author

J. C. (Jens Christian) Aaberg

1877–1970

A Danish-born Lutheran pastor, translator, and hymn scholar, he helped bring centuries of Danish sacred song to English-speaking readers. His best-known book opened a door to Denmark’s hymn tradition with warmth, history, and literary care.

1 Audiobook

Hymns and Hymnwriters of Denmark

Hymns and Hymnwriters of Denmark

by J. C. (Jens Christian) Aaberg

About the author

Born in Moberg, Denmark, in 1877, Jens Christian Aaberg emigrated to the United States in 1901. He studied at Grand View College and Seminary in Des Moines, Iowa, then entered the ministry of the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

He served congregations in Marinette, Wisconsin; Dwight, Illinois; and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Alongside his pastoral work, he became known for translating Danish hymns into English and for helping shape hymn collections, serving on four hymnal committees.

Aaberg is best remembered for Hymns and Hymnwriters of Denmark (1945), a book that introduced English-language readers to major figures in Danish hymnody and included many of his translations. Sources also credit him with translating at least eighty hymns from Danish into English, and note that King Frederick of Denmark awarded him the Knight Cross of Denmark in 1947. He died in Minneapolis in 1970.