USD Magazine, Summer-Fall 1993

DEL SCHNEIDER Professor of Religious Studies Years at USD: 23

Schneider's world vision was fostered early in his life by missionary parents who exposed their son to the world of reli– gion. After earning degrees at Concordia College and Seminary and Pepperdine University, Schneider traveled to Japan to study and teach for seven years. It was his years in Japan, says Father Ron Pachence, pro– fessor of religious studies, that formed Schneider's belief in a hands-on approach to teaching world religions. "Del used to offer a class in Buddhism during intersession, and the class would actually go to Hawaii to study so the students could see firsthand the practice of the religion." An accomplished author and public speaker, Schneider wrote several books on various religions, including No God But God, a discussion of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, Konkokyo: A Japanese Religion, and Christian Presence in Japan. It was Schneider's belief that the whole family of God, including Jews, Muslims and adherents of Asian and African religions, could break down walls of misunderstanding to cre– ate a worldwide ecumenical movement. "Del had such a deep respect for other religions, while remaining a devout Christ– ian," says Lindquist. "He really bowed before the mystery of it all." That respect made quite an impression on Schneider's col– leagues. "What I learned from Del is that the most important thing about different religions is not the doctrines that divide them, but the vision and hope for humanity that they share in common," Father Pachence explains. "Del had a kinship with all believers, no matter what they believed in." That belief filled Schneider with a sense of peace, says Dugan, and it was a wonderful asset in the department. "Del was always a mediating presence; he brought wisdom and a sense of harmony to all of our meetings. He was never one to toot his own horn . He was dedicated to his discipline, and what he wanted to do at USD was leave the legacy of his teaching." Father Pachence says he will miss Schneider's warmth and encouragement. "He was a great one for encouraging younger faculty members, and giving them a sense of self-worth," he says. "We loved Del, and he will be missed."

Editor's Note: Although Professor Del Schneider could not be reached for this story, his colleagues wanted the opportunity to remember the man himself and celebrate his contributions to the University of San Diego. Although he jokingly referred to himself as the "lone Protes– tant" in USD's religious studies department, Del Schneider told his colleagues he always felt quite at home at the Catholic university. "Del is truly catholic, in the universal sense of the word," says Kathleen Dugan, chair of the religious studies department. "He is the quintessential ecumenical religious person, who brought his vision of ecumenism successfully to the classroom and to our department." The Rev. Jack Lindquist, a former USD professor, describes Schneider's ecumenism succinctly: "He was a Lutheran pastor teaching Buddhism at a Catholic college."

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