Otto Wahl (theologian)

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Otto Wahl 1999 on his 40th anniversary as a priest

Otto Hermann Josef Wahl SDB (born May 16, 1932 in Schwäbisch Gmünd ; † December 20, 2020 in Benediktbeuern ) was a German Salesian of Don Bosco , a Roman Catholic clergyman , theologian , Old Testament scholar and long-time rector of the Philosophical-Theological University of Benediktbeuern .

Life

Election was as a son of the cathedral sexton Johann Josef Wahl and his wife Lucy, Mundelein born in Schwabisch Gmund born the youngest of five children. After attending primary school and the Hindenburg high school for boys in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Otto Wahl switched to the Don Bosco Salesian high school in Benediktbeuern in 1948 . In 1953 he passed his Abitur at the Wilhelms-Gymnasium in Munich . His high school years were interrupted from 1950 to 1951 by his novitiate and his first profession in Ensdorf . After graduating from high school, he studied philosophy and theology in Benediktbeuern until 1959, on which he built up a special course in the Old Testament in Würzburg until 1965, which he obtained with a doctorate to become a Dr. theol. graduated from the Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg with Joseph Ziegler . After completing his studies in Benediktbeuern, he was ordained a priest there on June 29, 1959 .

After receiving his doctorate, Wahl returned to Benediktbeuern, where he began teaching as a lecturer in the Old Testament . Since his habilitation in 1975 at the Theological Faculty St. Georgen under Norbert Lohfink , he was a professor at the PTH Benediktbeuern. Wahl was director of studies at the PTH Benediktbeuern from 1969 to 1977 and deputy director of the monastery branch in Benediktbeuern from 1972 to 1977 , and also from 1977 to 1982, from 1988 to 1994 and from 1997 to 2000 rector of the PTH Benediktbeuern, as well as prorector in the meantime . Since 2000 he was released from his chair for the Old Testament and Biblical Introductory Studies , but took over the chair. From 1971 to 2007, in addition to his chair, he held a teaching position for biblical studies at the KSFH Benediktbeuern . Until 2014 he was still teaching, until 2013 also at the KSFH.

Wahl died in December 2020 in Benediktbeuern Monastery.

Act

In addition to his main tasks, Old Testament text criticism, the theological statements of the Old Testament as the message of the Old Testament for today, the psalms, the book Isaiah, Salesian history of Benediktbeuern, in which he was active with numerous research work and publications, he achieved above all great merits for the PTH Benediktbeuern: During his time as rector of the university, he achieved state recognition in 1981, the state right to award doctorates in 1990 , the church right to award doctorates in 1992 and the title of theological faculty, and in 2000 the right to obtain a doctorate . For the latter, an amendment to the Bavarian University Act was necessary, which was achieved through extensive preparatory work. It has always been of particular concern to him to sharpen the profile of his university with regard to youth pastoral care and Christian environmental ethics. But he also advocated close cooperation with the Catholic Foundation University of Applied Sciences in Munich , whose predecessor institute in Benediktbeuern was part of his initiative. One result of these efforts is the nationwide unique opportunity to complete a “ double degree ” in Catholic theology and social work in Benediktbeuern .

He played a key role in developing the Theological College for the Salesian Order's offspring into a theological faculty that is also open to lay people. The merits for this began as early as the 1950s when Wahl founded the educational group with other Salesians, including the psychologist Ottmar Schoch , which endeavored to reform the training concept.

One of Wahl's merits is the expansion and design of the university's extensive library . Until it was dismantled in 2013, it was the largest church-sponsored Bavarian library with around 350,000 volumes. A large part of the library was given to the Philosophical-Theological College Benedict XVI. transferred at Heiligenkreuz Abbey .

