Hans Ferdinand Bürki

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Hans Ferdinand Bürki (born January 10, 1925 in St. Gallen ; † April 24, 2002 in Zurich ) was a Swiss psychologist, theologian and Secretary General of the United Bible Groups and Associate General Secretary of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES).

Life

As a seminarian, Hans Bürki founded the first Bible study at a middle school in Küsnacht in 1944 . He visited other secondary schools by bike and helped to set up groups there, so that in 1946 in Brugg, representatives of 11 groups met on the first day of the school.

Hans Bürki studied modern languages, education, psychology and theology in Switzerland and the USA. In 1949 he received his doctorate with a dissertation on “The conflict between humanism and Christianity in Pestalozzi ” .

In 1949 he became the first full-time assistant and general secretary of the newly formed United Bible Study Groups, and remained in that position until 1975.

In 1957 he and his wife took over Casa Moscia near Ascona and continued it as a Christian youth camp, where young people went on vacation, heard his biblical interpretations and were often interested in the Christian faith. This work became the basis for the United Bible groups and had great influence on the house group movement . In 1962 he was able to buy two houses, eight stables and a lot of agricultural land from an emigrant family from Ticino in remote Rasa in Centovalli . In addition to the many lively course weeks in Moscia, he wanted to set up "silent huts" there to deepen his faith. The houses were renovated and brought to life with volunteers under the direction of the architect Hansruedi Koller.

On his numerous lecture tours he also promoted the development of the student mission in Germany . In 1963 he became literary secretary of the "International Fellowship of Evangelical Students", and from 1976 to 1979 he was Associate General Secretary at large of IFES.

He trained as a transaction analyst and from 1980 was a freelance director of advanced training courses for personal integration and spirituality in Switzerland and abroad. He had an influence on many non-theological pastors.

Private

Bürki was married to the Hungarian doctor and psychotherapist Ago Fillenz, they had four children together.

Works

As a sole author

  • The confrontation between humanism and Christianity in Pestalozzi. An examination of the biblical foundations of "Lienhard and Gertrud" in all three editions. Zurich, 1950
  • Duality. About basic questions of living together. , R. Brockhaus , Wuppertal 1959 (new editions: Berger, Stuttgart 1973; R. Brockhaus, Wuppertal 1971; Brendow , Moers 1988. ISBN 978-3-87067-253-9 )
  • Guards and wagons. Reflection on practical Christianity. R. Brockhaus, Wuppertal 1954 and 1960
  • Rule in life. Reflection on basic questions of Christian realization. R. Brockhaus, Wuppertal 1960 (new edition: Claus Berger, Stuttgart 1973)
  • God's Call, Book 5: John - a seer in chains. Lecture given during the second German Evangelical Alliance Conference in Siegen. Ecumenical Publishing House Dr. Reiner-Friedemann Edel, Marburg an der Lahn 1962
  • Religion, morality or life. United Bible Groups, Zurich 1962
  • Between belief and skepticism. A biographical and intellectual history study. R. Brockhaus, Wuppertal 1967
  • Word of God in the word of man. Paperback, 1970
  • Beginning and growth in faith. How faith proves itself in a person's everyday situations. R. Brockhaus, Wuppertal 1975. ISBN 3-417-00529-9 (new edition 1982. ISBN 978-3-41700-529-5 )
  • Emancipation: a challenge for Christians? What distinguishes Marxists and Christians when they speak of "liberation". R. Brockhaus, Wuppertal 1975. ISBN 978-3-41700-532-5
  • Psychotherapy or pastoral care - a sham problem or an alternative? , 1978
  • Wuppertaler Studienbibel , Volume 14: Paul's first letter to Timotheus , R. Brockhaus, Wuppertal and Brunnen Giessen 1974 and 1983 (Evangelische Haupt -ibelgesellschaft, Berlin-Altenburg 1986. ISBN 978-3-74610-009-8 ; special edition: 1989 . ISBN 978-3-41725-144-9 ; 7th edition, Wuppertal 1997. ISBN 978-3-41725-014-5 )
  • Wuppertal Study Bible, Volume 15: Paul's second letter to Timothy, the letters to Titus and Philemon. R. Brockhaus, Wuppertal and Brunnen, Giessen 1975 and 1983. ISBN 978-3-41700-545-5 (Evangelische Haupt-Bibelgesellschaft, Berlin-Altenburg 1987. ISBN 978-3-74610-023-4 ; 6th edition, Wuppertal 1993. ISBN 978-3-41725-015-2 )
  • Win life. Reflection on the fundamentals of Christian realization. Brendow, Moers 1990. ISBN 978-3-87067-383-3 (revised new edition of: In life rule )
  • Become fully human. Growth, resistance, maturity. Series: Perspektiven, Brendow, Moers 1993. ISBN 978-3-87067-520-2

As a co-author

  • With Albert Bereczky and Liselotte M. Somoskeöy: The cup overflows . R. Brockhaus, Wuppertal 1956
  • With Daniel Müller: Faustian and Christian existence. Faith problems of the educated person. United Bible Groups, Zurich 1960
  • With Lindsay Brown, Horst Günzel and others: giving an account of our hope. Student mission in Germany. Festschrift for the 50th anniversary of the best student mission in Germany. Student mission in Germany, Marburg 1999

As editor

  • Partisan of Hope: Contributions for Paul Schütz . Festschrift for his 90th birthday on January 23, 1981. Moers, Brendow 1981. ISBN 978-3-87067-154-9
  • Paul Schütz: Collected Works. 5 volumes, 1982–1987

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ VBG: Geschichte ( Memento from August 25, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ^ A b c d Heinrich Burckhardt:  Bürki, Hans Ferdinand. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 27, Bautz, Nordhausen 2007, ISBN 978-3-88309-393-2 , Sp. 203-205.  ( Article / beginning of article in Internet archive )
  3. ↑ VBG: 50 years of Casa Moscia ( Memento from August 31, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ 50 years of Campo Rasa - history and treasures of the VBG holiday center in Centovalli 1962-2012 , United Bible Groups in School, University, Profession, Zurich 2012
  5. ^ Christian conference center Hohe Rhön
personal data
SURNAME Bürki, Hans Ferdinand
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss educator, psychologist, theologian and founder of the United Bible Groups
DATE OF BIRTH January 10, 1925
PLACE OF BIRTH St. Gallen
DATE OF DEATH April 24, 2002
Place of death Zurich