Pittsburgh Theological Seminary professor emeritus the Rev. Dr. Douglas (Doug) R. A. Hare died May 14, 2015. He was 86.
A native of Ontario, Canada, Hare attended the University of Toronto and Victoria University. With his wife, Ruth, Hare moved to the United States in 1954, where he attended Union Theological Seminary (N.Y.) and received both his S.T.M. and Th.D. degrees. They became naturalized citizens in 1961 and after serving churches in the New York area, Hare joined the Pittsburgh Seminary faculty as a teaching fellow in 1962. Holding many positions in between, he was installed as the first incumbent of the William F. Orr Chair in New Testament in 1978 and was named William F. Orr Professor of New Testament Emeritus upon his retirement in 1993.
At the time of his installation, Dr. Hare said, “The goal of theological education is providing the Church with leaders who know the Church’s history and tradition and are equipped intellectually to relate both Scripture and tradition to issues relevant to corporate and individual Christian life.”
Following retirement, the Hares moved to Mt. Desert Island, Maine, where they lived in a cabin they built. Hare taught at Bangor Theological Seminary and served as a minister at Islesford Congregational Church for 17 years. He continued his scholarly writing, publishing three books during the 1990s and countless research articles on various biblical topics.
Ruth, his wife of more than 63 years, died in 2014. Hare is survived by two daughters and six grandchildren.