Adolf Exeler

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Adolf Exeler (born February 15, 1926 in Eschendorf , now part of Rheine , Steinfurt district ; † July 26, 1983 in Villnöß , South Tyrol ) was a pastoral theologian and pastor in Münster .

Life

Exeler was born on February 15, 1926 in Eschendorf, now part of Rheine (Steinfurt district), as the fourth child of a working-class family. As a student, he was involved in the Catholic youth movement ( Bund New Germany and Sturmschar ) in his free time , thereby keeping his distance from National Socialism. After graduating from high school, he was called up as a radio operator for the mountain troops ; he became an American prisoner of war , where his desire to become a priest arose. After studying theology at the Westphalian Wilhelms University in Münster and at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich , he was ordained a priest in 1951 by Bishop Keller in Münster . a. from 1953 to 1955 worked as prefect at the Collegium Augustinianum Gaesdonck .

On December 12, 1957, Exeler was awarded a doctoral thesis, A Good News from the Christian Life. The peculiarity of the moral theology of Johann Baptist Hirscher in the theological faculty of the Westphalian Wilhelms University in Münster for Dr. theol. PhD . He then stayed in the catechetical centers in Munich, Brussels, Nijmegen and Paris. After a position as a lecturer at the seminary in Münster, Exeler completed his habilitation on December 18, 1963 with the thesis Questions of Principal Catechetics for the subject of pastoral theology at the Catholic-Theological Faculty of the Westphalian Wilhelms University of Münster. In 1965, Adolf Exeler was appointed to the chair of pedagogy and catechetics in the theological faculty of the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg . Following this teaching activity in Freiburg im Breisgau , Exeler held the chair for pastoral theology and religious education in the Catholic Theological Faculty of the Westphalian Wilhelms University in Münster from 1969 to 1983, succeeding his teacher Theodor Filthaut .

The professor of proletarian origin, whose faith he was particularly proud of, remained loyal to the Catholic Workers Movement (KAB) for life.

During his time as a theology professor in Münster, Exeler lived in a spiritual community in the parish of St. Theresia. This house community existed z. B. from the later Bishop of Limburg , Franz Kamphaus , and the later director of the Catholic Biblical Works in Stuttgart, Franz-Josef Ortkemper.

Exeler died on a hike in Funes on July 26, 1983 during a holiday with children in South Tyrol.

Services

Exeler was considered an excellent preacher who was particularly valued by the children and young people. In the obituary notice of his students, the last sentence reads: "He was teacher and pastor in one - for his students, his listeners and for everyone who confided in him."

Participation in the 1968 Catechetical Congress in Medellín ( Colombia ) confirmed Exeler that only a philanthropic and serving church corresponds to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Since then he has been committed to the social dimension of faith, theology and the church .

During the time of the Council's upheaval in the 1970s, Exeler was an exemplary academic teacher and interlocutor for his students who, despite all criticism of the fallibility and need for reform of the church, impressed with his deeply rooted spirituality and love for his church.

In 1978 he published - not least impressed by the results of the Second Vatican Council - together with his assistant at the time, Norbert Mette , an anthology on the theology of the people , in order to allow the little people of the church to have their say in addition to the linguistic faith of the church .

From 1971 to 1983 he was chairman of the German Catechist Association (DKV) in Munich, in whose catechetical sheets he published numerous articles on religious education.

Works

  • Good news from the Christian life. The characteristics of the moral theology of Johann Baptist Hirschers. Freiburg i. Br. 1959 (also Münster, Univ. Diss., 1957).
  • Early first communion and pastoral care. Düsseldorf 1963.
  • Nature and role of catechesis. A pastoral historical investigation (= Investigations on theology of pastoral care, vol. 21). Freiburg i. Br. 1966 (also Münster, Habil. -Schrift 1963).
  • Reflected Faith. Perspectives, methods and models of theological adult education. Freiburg i. Br. 1970.
  • Catechesis in our time. Topics and results of the 4th Synod of Bishops. Munich 1979.
  • Encourage this life. Considerations about the festivals in the church year. Freiburg i. Br. 1981.
  • Live in God's freedom. The Ten Commandments. Freiburg i. Br. 1982, ²1983, ³1985.
  • Religious education as an aid to becoming human. Munich 1982 (span. 1992).
  • Break new ground for faith. Impetus for practice. Freiburg i. Br. 1982.
  • Help young people live. The old and the new values. Freiburg i. Br. 1984 (posthumously).
  • Theology of the people. Mainz 1984 (posthumous), ISBN 3-7867-0695-6 .

literature

  • Erich Feifel : Adolf Exeler (1926-1983). In: Henning Schröer , Dietrich Zilleßen (Hrsg.): Classics of religious education. Frankfurt / M. 1989, ISBN 3-425077-11-2 , pp. 291ff.
  • Gottfried Bitter: Lexicon for theology and church. Vol. 33 III (1995) Col. 1103f.
  • Ana Filipovíc: Religious education to help people become human . A study of Adolf Exeler's (1926-1983) religious education. Dialogverlag, Münster 2004, ISBN 3-933144-86-8 (Rome, Univ. Diss. 2002).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The history of the German Katecheten-Verein. In: dkv - professional association for religious education and training. Archived from the original on November 26, 2013 ; accessed on March 7, 2014 .
personal data
SURNAME Exeler, Adolf
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Catholic clergyman and pastoral theologian
DATE OF BIRTH February 15, 1926
PLACE OF BIRTH Eschendorf , today part of Rheine , Germany
DATE OF DEATH July 26, 1983
Place of death Villnöß , South Tyrol