Birth and Formation (May 24, 1892)

Earl B. Marlatt was born May 24, 1892, and rose to become a trusted American religious educator and hymnologist. In an era marked by rapid change in American cities and universities, Marlatt’s work helped steady believers by joining careful teaching with singable theology. His calling reflected a quiet kind of Christian heroism: not the pursuit of public applause, but the patient shaping of minds and hearts for faithful service in the local church and beyond.

Boston University and a Hymn for Consecration (1926)

In 1926, while serving at Boston University’s School of Religion in Boston, Massachusetts, Marlatt wrote “Are Ye Able? Said the Master” for a consecration service. The setting matters: consecration is not mere emotion, but a deliberate offering of the whole life to Christ’s purposes. Marlatt drew directly from Jesus’ searching question to would-be followers about sharing His “cup” and His “baptism”—images of suffering, obedience, and identification with the Savior’s mission. Scripture captures the scene with bracing clarity: “You do not know what you are asking… Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We are able,” they answered. (Matthew 20:22). The hymn’s question-and-answer form presses worshipers to respond personally rather than hiding in generalities.

Message and Legacy: Courageous Obedience

The hymn’s steady reply—“Lord, we are able”—has strengthened generations to embrace costly discipleship, to serve without self-protection, and to follow Christ with humble resolve. It does not glamorize suffering; it calls believers to faithful love when the path includes sacrifice, misunderstanding, or loss. Its tone is resolute yet submissive, reminding the church that spiritual courage is rooted in surrender, not self-confidence. In this way, Marlatt’s best-known hymn continues to train Christian conscience and courage, echoing Christ’s own summons: “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23).