Thomas Hartwell Troeger

Thomas Hartwell Troeger was an American preacher, theologian, poet, hymn writer, teacher, and flutist whose work joined the arts of proclamation and congregational song. Born in New York State on January 30, 1945, he grew up in New Jersey and upstate New York. He earned a B.A. from Yale University in 1967 and a B.D. from Colgate Rochester Divinity School in 1970. After ordination in the Presbyterian Church, he served New Hartford Presbyterian Church in New York before beginning a long academic career in homiletics.

Troeger taught at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School from 1977 to 1991, at Iliff School of Theology from 1991 to 2005, and at Yale Divinity School and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music from 2005 until his retirement in 2015. At Yale he held the J. Edward and Ruth Cox Lantz Professorship of Christian Communication. He was ordained in the Episcopal Church in 1999 while retaining his Presbyterian affiliation, and his ecumenical identity shaped a ministry that crossed denominational boundaries.

A prolific author, Troeger published more than twenty books on preaching, worship, poetry, spirituality, and church music. His hymn texts include O Praise the Gracious Power, Wind Who Makes All Winds That Blow, and Praise the Source of Faith and Learning. He collaborated extensively with composer Carol Doran, and his poetry has appeared in many major English-language hymnals and in translation. He also served the American Guild of Organists as national chaplain and was recognized internationally for scholarship in homiletics.

The University of Basel awarded Troeger an honorary doctorate in theology in 2014 for his international work in preaching and religious language. He died on April 3, 2022, after a long illness.