Thomas H. Troeger

Thomas H. Troeger was an American preacher, hymn poet, theologian, teacher, and musician whose work joined homiletics, poetry, and congregational song. Born in 1945, he earned a bachelor's degree from Yale University and a divinity degree from Colgate Rochester Divinity School. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church in 1970 and in the Episcopal Church in 1999, remaining connected with both traditions.

Troeger served in parish ministry before moving into theological education. He taught at Colgate Rochester Divinity School and later at Iliff School of Theology, and in 2005 joined Yale Divinity School and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, where he became the J. Edward and Ruth Cox Lantz Professor of Christian Communication. He was also a flutist, a former national chaplain of the American Guild of Organists, and a leader in professional organizations devoted to preaching.

His books range across preaching, worship, poetry, and hymnody, and his hymn texts have been translated and included in numerous denominational hymnals. Representative works include O Praise the Gracious Power, Praise the Source of Faith and Learning, and Let Wonder Be Reborn. Troeger's writing is marked by vivid biblical imagery, attention to the natural world, and a strong concern that worship form communities for witness and service. He died on April 3, 2022.