In 1961, just before United was formed, Robert H. Bryant was hired as the successor to Frederick Herzog at Mission House Seminary. He came from Center College in Danville, Kentucky, and earned his BD and PhD at Yale University. At the first formal meeting of faculty for United, Bob presented a paper, “The Word of God and the Scriptures,” in which he posited that the Word is dynamic, of the world, and not a static symbol. His doctoral dissertation, published in 1968, focused on similar themes.
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During his 30-year tenure at United, Bob spent 10 years as a professor of Systematic Theology and another 20 years as a professor of Constructive Theology. He served twice on the board, developed a course that dealt with comparative creation stories for 12 Native American students who came to United in 1978, took a sabbatical year to teach at a seminary in South Africa, and published numerous book chapters and articles.
Former students remember Bob as a dedicated scholar and devoted teacher who challenged his students to consider multiple perspectives. In comments shared on a United Facebook post in October, Norm Pavey (’69, ’74, ’84) wrote that Bob arranged for several students to work at the Minnesota legislature in the 1968–69 school year. “It was,” Norm recalled, “an outstanding experience.” Ted Meads (’71) noted that Bob was “a phenomenal and very serious teacher.” Ken Daniel (’81) remembered Bob as “soft-spoken and very caring” and said “he had a true heart for UTS and the students.” Judy Bagley-Bonner (’86) extolled Bob as “a terrific theologian, teacher, and person,” and John Swisher (’82) described him as a “great and inspiring teacher.”
“As our professor of Constructive Theology,” Swisher continued, “he was always challenging us to new understandings that spoke both of the traditional giants of theology but also the newest developments, including his special emphasis on liberation theology and the work of Allan Aubrey Boesak and others in South Africa.”
Reflecting on Bob’s passing, Rev. Dr. Wilson Yates, President Emeritus, asserts, “Bob Bryant was an early professor of United, having moved here from Mission House as Professor of Theology. He had a great influence on students and gave them a breadth of theological options in the Modern Christian World. Bob made a significant contribution to the development of United.”
Rev. Dr. Ed Martin, Professor Emeritus of Contextual and Historical Studies, adds:
As I think of Bob, I recall the passion for social and environmental justice that he demonstrated in his teaching and personal life. He wanted his students to be aware of and learn from other cultures, people, and locations. His cultural immersion trips to Central America in the 1980s foreshadowed the ATS emphasis in the mid-1990s on such learning experiences and laid the groundwork for the cross-cultural requirements in the UTS curriculum. In 1991, … he recruited me to accompany him to Nicaragua and Costa Rica with about a dozen students for the January term. My 20-year-old son and I did just that, and it literally changed our lives.
President Molly T. Marshall contends, “The significant reputation that United enjoys is rooted in its earliest faculty members. Rev. Dr. Bryant brought erudition and broad learning to the fledgling seminary, and our current faculty extends his legacy.”
As we observe the passing of a seminal United faculty member at the age of 99, we honor the blessed memory of Bob Bryant and give thanks for all of the ways he mentored, taught, and inspired students at United, and supported justice-leaning causes. United grieves with his family for the loss of this great man and is truly grateful for the legacy of Rev. Dr. Bob Bryant.
The family will hold a celebration of life on Sunday, January 19, 2025, at 1:30 PM EST at First Congregational UCC,1031 S. Euclid, Sarasota, FL 34237. The service will also be on Zoom: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/75973832124?pwd=ot0a1nszQHaMufsqTs9G5jPzqDLY9p.1