# George Forell

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{{more citations needed|date=February 2011}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = George Wolfgang Forell
| image       = GeorgeForell.jpg
| image_size  = 170px
| caption     = In 2008
| birth_date  = {{birth date|1919|9|19}}
| birth_place = [Breslau](/source/Breslau), [Germany](/source/Germany)
| death_date  = {{Death date and age|2011|4|29|1919|9|19}}
| known_for   = [Lutheranism](/source/Lutheranism), [Christian ethics](/source/Christian_ethics)
| education   = TH.B. (1941), TH.D. (1949)
| alma_mater  = [Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia](/source/Lutheran_Theological_Seminary_at_Philadelphia), [Princeton Theological Seminary](/source/Princeton_Theological_Seminary), [Union Theological Seminary](/source/Union_Theological_Seminary_(New_York_City))
| occupation  = [Theologian](/source/Theology), [Scholar](/source/Scholar), [Philosopher](/source/Philosopher), Author, Lecturer
| spouse      = Elizabeth (née Rossing) Forell
| children    = Madeleine<br>Mary
| parents     = Friedrich and Maria (née Kretschmar) Forell
| relatives   = Gotthold Karl Johannes Forell (brother, died 1961)
| awards      = 
}}
'''George Wolfgang Forell''' (September 19, 1919&nbsp;– April 29, 2011<ref>{{cite news|url=http://thegazette.com/obituaries/forell-the-rev-dr-george-w/=en |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204100948/http://thegazette.com/obituaries/forell-the-rev-dr-george-w/=en |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-02-04 |title=Obituaries |work=[The Gazette](/source/The_Gazette_(Cedar_Rapids)) }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://lensingfuneral.myfuneralwebsite.com/?siteid=141&action=1&value=12&menuitem=1668&obituaries_action=2&obituaryid=92404=zh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015190639/http://lensingfuneral.myfuneralwebsite.com/?siteid=141&action=1&value=12&menuitem=1668&obituaries_action=2&obituaryid=92404=zh |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-10-15 |title=Obituaries |work=Lensing Funeral Service, Iowa City }}</ref>) was the Carver Distinguished Chair of Religion in the Department of Religious Studies at the [University of Iowa](/source/University_of_Iowa).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=65FVAAAAIBAJ&pg=1151,1241931&dq=george-forell+carver&hl=en|title=The danger of thinking we are really holy|date=19 March 1983|work=[Leader-Post](/source/Leader-Post)|accessdate=February 25, 2011}}</ref> He was a scholar, author, and lecturer in the field of [Christian ethics](/source/Christian_ethics).
<!-- Deleted image removed: File:Gforellsq.jpg -->

==Early life and education==
Forell was born on September 19, 1919, in Breslau, Germany (now [Wrocław, Poland](/source/Wroc%C5%82aw)). His father was [Frederik J. Forell](/source/Frederik_J._Forell), co-founder of [The Christian Social Services](/source/The_Christian_Social_Services). He studied philosophy and theology at the [University of Vienna](/source/University_of_Vienna). In 1939 he came to the United States as a refugee from [Nazi](/source/Nazi) Germany. He enrolled at the [Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia](/source/Lutheran_Theological_Seminary_at_Philadelphia) as a student in theology. After graduating in 1941, he was ordained as a Lutheran minister. While serving as a parish pastor, he continued his education at [Princeton Theological Seminary](/source/Princeton_Theological_Seminary) and [Union Theological Seminary](/source/Union_Theological_Seminary_in_the_City_of_New_York). In 1949 he received a Th.D. from Union Theological Seminary.

==Academic career==
Forell joined [Gustavus Adolphus College](/source/Gustavus_Adolphus_College) in [St. Peter, Minnesota](/source/St._Peter%2C_Minnesota), as a professor of philosophy in 1949. In 1954, he moved to the University of Iowa as a professor of religion. In 1958–59 he served as guest-professor at the [University of Hamburg](/source/University_of_Hamburg), Germany. He was Director of the Department of Religious Studies at The University of Iowa from 1966 to 1971. In 1973, he was named Carver Distinguished Professor of Religion. Forell was a past president of the American Society for Reformation Research. Forell also served as a Professor of Systematic Theology at the Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary in [Maywood, Illinois](/source/Maywood%2C_Illinois) (now part of the [Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago](/source/Lutheran_School_of_Theology_at_Chicago)) After his retirement from the University of Iowa in 1989, he lectured for extended periods of time in seminaries in Tokyo, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other academic institutions in Asia and Europe.

==Family and personal life==
In 1945, he married Elizabeth Rossing in [Argyle, Wisconsin](/source/Argyle_(village)%2C_Wisconsin). They have two daughters, Madeleine Forell Marshall and Mary Forell Davis, four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

==Recognition==
He received honorary degrees from Gustavus Adolphus College, [Wartburg Theological Seminary](/source/Wartburg_Theological_Seminary), [Luther College](/source/Luther_College_(Iowa)) and [Upsala College](/source/Upsala_College). In 1984, a [Festschrift](/source/Festschrift), ''Piety, Politics and Ethics'', edited by [Carter Lindberg](/source/Carter_Lindberg), was published. Forell was named the distinguished alum for 2002 from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.ltsp.edu/news_events/2001-2002/0204convo2.html |title=Distinguished alum for 2002 |work=from the [Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia](/source/Lutheran_Theological_Seminary_at_Philadelphia) |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100626095639/http://archive.ltsp.edu/news_events/2001-2002/0204convo2.html |archivedate=June 26, 2010 }}</ref>

==Selected works==
* ''Faith Active in Love'', 1954
* ''Ethics of Decision: An Introduction to Christian Ethics'', 1956
* ''The Protestant Faith'', 1960 
* ''Understanding the Nicene Creed'', 1965 
* ''The Augsburg Confession: A Contemporary Commentary''. Augsburg Publishing House, 1968. {{ISBN|0806608153}}
* ''History of Christian Ethics'', 1975 
* ''Martin Luther, Theologian of the Church: Collected Essays'', 1994
* "Theology in Exile: A Personal Account" by George Wolfgang Forell (1919-2011) Translated by Carter Lindberg, ''Lutheran Quarterly'' 29 (2015), 304-311

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Forell, George}}
Category:American religion academics
Category:German emigrants to the United States
Category:University of Vienna alumni
Category:Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia alumni
Category:Union Theological Seminary alumni
Category:Princeton Theological Seminary alumni
Category:Gustavus Adolphus College faculty
Category:Academic staff of the University of Hamburg
Category:University of Iowa faculty
Category:Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago faculty
Category:1919 births
Category:2011 deaths

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [George Forell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Forell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Forell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.