Developing a Methodology for Hymnal Revision within a Contemporary, Multi-Ethnic Framework: A Proposal

1 The Need for Music in People’s Lives

Sacred music, as the name implies, is music set apart for religious purposes. With a few notable exceptions,^[1] most religious movements (both Christian and non-Christian) have relied on some sort of music to bind the faithful together, and to make community. Sacred music makes sense to the faithful when it can provide intimacy, relate sounds, bodies, and psyches and create narratives.^[2] In that regard, music can become an outward sign of a “system of communication whereby [humans] may establish contact with each other and with the world of the spirit.”^[3] It provides another dimension to the human experience.

Christian music that is effective in bringing people together and weaving them with the ground of their being needs to possess these qualities. Westermeyer defines five key elements intrinsic to church music throughout the centuries that have found their locus and make sense in the context of a worshipping community: binding together, memory, joy, lament, and proclamation.^[4] Music gathers people in worship, helps them memorize the history of salvation, expresses both joy and lament, and serves as a very special form of interpreting a text and proclaiming it. Celebratory music makes community, eschatologically recalls our salvation history, proclaims God’s love and mercy, and expresses human feelings of joy and lament. However, for most of the Church’s existence worship music was set apart from the surrounding culture so intensely that it eventually lost its capacity of being in conversation with different cultures and with Christians in general – who are invariably embedded in a specific cultural setting.

2 Hymnbooks as We Know Them: A Considerably Recent Innovation

In the Middle Ages, the development of Sacramentaries and Missals, which contained hymns with proper musical notation, brought the precursors to contemporary hymnals. While it is possible to say that some marvelous pieces of church music come from these centuries, at the end of the Middle Ages, hymnody had lost most traces of congregational worship.

Hymnbooks, as we know them, emerged in Western Church music with the Reformation and the numerous movements it fostered over the following centuries. With a few notable exceptions, churches became more aware of the need to improve congregational singing and supported the production of hymnals that suited individual needs and denominational theologies. Such centuries were a very fruitful period of hymn writing.

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, one could witness what was called the “golden era” of hymnody. Music inspired by early reformers and revivalists was not the only music available. A rediscovery of ancient traditions reinstated the usage of chant and medieval and early church hymns. Festal arrangements, choirs, and organ improvisations could be complemented by congregational unison or four-part singing. Several hymns which were either composed or, having belonged to an older tradition, arranged in the nineteenth century are still the core of many hymnals one can find today. Finally, most churches, including the Roman Catholic Church, started producing hymnals and experimenting with congregational music and lay choirs.

It is also noteworthy that such hymns were still largely European or North American and mostly confined to the wider German and British traditions. The same period saw the emergence of global missionary initiatives, which at first were not able to incorporate local cultural traditions (including music). Not rarely, missionaries mixed the Good News of Christ with Western culture, which meant new converts needed to adapt to the way Western white people dressed, behaved, and worshipped. So, the great improvements that could be seen in the post-Reformation period in terms of adapting folk styles and embracing popular movements as sources of inspiration for hymnody were not replicated in non-Western scenarios. This is one of the main sources of tension that emerged throughout the twentieth century and one of the key points that must be addressed when revising or updating hymnals nowadays.

For example, many denominational hymnals still rely mostly on music that was conceived until the beginning of the twentieth century,^[5] interspersed with some notable contemporary works, which are, however, outnumbered by older hymns.^[6] For example, in 1958, Pablo Sosa, an Argentinian Methodist minister and liturgics professor, composed a carnavalito entitled “El cielo canta alegria.”^[7] This was the first Christian hymn based on a Latin American folk tune after more than 400 years of evangelization in the Americas.

