Edwin H. Robertson

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Edwin Hanton Robertson (* 1912 in Plaistow (London) , † November 3, 2007 in London ) was a Baptist pastor.

Robertson was best known for his English translations and reflections on important Bonhoeffer writings, but he also wrote many treatises on the Bible and unconventional church officials such as John Wyclif and Bishop George KA Bell, as well as on the radio.

Life

Robertson was born to Scottish parents. He left school at the age of 14 and was embroiled in the 1926 general strike almost immediately . He later studied chemistry at West Ham (now University of East London ) and then theology at Oxford . For almost the entire duration of the Second World War, he worked as a Baptist pastor in St Albans in addition to his war-important fuel chemistry research .

Then he came to Hamburg and Berlin with the religious department of the Allied Control Commission , where he was able to push through the restart of Christian radio work. Here he got to know and appreciate German theologians, some of whom had studied with Bonhoeffer. However, his good friendship with Eberhard Bethge only began after he came to London as pastor abroad .

Thanks to his radio experience in Germany, Robertson was able to take on the position of deputy head of the BBC's religious department from 1949 to 1956 . During this time, he worked closely with Ronald Gregor Smith , editor-in-chief of SCM Press . It was through him that Robertson's interest in Bonhoeffer was aroused. His translations of the Gesammelte Schriften then appeared for the first time in the 1960s.

From 1956 to 1962 he was a study assistant for the United Bible Societies . After a short stint as a preacher in Yeovil , he became executive director of the World Association for Christian Broadcasting in Geneva in 1964 .

In 1971 he returned to the ministry, first in Paddington, London , then at Heath Street Baptist Church in Hampstead for many years after he retired . He has always been a popular speaker at Christian gatherings around the world. Robertson also occasionally contributed to David Moore's Bonhoeffer newsletter and other magazines.

Award

In recognition of his contribution to Christian communication and the ecumenical movement as an author, editor and translator, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams , Doctor of Divinity (Dr. theol.).

Works

  • Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Life and preaching . Introduction by Renate Bethge, Göttingen 1989.
  • Unshakeable Friend. George Bell and the German Churches , London 1995.
  • The Prison Poems of Dietrich Bonhoeffer . A new translation with Commentary by Edwin Robertson, Guildford, Surrey 1998.
  • My soul finds rest in God alone. Reflections on the Psalms by Dietrich Bonhoeffer , Guildford, Surrey, 2001.
  • I stood at the door. The Advent Sermons of Dietrich Bonhoeffer , Trowbridge, Wiltshire 2003.

literature

  • The Rev Edwin Robertson , In: The Times, November 28, 2007

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Robertson, Edwin H.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Robertson, Edwin Hanton
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Baptist pastor
DATE OF BIRTH 1912
PLACE OF BIRTH Plaistow (London)
DATE OF DEATH November 3, 2007
Place of death London