In addition to his position as rector of the PTH Benediktbeuern, Otto Wahl has also made a name for himself in other offices, for example as a member of the board of trustees of the Catholic Foundation University Munich-Benediktbeuern, or as a member of the scientific advisory board of the Catholic Biblical Works in Stuttgart and as chairman of the working group of the universities of the order . Wahl also works on the Septuagint company of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences . From 1966 to 2000 Wahl was head of the university library, which Wahl gradually expanded according to the development of the university location Benediktbeuern and developed it into the largest church library in Bavaria. Until the partial liquidation of the library in 2013, he worked there as a scientific advisor.

Bishop Bertram Meier paid tribute to him with the words: “How resolutely he made a significant contribution to promoting the Benediktbeuern location as a university of the Salesians of Don Bosco, he also made a name for himself by digging deep into the treasure of the Old Testament and by him brought to light together with the students. It goes without saying that theology also meant practice for him: he contributed valuable articles to the preaching magazine Praedica Verbum and was always involved in pastoral care as long as his strength allowed. "

honors and awards

Fonts

author

  • The prophetic quotations of the Sacra Parallela in their relation to the Septuagint: Textual tradition (= studies on the Old and New Testament XLLL / 1.2). Kösel, Munich 1965 (= dissertation).
  • The Sirach text of the Sacra-Parallela (= research on Bible 16). Echter, Würzburg 1974 (= habilitation thesis).
  • Central themes of the Old Testament . Auer, Donauwörth 1981.
  • The Proverbs and Kohelet text of the Sacra Parallela (= research on the Bible 51). Real Würzburg 1985.
  • Pastoral love and animation as formative forces of Salesian effectiveness (= series of publications on the maintenance of Salesian spirituality, 18th episode). Salesian printing company Ensdorf 1986.
    • Italian excerpt: Quaderni di spiritualitá salesiana 5. Rome 1989, pp. 21–40 and Parola di Dio e spirito salesiano, Torino - Leumann 1996, pp. 261–273.
  • Songs of the Liberated. Pray psalms today. Don Bosco, Munich 1989.
  • The prophetic in Don Bosco (= shaping life from the spirit of St. Don Bosco, 25th episode). Salesian print shop Ensdorf 1989.
    • Reprinted in Italian: Parola di Dio e carisma salesiano. Associazione Biblica Salesiana Rome 1989, pp. 41-77.
  • The books Micha, Obadja and Haggai (= spiritual reading AT 12). Patmos, Düsseldorf 1990.
  • The Deuteronomy text of the Sacra Parallela (== News from the Academy of Sciences in Göttingen. I. Philological-historical class, year 1997, No. 3 = messages from the LXX company XXIII). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1997.
  • The Sacra-Parallela quotations from the books Josua, Richter, 1/2, Samuel, 3/4 Kings and 1/2 Chronicle (= treatises of the Academy of Sciences in Göttingen, Philological-Historical Class. Third Volume, Vol. 255 = Notifications from the LXX company XXIX). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2004.
  • Three contributions to the history of the Philosophical-Theological College of the Salesians Don Bosco Benediktbeuern: Theological Faculty - 1931–2005. Benediktbeuern 2007 (manuscript).
  • with Christoph Keller : “I tell you: get up!” Biblical impulses for the dialogue and renewal process of the church. LIT Münster Berlin 2012.
  • All of my sources arise in you. Selected psalms and their message for us today. LIT, Münster 2016.
  • with Sven van Meegen : Social Visions (= Bible specifically 15). Berlin, Münster 2020.

Editorships

  • Together with Sven van Meegen and Josef Wehrle, Wahl published the series of books on the Bible .
  • with Ehrenfried Schulz : Our hope - God's word. The atl. Readings.
    • Reading year C. Knecht, Frankfurt a. M. 1994.
    • Reading year A. Knecht, Frankfurt a. M. 1995.
    • Reading year B. Knecht, Frankfurt a. M. 1996.
    • Sundays and holidays. Special holidays and memorial days. Knecht, Frankfurt a. M. 1997.
  • List of Heilligtumber which are kept and venerated at this Benediktbeyrn monastery. Index SS. Reliquiarum (= Benediktbeurer Hochschulschriften Bd. 18). Don Bosco Munich 2002.
  • Konrad Reuß: War circulars to the soldiers' confreres of the House of Benediktbeuern from 1941–1945 (manuscript). Benediktbeuern 2003.
  • Johannes Lechermann : Brief portrait of the HH director Georg Ring SDB (1879–1932) (manuscript). Benediktbeuern 2003.
  • Karl Mindera: Benediktbeuern's position in Bavarian art. Lecture on the academy on the feast of St. Thomas on March 6, 1938 (manuscript). Benediktbeuern 2007.