In terms of ethnomusical diversity, the scenario can be even worse. Take, for example, The Hymnal 1982, the official hymnal of the Episcopal Church. It contains no more than six African American spirituals, two African songs, two Asian hymns, two Native American songs, and one villancico ^[8] – out of more than seven hundred hymns. The Episcopal Church, like many other liturgical churches, tried to compensate for this deficit by publishing special supplements, which attempt to cover different musical traditions. They are, however, supplements, which do not carry the same weight a main, official hymnal has. A comparison with other churches in the United States shows that a similar pattern of discrete, but statistically irrelevant, inclusion of “ethnic” hymns is the standard for most denominations.^[9]

A similar survey was conducted in Canada, and while it showed “a growing awareness of global and indigenous Canadian song,”^[10] in practice, most denominational hymnals are still largely European,^[11] and even when they make an effort to include songs in other languages, many of those are mere translations of works composed by North American or European hymn writers.^[12]

Also, despite some relevant attempts at producing ecumenical hymnals in some contexts, denominations still generally rely on publishing their own hymnals. At a time of convergence of rites and music used for worship, this measure seems more and more contradictory. There is a great deal of overlap between hymnals published by liturgical churches,^[13] which suggests a strong possibility of unifying those as a single, ecumenical venture. In many cases, this has not been feasible due to manifold reasons such as theological differences, denominational heritages, liturgical diversity, and even church politics.

3 New Theologies Demand New Lyrics, New Music

Theologies that address issues of gender, ethnicity, and sexuality have brought to the fore questions concerning the appropriate use of languages in lyrics – both in terms of pronouns and in terms of metaphors. “Phrases such as ‘peace on earth, good will towards men’ and ‘join hands then brothers of the faith’ need to be carefully scrutinized and in most cases, edited to eliminate the use of male terms when used in a generic sense.”^[14] In some languages, masculine neutral pronouns have been indiscriminately used throughout the centuries, thus excluding other genders from being properly nominated in worship. A variety of strategies have been suggested to eliminate all masculine references to God from the worship vocabulary.^[15] The usage of terms such as whiteness and darkness in order to express purity and sin, goodness and evil, respectively, also needs revising. Overall, careful thought must be made in terms of adapting liturgical texts (and that includes psalms and hymn lyrics) to language forms that do not rely on oppressive structures and metaphors. Rather than that, they must free the faithful – especially the most oppressed among them – to see themselves as part of Christ’s Body in its fullness. Resistance from more conservative corners of the Church also exists.^[16] Nevertheless, with considerable care, it can be done.^[17]

Music inspired by the Charismatic Movement has also been increasingly adopted by liturgical churches, especially after the seventies. Several musical supplements (both put together by official publishing houses or shared informally among musicians) were created, containing a variety of worship songs. Some of those songs are of good quality (musically and theologically) and even found their way into official hymnals. Many of them, however, while innovating in terms of musical styles (which resonate with the pop culture of the current world), are rather poor in terms of lyrics, which do not engage the faithful with the reality of the world^[18] and over-emphasize an individualistic relationship between each worshipper and God.^[19]

Also, the complexity of certain tunes, or their lack of coherence in some cultural contexts, has also been used as tools for excluding people from worship. Fully participatory singing must take into account that at least part of what is sung at a regular service must be simple enough to be followed by regular worshippers, which may include children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and immigrants who do not fully master the language.^[20] This does not exclude the possibility of elaborate choral performances, but careful attention must be paid not to limit music in worship to something only professional musicians are able to follow. Again, this obliges hymnal commissions to offer simplified versions of popular tunes, with easier accompaniments and no textual archaisms, and to foster new compositions that are not foreign to worshippers’ ears and intuitive enough to be followed by all. All of these questions have not yet been fully developed in the life of most churches, but are already being presented as urgent needs to liturgists and musicians who are working on revisions of liturgical materials.

Hymnbooks do still matter. As tangible objects, they can enhance community building, as people share the same object. “An older person’s fingers can point out words or notes to a younger person – in ways that not only strengthen the intergenerational bond in worship but also help children learn to read syllables and recognize melodic shapes.”^[21] They are still a viable, much-needed tool for intergenerational, inclusive, catholic worship. But, based on the brief recapitulation of history of hymns (and hymnals) and on the challenges hymn commissions face today, what qualities should a new hymnal, suitable for the twenty-first century, possess?

4 Universality: The Qualities that Bind Hymnals Together

Hymnals contain hymns, but what is a hymn? In the narrowest definition, a hymn is simply a song of praise.^[22] This all-encompassing definition covers everything that is sung in worship: psalms, service music, and all sorts of worship songs. However, other definitions of hymns usually treat them as some sort of poetry, arranged in stanzas and coupled with a specific tune. These definitions may exclude, depending on their level of rigidity, psalms, service music, and even some worship songs that use free verses, which are free from limitations of regular meter or rhythm.

