author
Frederic Mayer Bird
1838–1908
A 19th-century American clergyman and scholar, he wrote about hymn history, church life, and Christian teaching with the wide interests of a minister, editor, and teacher. His work sits at the crossroads of religion, education, and literary culture in post-Civil War America.
1 Audiobook
A Pessimist in Theory and Practice
by Frederic Mayer Bird
About the author
Born in Philadelphia in 1838, Frederic Mayer Bird was the son of playwright and novelist Robert Montgomery Bird. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1857 and from Union Theological Seminary in 1860, then began his career in the Lutheran ministry before later entering the Episcopal Church.
Bird served as an army chaplain during the Civil War and went on to hold a varied career as a pastor, editor, and teacher. Sources describe him as an American clergyman, educator, and hymnologist, and note that he was associated with Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, later in life.
He is especially remembered for his writing on hymnology and Christian history, including works such as Lutheran Hymnology and later religious books that helped bring church history and devotional subjects to general readers. A surviving collection of his papers points to long-running interests in hymnody, correspondence, and religious scholarship.