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Hope of the World

Hope of the world, thou Christ of great compassion

The hymn articulates Christ as the source of Christian hope and the answer to human suffering and despair, reflecting Lutheran emphasis on Christ-centered soteriology. It connects personal redemption with global mission and peace, themes central to Lutheran social ethics.

History & Background

Written by Methodist theologian Georgia Harkness in 1954 for the Evanston Assembly of the World Council of Churches. The hymn was subsequently adopted into Lutheran hymnals beginning with LBW (1978) and continuing into LSB (2006).

Of the hundreds of hymns submitted in a search for new hymns Scripture References for the Second Assembly of the World Council of Churches all st. = Rom. 15:13 (held in Evanston, IL, in August 1954), “Hope of the World” was st. 2 = John 6:35 chosen as the winner by the Hymn Society of America. st. 3 = John 8:12 Theologian Georgia E. Harkness (b. Harkness, NY, 1891; d. Claremont, GA, 1974) wrote the text to coincide with the Assembly’s theme, Jesus Christ, Hope of the World.” First published in a Hymn Society of America pamphlet, Eleven Ecumenical Hymns (1954) and in The Hymn (July 1954), the text has since ap­ peared in many North American hymnals. Translated into several languages, it has also been published in hymnals in various other countries. This prayer text entreats Christ, “the hope of the world,” to reconcile those now involved in conflict and strife (st. 1-2) and to direct the ministry of the church to be faithful to his gospel (st. 3-5). Recognizing the brokenness of the church and the temptations of the world, this sung prayer also presents the hope and challenge of ministering in Christ’s name. 696 CHURCH & MISSION Harkness studied at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, received a doctoral degree from Boston University (1923), and did further studies at Harvard, Yale, and Union Theological Seminary. She taught at Elmira (NY) College (1922-1937); Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts (1937-1939); Garret School of Theology, Evanston, Illinois (1939-50); and the Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, California (1950-61). The first woman in the United States to be appointed a full professor in a theological seminary, Harkness was ordained in the Methodist Church in 1926. Partly because of her work in the World Council of Churches, her influence was wide-ranging. The recipient of many honors and awards, she wrote thirty-seven books, includingJohn Calvin: The Man andHisEthics (1931), Prayer and the Common Life (1947), The Providence of God (1960), and Women in Church and Society (1972). Her hymn texts and other poetry were published in Holy Flame (1935), The Glory of God (1943), and Be Still and Know (1953).

Hymnal Appearances

  • Chalice Hymnal — 581
  • Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 707
  • Glory to God — 734
  • The Hymnal 1982 — 472
  • Lutheran Book of Worship — 493
  • Lutheran Service Book — 690
  • Lutheran Worship — 377
  • New Century Hymnal — 46
  • Psalter Hymnal — 524
  • United Methodist Hymnal — 178

Liturgical Use

A sung prayer appropriate for many occasions of worship; Reformation services; church festivals; mission conferences.

Bulletin Note

Georgia Harkness (1891–1974), Methodist theologian and hymnologist, wrote this hymn during the Cold War to proclaim Christ's compassion amid global conflict and personal despair.

Preaching Connection

This hymn amplifies the Gospel's movement from human helplessness to Christ's redemptive action, making it powerful complement to any sermon on suffering, hope, or the cross as the center of Christian mission.

Catechism & Confessional Connections

Themes

Christology Divine compassion Redemption through Christ Hope in Christ Missionary outreach

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