Festschriften in his honor

  • Lothar Bily , Karl Bopp , Norbert Wolff (ed.): A god for people. Festschrift for Otto Wahl SDB for his 70th birthday (= Benediktbeurer Studies 9). Munich 2002.
  • Markus Graulich , Sven van Meegen (ed.): God's word in the life and mission of the church. Ceremony in honor of Prof. P. Dr. Otto Wahl SDB (= Bible specifically 3). Berlin, Münster 2007.
  • Sven van Meegen, Josef Wehrle (Ed.): Power and powerlessness in the Bible, Prof. P. Dr. Honor Otto Wahl SDB. Berlin / Münster 2012.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Obituary: P. Dr. theol. habil. Otto Wahl SDB passed away. In: bistum-augsburg.de . December 21, 2020, accessed December 21, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Lukas C. Gundling, Otto Wahl: A Gmünder Münstermesner family: The ancestors choice. In: Genealogical sheets of the Gundling family and related families (GBFG) No. 6, Erfurt 2015, p. 3 f.
  3. ↑ a b c d e Prof. P. Dr. Otto Wahl SDB. In: pth-bb.de. Archived from the original on March 22, 2018 ; accessed on December 21, 2020 .
  4. ↑ a b c d Norbert Wolff : Biography Otto Wahl. In: God for the people. Munich 2002, p. 401 ff.
  5. ↑ Lukas C. Gundling: Otto Wahl - a short biographical sketch. In: GBFG No. 6, Erfurt 2015, p. 6 ff.
  6. ↑ In Benediktbeuern Monastery: Diamond Jubilee of Priests. In: sueddeutsche.de. June 27, 2019, accessed December 21, 2020 .
  7. ↑ Professor P. Dr. Otto Wahl SDB passed away , Medlung from the Catholic Foundation University Munich-Benediktbeuern on December 21, 2020.
  8. ↑ Lothar Bily : Father Dr. theol. habil. Otto Wahl passed away. In: kloster-benediktbeuern.de . December 21, 2020, accessed December 21, 2020 .
  9. ↑ a b Professor Dr. Otto Wahl celebrates 50 years of priesthood. In: remszeitung.de . June 26, 2009, accessed December 21, 2020 .
  10. ↑ Ingrid Hügenell: Benediktbeuern - Otto Wahl is 85. In: sueddeutsche.de. May 14, 2017, accessed December 21, 2020 .
  11. ↑ Don Bosco's Salesians hand over a large part of the library to Benediktbeuern. In: kloster-benediktbeuern.de. July 16, 2013, archived from the original on February 2, 2014 ; accessed on December 21, 2020 .
  12. ↑ See, among other things, publication under literature.
  13. ↑ Katharina Hennecke: Philosophical-Theological University Benediktbeuern: Salesians Don Bosco donate a large part of their library to the Heiligenkreuz Abbey. (pdf; 48 kB) Press release of the German Province of the Salesians Don Bosco. In: donbosco.de. July 15, 2013, accessed September 10, 2013 .
personal data
SURNAME Choice, Otto
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wahl, Otto SDB; Wahl, Otto Hermann Josef (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German religious, theologian, Old Testament scholar and rector of the Philosophical-Theological University Benediktbeuern
DATE OF BIRTH May 16, 1932
PLACE OF BIRTH Schwäbisch Gmünd
DATE OF DEATH December 20, 2020
Place of death Benediktbeuern