., 1960) and Eastern Mennonite Seminary (B.Div., 1963), and completed a Ph.D. in Personality, Theology, and Psychotherapy at Claremont School of Theology in 1974.[1][2][3]

Career

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Augsburger began his career with Mennonite Broadcasts (1961–1974), where he hosted the Mennonite Hour radio program and sang with the Mennonite Hour Quartet. He was ordained in 1963 and served as pastor of Trissels Mennonite Church in Virginia until 1971. He later held faculty positions at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (now AMBS), and Fuller Theological Seminary, where he taught pastoral counseling from 1990 until his retirement in 2012.[1][3]

Throughout his career, Augsburger led workshops worldwide on reconciliation, forgiveness, cross-cultural conflict, and interpersonal relationships. His major publications include Caring Enough to Confront (1980), Conflict Mediation Across Cultures (1992), The Freedom of Forgiveness (1988), Dissident Discipleship (2006), and Pastoral Counseling Across Cultures (1986). His Caring Enough series remains widely used in counseling and ministry settings.[1][2][3]

A devoted pacifist and peacemaker, Augsburger was known for his compassion, deep listening, and ability to confront injustice with grace. He co-pastored Peace Mennonite Fellowship in Claremont, California for many years until his death.[1] Augsburger was a minister of the Mennonite Church and a diplomate of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.[1][2][3]

Personal life and death

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Augsburger was married to Leann Elrich Augsburger Augsburger, and had three children. His brother Myron was a prominent Mennonite Church author, evangelist, and theologian. Augsburger died at home in Claremont, California on October 30, 2023, at age 85.[1][3]

Legacy

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Throughout his career, Augsburger was widely quoted in the media on a variety of topics related to spirituality and pastoral care.[4][5][6][7] He was often cited for his memorable quote about the importance of listening in a relationship: "Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person they are almost indistinguishable."[8][9][10]

Selected publications

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  • Caring Enough to Confront:How to Understand and Express Your Deepest Feelings Toward Others
  • The Freedom of Forgiveness
  • Caring Enough to Forgive—Caring Enough Not to Forgive
  • Caring Enough to Hear and Be Heard: How to Hear and How to Be Heard in Equal Communication
  • Conflict Mediation Across Cultures
  • Dissident Discipleship: A Spirituality of Self-Surrender, Love of God, and Love of Neighbor
  • Pastoral Counseling Across Cultures
  • When Caring Is Not Enough: Resolving Conflicts Through Fair Fighting
  • Helping People Forgive
  • When Enough Is Enough (Caring Enough)
  • Anger and Assertiveness in Pastoral Care
  • The New Freedom of Forgiveness
  • Be All You Can Be
  • Cherishable: love and Marriage
  • Hate-Work: Working Through the Pain and Pleasures of Hate
  • Communicating Good News
  • How Dare You be a Pessimist!
  • So What? Everybody's Doing it
  • Sustaining Love: Healing & Growth in the Passages of Marriage
  • Man, Am I Uptight!
  • Life or Limbo
  • Beyond Assertiveness
  • A Risk Worth Taking
  • Witness is Withness: More Showing Than Telling
  • From Here to Maturity
  • Sustaining Love

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Bergstresser, Annette Brill (November 9, 2023). "Remembering David Augsburger". Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary News. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "In Memoriam: David Augsburger". Fuller Seminary News. November 3, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e Huber, Tim (November 10, 2023). "Augsburger Sought Reconciliation, Justice via Classrooms, Pews, Airwaves". Anabaptist World. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  4. ^ Schriever, Jordanna (16 June 2008). "Spirituality, Flexibility Basis for Church Life". The Advertiser. p. 24. ProQuest 355064852. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  5. ^ Kang, Connie (21 December 2002). "Enlisting God's Help in Fighting Divorce". Los Angeles Times. p. B02. ProQuest 279586128. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  6. ^ Kang, Connie (7 December 2002). "Religion: Churches Act to Buttress the Family; Pastors Once Thought Just Being Christians Would Save Marriages. Now They're Offering Counseling, Before and After the Nuptials". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 421747178. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  7. ^ Stammer, Larry B. (13 June 2001). "A Reckoning: Forgiveness and Fury". Orlando Sentinel. p. E1. ProQuest 279605787. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  8. ^ Rice, Carole A. (5 February 2018). "The Art of Listening and Really Hearing Is an Act of Love, Says Carole Ann Rice". Daily Express. ProQuest 1944212289. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  9. ^ Christian, Rebecca (24 October 2014). "Listening Makes a Connection". Telegraph-Herald. ProQuest 1615907404. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  10. ^ Magill, Martin (27 February 2021). "We Could All Learn a Thing or Two from Clever and Respectful Young Leaders: Keeping the Faith in a Pandemic". Belfast Telegraph. p. 31. ProQuest 2493785330. Retrieved April 2, 2025.

Further reading

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  • Augsburger, D. W. (1992). Conflict Mediation Across Cultures. Westminster John Knox Press ISBN 978-0664256098
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