About “How Great Thou Art”
The hymn began as O Store Gud, a Swedish poem Carl Boberg wrote in 1885 after being caught in a sudden thunderstorm on the coast near Mönsterås. English missionary Stuart K. Hine encountered a Russian translation while serving in the Carpathian region and shaped the English hymn known today, publishing his final version in 1949. Texas duo Shane & Shane, known for their Worship Initiative resource for church musicians, recorded this harmony-driven version for their 2018 album Hymns, Vol. 1.
Written by Carl Boberg and Stuart K. Hine · Released 2018 on Hymns, Vol. 1 · CCLI #14181
- The hymn was popularized worldwide through George Beverly Shea's performances at Billy Graham's crusades in the 1950s
- Shane & Shane's version has become one of the most streamed modern recordings of the hymn
Churches that sing it
Real churches in our map with this in their worship playlist — 15 you can watch on YouTube.
Where in the world
If your church sings this, they also sing
Frequently asked
Who wrote “How Great Thou Art”?
Carl Boberg and Stuart K. Hine. It was first released in 2018 on Hymns, Vol. 1.
What is “How Great Thou Art” about?
The hymn began as O Store Gud, a Swedish poem Carl Boberg wrote in 1885 after being caught in a sudden thunderstorm on the coast near Mönsterås. English missionary Stuart K. Hine encountered a Russian translation while serving in the Carpathian region and shaped the English hymn known today, publishing his final version in 1949. Texas duo Shane & Shane, known for their Worship Initiative resource for church musicians, recorded this harmony-driven version for their 2018 album Hymns, Vol. 1.
How many churches sing “How Great Thou Art”?
53 churches in the playlist.church map have it in their worship playlists, most often for Adoration, God's Love, Majesty — one of the most-adopted worship songs today.