Paul Gerhardt as a Hymn Writer and his Influence on English Hymnody

So far as is known to the writer of this thesis there has appeared
hitherto no attempt to treat comprehensively and in detail the subject
of the direct and indirect influence of Paul Gerhardt's hymns upon
English and American sacred song. That there exists a very real
influence is universally known, but how widely it has made itself felt
is apparently a matter of little concern on the part of many, because
we often find hymnals accrediting a hymn to the English translator with
no mention of its original author. The present dissertation has been
prompted by a desire to make some contribution to the subject of the
relation of English and German hymnody in general, and in particular to
show the great debt which the hymnody of England and America owes to
the poetry of Paul Gerhardt. It was presented to the Faculty of the
Graduate School of Yale University in candidacy for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy in June, 1917.