In that regard, Leaver’s adoption of the term “liturgical music” seems to be the most appropriate and broadest definition for all that “goes in a hymnal.”

This discussion hints at the first concern liturgy and music committees should have in mind when determining what goes together in a hymnal. All works must have a certain universality in purpose, prayer, and theological ground. They are to be liturgical music. Their primary objective has to be God’s worship and not something else. Healey Willan’s “Missa de Sancta Maria Magdalena,” Louis Bourgeois’ tune Old 100th, Karen Lafferty’s “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God,” Rodolfo Gaede Neto’s “For the Troubles and sufferings of the world,” the German hymn “Lasst uns erfreuen” and the Zulu song “Thuma mina” – all have something in common: they were created and/or adapted for worship. In lyrics and music, they clearly refer to the God we have known in Jesus Christ. They might come from different parts of the world, different eras, and different denominations. They might be based on liturgical texts or on biblical texts. Or they might be entirely new compositions. However, the ones who worked on them did so because of who God is to them and because of the Christian faith they have inherited from their ancestors. This is what makes such pieces of music – albeit completely different – part of a single and coherent body of music: they are liturgical music.

Another quality that must bind pieces into a hymnal is their biblical witness. Christian worship is not a tabula rasa upon which anything can be “Christianized” and made holy. It has inherited the witness and the tradition of countless generations that worshipped the same God and gave witness for this God’s might works in their lives. Therefore, any hymn – old or new – must also follow the qualities their predecessors had. One must, then, look at the basic qualities of worship music found in scripture and created by the early Church possessed. As previously stated, five essential characteristics of Jewish and early Christian religious music are binding together, memory, joy, lament, and proclamation.^[23] Liturgical music must also express human feelings of joy and lament toward God, “a full range of human emotions including yearning [and] despair,”^[24] in sum: the essence of what makes us human. And it must be proclamatory: it must give witness of the Gospel and call all people upon conversion, with elements of exhortation and admonition, teaching, and doctrine.^[25] Also, liturgical music (and that is what a hymnal is all about) is, essentially, prayer. It must be clearly recognized as communication with God. Some pieces of contemporary worship music fail to fit any of those categories. Their appeal to mere emotionalism turns the worship experience into something much more akin to obliging God to act in a certain way or commanding God to do something. This is not communication, for communication presupposes a two-way (or n-way) process. In prayer, people communicate with God and let God speak through/to them. Prayer is our attention to the presence of God, which is a free gift.^[26] And in corporate prayer (which includes liturgical music), Christians pray together with one voice (hence the “binding together” quality of psalms, hymns, and service music from the dawn of times). “Our worship of God is a way of producing connection with one another, God and the world. A new world is created, a cloud of witnesses is present, a wireless router can bring us connectivity just as the songs of a hymnal sung by our ancestors.”^[27]

Finally, all liturgical music must possess sound theological quality. A hymnal must encapsulate – in all its diversity – the basic doctrines of the Church, but also challenge the faithful theologically, in order to expand their view of the Christian God. Some hymns possess a clear trinitarian aspect and, in such invocations, recall the faithful of the mystery of the Trinity; some remind the faithful of the nature of God (who created us, who sustains us, who brings us life, who redeems us from all evil…); some teach the faithful the basic Christological doctrines; some reveal the nature and works of the Holy Spirit (Pneumatology); some remind the Church of what it should be and what it was instituted for (Ecclesiology); some cover the Liturgical Year and present eschatological hope in the things to come; some remind us of our hope in eternal life.^[28] These, and other core doctrines which have characterized Christians – of all varieties and denominations – over the course of the centuries, must inform a coherent set of hymns so that the faithful might be informed and reminded of the faith the assembly (and all people of God) share.

A collection of hymns that communicates theology must also strive to expand people’s imagination and challenge preconceived views of basic doctrines of the Christian faith. Take, for example, the first stanza of the hymn “My song is Love unknown,” originally a poem by seventeenth-century Church of England priest Samuel Crossman, which received a musical setting in the twentieth century, by John Ireland:

My song is love unknown,

my Savior’s love to me,

love to the loveless shown,

that they might lovely be.

