Frederick William Faber
Frederick William Faber (1814-1863) was an influential Anglican cleric who transitioned to the Roman Catholic Church and became a notable hymn writer and theologian. Born to a clergyman in England, he faced early family loss, with both parents dying during his teenage years. Faber was educated at Oxford, where he showcased his academic prowess, later becoming a curate in the Lake District, where he formed a friendship with the poet William Wordsworth. His theological journey led him to support John Henry Newman’s vision of returning the Anglican Church to its Catholic roots, culminating in his conversion to Catholicism around 1845.
Faber was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1847 and founded the Brothers of the Will of God, which later merged with Newman’s Oratory. He authored significant religious treatises, including "All for Jesus," and is particularly celebrated for his hymnody, with works like "Hark! Hark, My Soul" still sung in both Protestant and Catholic congregations today. His legacy is marked by his contributions to religious literature and his role in promoting Catholic beliefs, securing his place in the history of 19th-century Christian thought.
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Frederick William Faber
Hymn writer
- Born: June 28, 1814
- Birthplace: West Yorkshire, England
- Died: September 26, 1863
- Place of death: Middlesex, England
Biography
Frederick William Faber was born in 1814 to Anglican clergyman Thomas Henry Faber and Betty Atkinson Faber. One of perhaps eight children, two of his siblings died the year before his birth, and a later sibling died in infancy. His mother died when he was about fifteen and his father died four years later. He attended grammar school and received private instruction from a clergyman. Faber earned a B.A. from Oxford in 1836 and was elected fellow the following year. From 1837 to 1842 he served as curate in the Lake District and befriended the poet William Wordsworth. Faber was known for his charm and good looks, but by the time he turned forty he had grown portly and suffered a variety of chronic ailments. He made numerous journeys to the continent, including a tour of Italy, Greece, Constantinople, eastern Europe, Austria, and Germany in 1841.
Faber was ordained a deacon in the Church of England in 1837 and accepted a rectory in 1842 or 1843. Around this time, he became a devoted supporter of John Henry Newman, the leader of a coalition of High Church Anglicans who sought to return the church to its Catholic origins. Around 1845, Faber studied the methods of the Roman Catholic Church in Europe and shortly thereafter converted to Catholicism. He became an ordained Catholic priest in 1847, and he founded the Brothers of the Will of God of the Congregation of St. Wilfrid, a community of religious converts. Known as the Wilfridians, they soon merged with Newman’s Oratory of St. Philip Neri. Faber’s arguments with Newman and others led to the establishment of a branch of the community in London, and Faber presided there from 1849 until his death. In 1854, Pope Pius IX named him a doctor of divinity.
In 1842, Faber published Sights and Thoughts in Foreign Churches and Among Foreign Peoples and The Styrian Lake, and Other Poems. The writings reflect his inner struggle with Anglicism. In 1846, Roman censors misinterpreted the title of his Grounds for Remaining in the Anglican Communion and banned it for a time. Between January, 1853 and 1860, Faber’s most prolific period, he wrote eight religious treatises, including All for Jesus: Or, The Easy Ways of Divine Love (1853), a rationale for the worship of Mary. The treatises demonstrate Faber’s extensive knowledge of theology, mysticism, and religious history. The writing is occasionally eloquent, but it often lapses into obscurity and sentimentality, making it difficult to discern the author’s point. Throughout his career, Faber wrote hymns, translated religious texts, published poetry, and wrote and edited books about the lives of the saints. Faber won the Newdigate prize for poetry in1863 and died the same year. He penned a variety of religious texts, but he is now primarily hailed as a hymnist. Such popular hymns as Hark! Hark, My Soul are most commonly sung by Protestant congregations but also appear in Catholic settings. Faber’s legacy includes his founding of the Wilfridians and his promotion of the Catholic faith.