The first rector of the Luther Academy, Prof. Reinhard Slenczka passes away
On November 4, in Würzburg, Germany passed away the first rector of the Luther Academy, Prof. Reinhard Slenczka
R.Slenczka was born on February 16, 1931 in Kassel, Germany in the family of pastor Hans Slenczka.
From 1951 to 1956 he studied theology, philosophy and Slavicism in Marburg, Tübingen, Heidelberg and Paris. He began his pastoral career in 1959 at the Evangelical Church of Kuhessen – Waldeck. On April 30, 1960, R.Slencka received a doctorate in theology from the University of Heidelberg with Edmund Schlinkt leading his doctoral thesis "The unity of the Church as a dogmatic problem in the latest theology of the Eastern Churches". Under the leadership of Schlink, whose assistant R.Slenczka became, in 1966 Slenczka received the degree of habilitated doctor at the University of Heidelberg on a Christological topic. He started teaching as a professor in Bern.
From 1970 to 1981 Reinhard Slenczka was a professor of systematic theology at the University of Heidelberg. From 1981 until his retirement in 1996 - a lecturer in systematic theology at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and was active in the Martin – Luther – Association (MLB) spiritually caring for students. From 1981 to 1995, R. Slenczka was the editor-in-chief of the theological journal "Kerigma and Dogma". In 2003, the St. Louis Seminary awarded him an honorary doctorate.
From 1997 to 2005 Reinhards Slenczka was the first rector of Luther Academy. During this time, under his leadership, a whole generation of ELCL pastors were trained. His contribution is invaluable. Professor and his wife visited Latvia last in 2017, participating in the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Luther Academy and the theological conference dedicated to it.
In the family of the professor and his wife Gisela there are sons: Notger, Alquine, Fulbert and Wenrich and a significant number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Notger is a professor of systematic theology at the Humboldt University of Berlin, while Wörrich is the dean of the Würzburg district in Bavarian ev.lut. Church. The professor's grandfather, in turn, was the prominent German historian and pacifist Karl Heldmann (1869-1943).
Reinhard Slenczka is the author of many articles and books. In 2021, one of the last books of the professor "Purpose and End: Eschatology" was published in Latvian.
The professor has gone into what he believed in, what he wrote about and taught. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain'' /Flp 1:21/ Luther Academy is grateful to God for Reinhard Slenczka's blessed life course and expresses deepest condolences to Mrs. Gisela Slenczka and the rest of the family during this farewell time.
