Orbiturary
Dr. Beth Y. Langstaff – Foell
* 20. June 1961 (Sydney, Australia) † 20.03.2022 (Tübingen, Germany)
„End? No, the journey doesn´t end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take.“
J. R. R. Tolkien
It was with great sadness that we learned last week that Beth Langstaff lost her battle with cancer and, and trusting in the resurrection, was called away into the hands of the Lord.
We grieve with all who knew her and whose lives she enriched. Especially with her children Jessica and Jonathan and all her family in Minnesota.
For more than 12 years, Beth served as Director of the Institute for the Study of Early Christianity in Tübingen (EES), Germany. She has also taught classes (online) at Bethel College and for TCMI in Heiligenkreuz.
At the funeral at her home in Betzweiler on March 29th, some of her academic colleagues were present (e.g. Prof. Dr. M. Tilly, University of Tübingen and Prof. Loren Stuckenbruck, University of Munich) and paid tribute to her outstanding achievements in the field of Christian research.
In her classes at the University of Tübingen, she not only contributed to supporting a new generation of theology students in their preparation for doctoral studies, but she has given many students from all over the world and from various religious traditions access to the Christian faith with her classes in theological German and English.
In addition to her scholarly contributions, Beth was always volunteering in her home church to help those around her (including her home group and clothing closet).
Many peoples‘ hearts are heavy these days as we must go on without her. She left us far too soon.
It gives us comfort that she had the opportunity to say goodbye to her children and to prepare them for their further journey, trusting in God's protection.
