Wolfgang J. Bittner

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Wolfgang Bittner

Wolfgang J. Bittner (born November 17, 1947 in Graz ) is an Evangelical Reformed theologian, pastor, speaker and book author with a focus on biblical-Christian spirituality .

Life

Bittner was born on November 17, 1947 in Graz, where he also spent his first years. He later grew up in Bruck an der Mur in Styria . After elementary school, secondary school and business school, he worked for a travel agency for five years. In 1968 he moved to Switzerland for a three-year deacon training course. After two years as a parish deacon , he became a lecturer in biblical theology in Aarau (Switzerland) in 1973 . From 1978 he made up his Abitur, the Matura , and studied theology on the second path of education at the Church Theological School and at the University of Basel .

From 1985 to 1991 he held an evangelical reformed pastor's office in the canton of Aargau (Switzerland) and in 1987 received his doctorate from the University of Basel in the New Testament under Markus Barth . From 1991 he continued to work scientifically at the University of Bern and the University of Basel. Since 1997 he has been working as a freelancer in Switzerland and Germany. Since 1999 he has been employed part-time as head of studies at the Fritz Blanke Society in Zurich . From 2003 to 2010 he was also part-time representative for spirituality of the Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia and from 2010 to 2011 in the same function in the church district of Berlin-Stadtmitte . From 2006 to 2011 he held a teaching position for Christian spirituality at the Free University of Berlin and at the Humboldt University of Berlin .

Bittner published articles on the question of the church in the future ( Church - Where are you ?; Church, that's us! ). He is also a speaker in the field of biblical-Christian spirituality. He is convinced that the Christian tradition knows a variety of spiritual ways to shape one's own spirituality: biblical contemplation , prayer of silence , contemplation , prayer from the heart and Jesus and others. He passes these forms on in his courses. He also combines knowledge of the Bible, the Hebrew language and the Jewish environment of that time with the living conditions of people today. He guides people to biblical meditation so that they are enabled to listen to God independently. The connection between biblical consideration and contemplation, the Lectio divina, is important to him . He is committed to making the Scala claustralium of Guigo II known in the evangelical field and to further develop it for today's practice with in-depth, simple exercises. In individual study days he introduces individual topics of the diversity of Christian theology: biblical apocalyptic ; how did Jesus know his way ?; Dying, burial, death and resurrection ; the importance of the Hebrew conception of reality for Christian thought; how does the Bible speak of the mystery of evil ?; our prayer practice and our image of God .

In addition to retreat weekends and retreats, lectures, oasis days and seminars in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, he and Traudl Priller from the Koinonia Community have been leading a recognized three-year part-time training program on behalf of the EKBO (Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia) since 2006 to the meditation leader.

On Bittner's initiative, the Christian Spirituality Network was formed in 2011 . The aim of the network is to clarify what can be understood by Christian spirituality in the distinction to other spiritualities. A responsible dialogue with today's spiritual approaches - both Christian and interreligious - requires clarification of one's own position. The formulation of seven principles, which seem indispensable for a Christian spirituality, serves this purpose. Based on a draft by Bittner, they were intensively discussed by a working group, finally formulated and since then put up for discussion. In the meantime, some districts such as the Evangelical Church District Berlin-Stadtmitte and churches such as the Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia (EKBO) have adopted these seven principles.

He has been married to the Berlin pastor Ulrike Bittner since 2001 and lives - after a period in Eisenhüttenstadt from 2001 to 2008 - in Liestal near Basel and in Berlin . He has three grown children from his first marriage. Since 2002 he belongs to the evangelical sibling Koinonia.

Fonts (selection)

As a sole author

As a co-author

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.kirchgemeinde.ch/wolfgang-bittner/
  2. ↑ Patrik Schwarz: Modern Missionaries . In: The time . No. 12/2007 ( online ).
  3. ↑ http://www.wolfgang-bittner.ch/
  4. ↑ http://www.ezw-berlin.de/html/15_1386.php
  5. ↑ http://www.ncsp.de/
  6. ↑ http://ref-liestal-seltisberg.ch/
  7. ↑ http://www.koinonia-online.de/geschwmeisterschaft/geschwmeisterschaft.php
personal data
SURNAME Bittner, Wolfgang J.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Evangelical Reformed theologian, pastor, speaker and author with a focus on biblical-Christian spirituality
DATE OF BIRTH November 17, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH Graz