December 16, 2002
Baptist theologian and author Hendricks dies in Fort Worth
___FORT WORTH--Bill Hendricks, a Baptist professor of theology known for his sharp wit and keen intellect, died in Fort Worth Dec. 8 at age 73.
___Hendricks taught at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth from 1957 to 1978, then at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, Calif., from 1978 to 1984 and at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., from 1984 to 1995.
___He retired in 1995 but soon after took the helmof the emerging Baptist studies program at Texas Christian University's Brite Divinity School, where he also taught. He retired a second time in 1998 but remained active as a lecturer and preacher.
BILL HENDRICKS
___"He was able to take great truths and put them in the language of laypeople," James Leo Garrett told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Garrett, distinguished professor of theology emeritus at Southwestern Seminary, was a longtime friend of Hendricks.
___While renowned as a theologian, Hendricks also made his mark by drawing attention to the connection between faith and art.
___A memorial card distributed at his Dec. 11 funeral at Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth highlighted one of his favorite sayings: "When you cannot agree upon truth, then lean into goodness and learn from beauty so you can approach truth in a new way."
___He wrote eight books, including "A Theology for Children," "The Doctrine of Man," "Who is Jesus Christ?" and "A Theology for Aging."
___He served on a team of Southern Baptist theologians in several rounds of formal dialogue with Roman Catholics, seeking to identify areas of mutual understanding about the Christian faith.
___In 1997, a book of essays in his honor was presented at the American Academy of Religion.
___Hendricks earned the bachelor of arts degree from Oklahoma Baptist University, the master of divinity and doctor of theology degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the master of arts and doctor of philosophy degrees from the University of Chicago.
___In addition to his seminary classroom teaching, Hendricks served numerous congregations as an interim pastor and guest speaker. He also taught in seminaries in Taiwan, Switerland, Yugoslavia, Malaysia and Singapore.
___Born March 10, 1929, in Butte, Mont., Hendricks was adopted by Homer and Ruby Hendricks and was raised in Wichita, Kan. In 1995, he discovered his birth family.
___He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Lois Linsey Hendricks; a son, John Lawrence Hendricks of Dallas; four brothers, George Marsh, Emmett Casey, Daniel Casey and Jerry Casey; and one sister, JoAnn Benson.
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