An English Speaking Hymnal Guide

From its beginnings in the Bible, Christian hymnology has fulfilled three functions -- praise, recital and teaching of the Myth, and collective and personal adoration as well as the foundation and worship of the church. In Hymns and the Christian Myth, Lionel Adey demonstrates that over the centuries shifts emphasizing particular elements of the Christian faith accord with the interests and concerns of the times in which the hymns were composed.

The complete four-volume set includes major essays and relevant discussions of the musical forms in The Hymnal 1982 which cover such topics as popular religious song, cultural diversity, the relationship between The Hymnal 1982 and the liturgies of The Book of Common Prayer, the development of service music in the Episcopal Church, hymn forms, and a brief history of Christian hymnody in the United States and Britain. In addition, complete information is given on all hymns and service music which includes the sources of text and music as well as biographical and technical facts. (2,949 pp)

An Annotated Anthology of Hymns is a selection of 250 of the best-known hymns in the English language, including texts translated from Greek, Latin, German, and other languages. The selection includes hymns from the earliest years of the Christian church to the present day. This is not a book for worship: the hymns are printed in a chronological sequence and not by Christian season or subject, as they would be in a church hymn book. It is an anthology for those who would like to understand more about hymns: each one is given a commentary which sets it in context, identifies significant sources, and provides explanatory and critical material. An introductory essay discusses the hymn as a historical and literary form, and the way in which it appeals to so many people. This is a book which shows how, in the words of the foreword by Timothy Dudley-Smith, 'hymns lift the heart'. It will be treasured by those who already know something about hymns and it will delight all those who enjoy hymns and would like to know more about them.

Rogal surveys the specifics of American Methodist hymnody from 1878 through 1966. He provides a table of hymnals with full bibliographic data and traces the background and development of the six official Methodist hymnals. This book also serves as a reference guide to the 3,901 hymns and tunes included in the most recent editions of the six major Methodist hymnals.

An alphabetic listing with references of collectors and collections, both public and private.

Hymns and the music the church sings in worship are tangible means of expressing worship. And while worship is one of, if not the central functions of the church along with mission, service, education, justice, and compassion, and occupies a prime focus of our churches, a renewed sense of awareness to our theological presuppositions and cultural cues must be maintained to ensure a proper focus in worship. Hymns and Hymnody: Historical and Theological Introductions is a sixty-chapter, three-volume introductory textbook describing the most influential hymnists, liturgists, and musical movements of the church. This academically grounded resource evaluates both the historical and theological perspectives of the major hymnists and composers who have impacted the church over the course of twenty centuries. Volume 1 explores the early church and concludes with the Renaissance era hymnists. Volume 2 begins with the Reformation and extends to the eighteenth-century hymnists and liturgists. Volume 3 engages nineteenth century hymnists to the contemporary movements of the twenty-first century. Each chapter contains these five elements: historical background, theological perspectives communicated in their hymns/compositions, contribution to liturgy and worship, notable hymns, and bibliography. The mission of Hymns and Hymnody is (1) to provide biographical data on influential hymn writers for students and interested laypeople, and (2) to provide a theological analysis of what these composers have communicated in the theology of their hymns. We believe it is vital for those involved in leading the worship of the church to recognize that what they communicate is in fact theology. This latter aspect, we contend, is missing—yet important—in accessible formats for the current literature.

This updated reference guide directs students to over five hundred significant theological resources across a wide area of theological research. It details bibliographic sources for encyclopedias, dictionaries, and electronic resources in biblical studies, historical studies, theology, and practical theology.

This long-awaited companion serves as a vital reference on the creation, the language, and the hymns of The New Century Hymnal. It presents hymn profiles by Robert L. Anderson, who offers four different background notes with engaging information on each hymn. This unique format covers the hymn text and circumstances of its creation, biographical data on the hymn writer, origins of the hymn tune, and biography of the composer or arranger. Permission is included for the notes to be read aloud or reproduced for worship, enhancing the congregation's understanding and appreciation of the hymns.

The scholar Robin A. Leaver holds a unique place in sacred music scholarship because of his training in both music and theology. He has written widely, bringing acute insights on a variety of musical repertories and topics related to Martin Luther, sixteenth-century psalmody, hymnody, and the sacred music of Johann Sebastian Bach. In Music and Theology, twelve scholars influenced by Leaver's work contribute essays in diverse areas of sacred music history and philosophy, focusing on the intersection of music and theology. Ranging chronologically from the twelfth-century writer and composer Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) to present-day considerations of American church music and worship, the volume provides thought-provoking new work for all who study church music. Reflecting the prominent emphasis in Leaver's own scholarship, eight chapters deal with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, including his organ music, sacred cantatas, and passion settings. A final chapter provides a chronological listing of Leaver's own voluminous writings on music and theology.