author
Ruth Ellis Messenger
1884–1964
A scholar of early Christian and medieval hymnody, she helped make centuries of Latin hymn tradition more accessible to modern readers. Her work bridges literary history, religious study, and a deep love of sacred song.
2 Audiobooks
The Medieval Latin Hymn
by Ruth Ellis Messenger
Christian Hymns of the First Three Centuries
by Ruth Ellis Messenger
About the author
Born in New York City in 1884, Ruth Ellis Messenger was an American historian of medieval hymns and an accomplished scholar of hymnology. Sources describe her as especially interested in early Christian and medieval Latin hymns, a field in which she became a respected specialist.
Her studies included degrees from what became Hunter College, the University of Illinois, and Columbia University. She taught first in schools and later at the college level, and after retiring from Columbia University she also led classes in hymnology at Union Theological Seminary.
Messenger is best known to many readers for works such as Christian Hymns of the First Three Centuries and The Medieval Latin Hymn. Her writing remains useful for readers who enjoy the history of worship, sacred poetry, and the long development of Christian hymn traditions.