Throwback Thursday: Hymn Author of the Year
Note: This was originally published January 20, 2023. — Ed.
Lutheranism is arguably the tradition with the strongest hymnody. Many of our finest post-Reformation hymnists were also pastors and/or theologians, great writers and servants of the Word, like Luther, Melanchthon, Gerhardt, Nicolai, Heermann, Selnecker, Kingo, Speratus, Vulpius, Hassler, Crueger, and not to mention Bach, a few offerings by Walther and Loehe, and recent hymnists like Franzmann, Schalk, Starke, Resch, Reinhardt, and Vajda. I’m sure I’m overlooking a slew, but you get the idea.