John Brownlie

John Brownlie (1857–1925) was a Scottish church minister and hymn scholar, born in Glasgow and died at Crieff in Perthshire. He devoted himself over many years to translating and annotating hymns of the Greek and Latin churches, producing a substantial body of work in this field. Four of his works are held in the collection: Hymns of the Greek Church, Hymns of the Early Church, Hymns from the East and Hymns from the Greek Office Books. His translations strive to preserve the liturgical character and theological meaning of the originals, with a dignified style suited to singing, and they gave English-speaking readers reliable access to the hymn traditions of the Eastern churches. In 1908 he received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from the University of Glasgow. Public information is limited, and details of his life remain largely unknown.