O who am I, that for my sake

my Lord should take frail flesh and die?^[29]

It clearly talks about a central aspect of the Christological doctrine known as the Atonement: Jesus’ self-sacrifice on the cross. However, Crossman was able to craft the lyrics in such a way they make the reader/singer/worshipper rethink their preconceived views of the Atonement as a somewhat cruel event, which should make us feel guilty and sorrowful. The hymn, however, presents it as a love story – in fact, the most wonderful love story that ever happened! It is the story of an unknown love, which was freely bestowed upon the loveless, so they could be lovely. What an expanding, impressive view of an often-feared doctrine of faith! Figure 1 shows the entire hymn, with the lovely tune Love Unknown by Ireland, who so masterfully crafted a crescendo that reaches its high point at the end of the first quatrain of the ABABCDDC rhyme scheme. The tune then proceeds to the last quatrain suggesting a sense of peace, which cleverly complements a poem that tackles hard-to-understand theological principles with much delicacy and peacefulness.

Figure 1

My song is love unknown, to the tune Love Unknown. The Hymnal 1982 (New York: The Church Hymnal Corporation, 1985).

5 Context: When and Where

Hymnals do hold some universal characteristics, as previously stated. However, they are also produced under a very particular context, which is directly related to when and where they were compiled.

Every context carries its own challenges. At times, the Church is being called to move forward and engage in dialogue with the world that surrounds it. At times, it is called to stand for Gospel values that are being challenged and denounce the oppression that exists in the world. Drawing from the well-known taxonomy established by Richard Niebuhr,^[30] over the course of time, the Church has responded to culture in many different ways.

The Church’s reaction to culture will, nevertheless, produce music that will be more or less inculturated. Chupungco’s grammar of inculturation (creative assimilation and dynamic equivalence) is noteworthy. Its starting points are more or less clearly defined: creative assimilation deals with cultural elements which can be added to Christian liturgy (and music!); dynamic equivalence seeks to express the ordo in the customs and ways of local cultures.

However, it cannot be used as a one-fits-all strategy without putting much thought into it. Not all cultural elements should be drawn into liturgical music, at all times, and in all places. Sometimes, they are easily discernible as something that points the faithful to God or as a well-developed local expression of faith. Sometimes, they are plain superstitions or pure evil backed by sinful authorities. A complete acceptance of culture risks watering down the Gospel message hymnals need to convey. But a complete rejection of culture would leave them out of pace with the culture that surrounds them.

A starting point in terms of hymnal revision when addressing context is to start by asking when and how this specific set of liturgical music is being produced and/or gathered together. For example (Figure 2):

1. A hymnal produced for a country (or group of countries) which sees itself under a totalitarian government, or under the prospect of war, cannot omit issues related to justice and peace. In fact, its main focus must be proclaiming God’s justice at such difficult times and securing the faithful of an eschatological hope that helps them see beyond their current struggles and realize the Kingdom of God is at hand.^[31] Hence the power of music that emerged out of liberationist movements: it spoke to the faithful that there was something greater than their current struggle. It gave them hope. For example, the hymnal O novo canto da Terra was produced at a time Brazil was rediscovering its democratic institutions after a long period of military governments and dictatorships. It contained hymns such as this one (Criação – in English: Creation), written by Jaci Maraschin and Décio Lauretti:

Mas no teu mundo se instalaram fome e guerra,

e os homens se esqueceram de teu Reino Santo;

quiseram destruir com bombas toda a Terra

e nos fazer acreditar que tudo é pranto.

R. Mas tu és bom, e o mundo teu é bom.

Translation: But in your world war and hunger have begun,

men have forgotten how Holy your Kingdom is;

our Earth was meant to be razed by their bombs

and force us to believe pain is all there is.

R. But you are good, and your world, God, is good.^[32]

1. A hymnal produced for a post-Christian, Western society, where the Gospel message is not widely known, might have to seek new music styles despite the fact such cultures produced impressive church music for centuries. However, in some situations, traditional hymns may not resonate to the ears of certain groups of people. Committees might have to borrow distinct elements from local cultures to communicate the Gospel anew and adapt to overlapping, different tastes. For example, rhythms and poetic imagery long associated with the secular world might be employed in such a context. For example, several news outlets have reported the success of heavy metal masses in Finland,^[33] a country which has produced composers such as Jean Sibelius, but currently sees heavy metal as its main musical genre.

