David Augsburger

David W. Augsburger (August 14, 1938 – October 30, 2023) was an American Mennonite pastor, author, theologian, counselor, and educator, known for his influential work in pastoral care, cross-cultural counseling, and conflict mediation.

Early life and education

Born in Delphos, Ohio, and raised on a farm in Elida, he was the youngest of six children. His parents were Clarence and Estella Augsburger. He earned degrees from Eastern Mennonite College (B.A., 1960) and Eastern Mennonite Seminary (B.Div., 1963), and completed a Ph.D. in Personality, Theology, and Psychotherapy at Claremont School of Theology in 1974.

Career

Augsburger began his career with Mennonite Broadcasts (1961–1974), where he hosted the Mennonite Hour radio program and sang with the Mennonite Hour Quartet. He was ordained in 1963 and served as pastor of Trissels Mennonite Church in Virginia until 1971. He later held faculty positions at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (now AMBS), and Fuller Theological Seminary, where he taught pastoral counseling from 1990 until his retirement in 2012.

Throughout his career, Augsburger led workshops worldwide on reconciliation, forgiveness, cross-cultural conflict, and interpersonal relationships. His major publications include ''Caring Enough to Confront'' (1980), ''Conflict Mediation Across Cultures'' (1992), ''The Freedom of Forgiveness'' (1988), ''Dissident Discipleship'' (2006), and ''Pastoral Counseling Across Cultures'' (1986). His ''Caring Enough'' series remains widely used in counseling and ministry settings.

A devoted pacifist and peacemaker, Augsburger was known for his compassion, deep listening, and ability to confront injustice with grace. He co-pastored Peace Mennonite Fellowship in Claremont, California for many years until his death. Augsburger was a minister of the Mennonite Church and a diplomate of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.

Personal life and death

Augsburger was married to Leann Elrich Augsburger Augsburger, and had three children. His brother Myron was a prominent Mennonite Church author, evangelist, and theologian. Augsburger died at home in Claremont, California on October 30, 2023, at age 85.

Legacy

Throughout his career, Augsburger was widely quoted in the media on a variety of topics related to spirituality and pastoral care. He was often cited for his memorable quote about the importance of listening in a relationship: "Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person they are almost indistinguishable."

Selected publications

* ''Caring Enough to Confront:How to Understand and Express Your Deepest Feelings Toward Others''
* ''The Freedom of Forgiveness''
* ''Caring Enough to Forgive—Caring Enough Not to Forgive''
* ''Caring Enough to Hear and Be Heard: How to Hear and How to Be Heard in Equal Communication''
* ''Conflict Mediation Across Cultures''
* ''Dissident Discipleship: A Spirituality of Self-Surrender, Love of God, and Love of Neighbor''
* ''Pastoral Counseling Across Cultures''
* ''When Caring Is Not Enough: Resolving Conflicts Through Fair Fighting''
* ''Helping People Forgive''
* ''When Enough Is Enough (Caring Enough)''
* ''Anger and Assertiveness in Pastoral Care''
* ''The New Freedom of Forgiveness''
* ''Be All You Can Be''
* ''Cherishable: love and Marriage''
* ''Hate-Work: Working Through the Pain and Pleasures of Hate''
* ''Communicating Good News''
* ''How Dare You be a Pessimist!''
* ''So What? Everybody's Doing it''
* ''Sustaining Love: Healing & Growth in the Passages of Marriage''
* ''Man, Am I Uptight!''
* ''Life or Limbo''
* ''Beyond Assertiveness''
* ''A Risk Worth Taking''
* ''Witness is Withness: More Showing Than Telling''
* ''From Here to Maturity''
* ''Sustaining Love''

References

Further reading

* Augsburger, D. W. (1992). ''Conflict Mediation Across Cultures''. Westminster John Knox Press

External links

Complete Bibliography

Comprehensive Biography

{{DEFAULTSORT:Augsburger, David W
1938 births
2023 deaths
Mennonite ministers
Mennonite theologians
American Mennonites
Christian radicals
Fuller Theological Seminary faculty
Eastern Mennonite University alumni
20th-century Anabaptist ministers
Mennonite writers
Claremont School of Theology alumni