Matthias Loy
Encyclopedia
Matthias Loy was an American
Lutheran theologian in the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio
.
Loy was a prominent pastor, editor, author and hymnist and served as president of Capital University
, Columbus, Ohio
.
who lived as tenant farmers in the Blue Mountain
area of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
. In 1834, when Matthias was six years old, the family moved to Hogestown, a village nine miles west of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
. When he was fourteen, he was sent as an apprentice to Baab and Hummel, printers of Harrisburg. Here he worked for six years, all the while attending school. He received a classical education at Harrisburg Academy
and graduated at Trinity Lutheran Seminary
in Columbus, Ohio
, in 1849.
In 1849, he entered the Lutheran ministry and became pastor at Delaware, Ohio
. In 1865 he resigned his pastorate to become professor in the Theological Seminary of Capital University
, Columbus, Ohio. In 1881 he was elected president of Capital University. Following a critical attack of angina pectoris, he retired as professor emeritus in 1902.
Loy edited the official periodical of the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio, the Lutheran Standard, from 1864 until 1890. In 1881, he founded the Columbus Theological Magazine and managed it for ten years. He was President of the Ohio Synod from 1860 to 1878 and again from 1880 to 1894. In 1887, Muhlenberg College
gave him the degree of Doctor of Divinity
. He wrote twentyone hymns and also translated a number of German hymns into English. He also edited a translation of Luther's House Postil (3 vols., 1874–1884).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Lutheran theologian in the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
Loy was a prominent pastor, editor, author and hymnist and served as president of Capital University
Capital University
Capital University is a private liberal arts university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Bexley, Ohio, founded in 1830. In addition to its rigorous liberal arts program, the university also offers a reputable adult degree program in Columbus, Ohio. It is one of the oldest...
, Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
.
Biography
Matthias Loy was the fourth of seven children of Matthias and Christina Loy, immigrants from GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
who lived as tenant farmers in the Blue Mountain
Blue Mountain (Pennsylvania)
Blue Mountain is a ridge that forms the eastern edge of the Appalachian mountain range in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It cuts across the eastern half of the state from New Jersey to Maryland, providing a distinct boundary between a number of Pennsylvania's geographical and cultural regions...
area of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 235,406.-History:...
. In 1834, when Matthias was six years old, the family moved to Hogestown, a village nine miles west of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
. When he was fourteen, he was sent as an apprentice to Baab and Hummel, printers of Harrisburg. Here he worked for six years, all the while attending school. He received a classical education at Harrisburg Academy
Harrisburg Academy
Harrisburg Academy is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school in Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a diverse student body in nursery through 12th grade. The school was established in 1784 by John Harris, Jr., the founder of Harrisburg...
and graduated at Trinity Lutheran Seminary
Trinity Lutheran Seminary
Trinity Lutheran Seminary is an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America seminary located in Columbus, Ohio.-Background:In 1830, the German Theological Seminary of the Ohio Synod, later known as the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary, was founded to meet the need for educating pastors in the...
in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, in 1849.
In 1849, he entered the Lutheran ministry and became pastor at Delaware, Ohio
Delaware, Ohio
The City of Delaware is a city in and the county seat of Delaware County in the United States state of Ohio. Delaware was founded in 1808 and was incorporated in 1816. It is located near the center of Ohio, is about north of Columbus, and is part of the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Area...
. In 1865 he resigned his pastorate to become professor in the Theological Seminary of Capital University
Capital University
Capital University is a private liberal arts university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Bexley, Ohio, founded in 1830. In addition to its rigorous liberal arts program, the university also offers a reputable adult degree program in Columbus, Ohio. It is one of the oldest...
, Columbus, Ohio. In 1881 he was elected president of Capital University. Following a critical attack of angina pectoris, he retired as professor emeritus in 1902.
Loy edited the official periodical of the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio, the Lutheran Standard, from 1864 until 1890. In 1881, he founded the Columbus Theological Magazine and managed it for ten years. He was President of the Ohio Synod from 1860 to 1878 and again from 1880 to 1894. In 1887, Muhlenberg College
Muhlenberg College
Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, the patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America.- History...
gave him the degree of Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
. He wrote twentyone hymns and also translated a number of German hymns into English. He also edited a translation of Luther's House Postil (3 vols., 1874–1884).
Books
- The Doctrine of Justification, (1862)
- Life of Luther, translated (1869)
- Essay on the Ministerial Office, (1870)
- Sermons on the Gospels, (1888)
- Christian Prayer, (1890)
- Christian Church, (1896)
- Story of My Life, (3rd ed. – 1905)
- The Augsburg Confession, (1908)
- The Sermon on the Mount, (1909)
- Sermons on the Epistles, (1910)
Hymns
- The Law of God is Good and Wise
- The Gospel Shows the Father's Grace
- An Awe-full Mystery Is Here
- Jesus, Thou Art Mine Forever
See also
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaEvangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
- The Lutheran HymnalThe Lutheran HymnalThe Lutheran Hymnal is one of the official hymnals of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. Published in 1941 by Concordia Publishing House in St. Louis, Missouri, it was the LCMS' second official English-language hymnal, succeeding the 1912 Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book...
contains several hymns either written or translated by Matthias Loy
External links
- Mathias Loy [sic.] — entry in the Cyber Hymnal
- Lutherans In America – The Synodical Conference on the website of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran SynodWisconsin Evangelical Lutheran SynodThe Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod is a North American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As of 2008, it had a baptized membership of over 389,364 in more than 1,290 congregations,...