2. A hymnal produced for a contemporary, de-colonial society might have to take into account that so much of the four-part harmony found in traditional hymns has also been used as military songs played by colonialist armies. An interesting example that portrays this tension happened in South Africa, where Black African seminarians developed a tradition of consistently diminishing and adapting colonial elements of harmonization found hymn tunes, by using techniques such as skipping thirds and localized westernisms.^[34] The result is a unique blend which preserves original lyrics and their theological depth but turns tunes into something that relates to African culture.

Figure 2

Criação O Novo Canto da Terra (São Paulo: Instituto Anglicano de Estudos Teológicos, 2006), 198–201.

6 Balance

Another aspect that must be taken into account when publishing a new hymnal (or revising an existing one) is to keep a certain balance between what is perceived as “traditional” and what is perceived as “new.” Context, as already noted, is based on a given culture at a given time. Balance does differ from context to context, but it is what gives context the nuances and emphases it should have.

Furthermore, balance is what holds in tension “old and new, local and foreign” in hymnology. No hymnal should be purposely devoid of a specific genre, theological viewpoint, or theme (as long as they are sound and appropriate, of course). But a commission which sees the value of balance will be able to navigate through the wide variety of liturgical music that has been produced across the centuries and the impressive number of contemporary hymns that have been composed both locally and globally.

First and foremost, there’s tradition, with its heavy weight, which can lead to extreme reactions among worshippers. Some love it – to the point of idolatry. Some hate it and want it to go away – to the point of insanity. A balanced hymnal should not follow any of those lines of thought. And more: liturgists and musicians must be aware that sometimes they might be dealing with an inherited tradition, sometimes with a perceived tradition, and sometimes with an updated tradition.

The inherited tradition is basically what has been handed over by the Church over the course of the years. It includes all those musical pieces that have truly survived across the centuries: psalms and canticles, early Church hymns, medieval and Reformation hymns, revival hymns, and everything else that might be called a “classic.” They must be carefully chosen according to the relevance they might have in a specific context, but one cannot be too iconoclastic about their removal from new publications. Those serve as a common thread among all Christians.

But then, there is a perceived tradition, which – in essence – is not traditional at all. Some hymns are not even that old, others are not that widely known and have become a local eccentricity, and some more were built on very weak foundations and are of either low musical quality or flimsy theological constructs. These, for the most part, should make room for new and more inspiring music.

But also it should be noted there is an updated tradition. Missionaries have left their mark in many places around the world and have impacted many different cultures. For better or for worse, the result of their labor is the global Church and its beauty. The musical impact of so many years of Western dominance means that certain pieces of church music have been so much sung and repeated by generations of non-Western Christians that they have become their tradition also. Through globalization, many of those cultures are exposed to a dominant culture, which invariably has an impact on their worship practices.^[35] Church committees must also be humble enough to realize that no matter how much they would want to see less European or North American hymns in future publications, some of those hymns are an integral part of worshippers’ faith experiences and have been embraced as their tradition as well. It does not matter to many faithful people, if a specific hymn was originally composed for strict a cappella Reformed worship in Switzerland, but now is sung with much clapping and dancing somewhere in Africa. That piece of music has been resignified. An updated tradition has emerged. A balanced hymnal ought to make room for it (and its eventual updates and adaptations). Hence, why some pieces like “Amazing Grace” and “How great thou art” are so much loved by many different cultures around the globe.

But apart from tradition (and its varieties), there is also an increasing need to accommodate new worship songs, psalm and canticle tunes, and service music that has been created by contemporary composers, and suit a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. This is a reality even in European and North American countries, where large shares of the population can count at least one parent or grandparent who was born overseas. Liturgists and musicians must be very generous in terms of accommodating new groups and foreseeing the impact of changing demographics in worship. While context determines the main emphases of a hymnal, based on location and time, balance needs to ensure that emerging cultures get proper representation, by providing hymnals with a considerable amount of songs that come from their traditions and from their contemporary composers. Strategies such as the publication of “ethnic” supplements are outdated and must be avoided at all costs. It is important that all Christians, especially those who originally came from the dominant culture, learn the virtues of worship within their neighbor’s cultural setting. Therefore, the main hymnal itself should offer a variety that fully represents the Church’s diversity within that context.^[36]

A good example of a theoretical approach to balance which might be useful for hymn revision committees was proposed by van Andel, Hoondert, and Barnard.^[37] They identified three models for a hymnal: mirror and motor (the hymnal as a representation of what is already going on in the world, as opposed to music meant to enrich the faithful), museum and utility (a hymnal that must preserve a heritage versus liturgical material that is useful to the current reality), and aid and resource (music that teaches and challenges vis-à-vis context-free music that requires little explanation). Committees must refrain from bending too much toward each one of those models. They must keep them in balance, according to their specific context.

7 Feasibility

Another concept that invariably has to be taken into account when upgrading and publishing hymns is feasibility. A hymnal must come into fruition.

Funds and other monetary resources will obviously limit what can be done in terms of publishing, procuring copyrights, and providing multiple accompaniments for choirs, organists, and other musicians. But other than that, feasibility involves ensuring that the newly published hymnal can be purchased by enough congregants in order for it to fulfill its purpose (which is, of course – among other things – to provide common worship which is theologically sound and culturally appropriate for the people of God in a specific context). If hymnals end up too costly, the faithful will settle for less expensive solutions (such as projectors or printed booklets) which are far from ideal.

Another major concern when checking if a hymnal is feasible is the availability of arrangements that can cover a wide variety of musical instruments. Long gone are the years when every congregation had an organist. Yet, worship cannot stop. Sheet music must be versatile enough to cover not only the organ, but also other kinds of instruments like the piano, the keyboard (with simplified accompaniments), and the guitar. Digital resources such as audio files could also be employed as a palliative solution in places where musicians are simply not available, but this is obviously an extreme solution. These measures should not be seen as a concession to the loss of quality in Church music; rather, they must be understood as a demand created by a theology that reinforces opportunities for all people to join in worship, including those people in small and poor congregations. A hymnal that can’t be used in such contexts is a hymnal that failed bringing its important message to a subset of all Christians.

Music should also be “singable.” This means it should be easy for anybody with minimal musical training to follow it, understand the lyrics, and reach all notes comfortably while singing. Some hymns are so musically complex that they could be of better use as standalone choral pieces. Since one experience common to worship is learning, “it is permissible to use words in worship which require explanation, as long as they are explained and kept in perspective.”^[38]

Finally, feasibility can usually be attained when commissions decide to cooperate and work together. At a time most denominations struggle with decreasing membership and increasing costs, it is scandalous that many of them still refuse to work together in terms of publishing hymnals. The winds of the Spirit that brought ecumenism to the life of the Church catholic have reduced immensely the theological gap that once separated so many churches.^[39]

Based on that, it is time to ponder if the joint production of hymnals should be taken more seriously, both in terms of standardizing lyrics and saving costs on copyright and publishing expenses. The major source of contempt – (minor) theological differences among denominations – could be easily solved by publishing supplements or specific denominational instances of the same hymnal, but with a few more pieces added to it. A similar approach has been applied to the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), which may or may not contain a few more feasts and readings pertaining to one specific church. In these cases, specific denominational versions of the RCL are published, but retaining the core contents that characterize the joint work different Church groups took in establishing a single, unified liturgical resource for Bible reading.

8 Beauty: Art at God’s Service

One issue that cannot be overlooked is the artistic quality hymnody must possess. “It is to the literary and musical facets of hymnody that the term ‘art’ is most obviously applicable.”^[40] Art should be, then, another important factor while examining the pertinence of specific songs in a hymnal project. Poetry for hymnody must possess both technical aspects (form) and artistically convey a message that communicates the love of God (content).^[41]

In terms of form, committees should seek poetry which allows easy and clear pronunciation, without cacophonies and unnecessary repetitions. Syntax must be clear and grammar should be correct. Poetic meter should match hymnic meter in a way words are pronounced properly, without changing the tonic syllable of a word, nor cramming several syllables together.

In terms of content, hymns must convey a theologically clear message, correctly using figures of speech in order to enhance it, and not clutter the text, thus turning it unintelligible. Excessive changes in word order and ellipses should be avoided. Figures of speech may be used, but with care. A good balance must be reached between the artistic qualities of hymn lyrics and the capacity to easily read and understand them.

Music that is suitable for a hymnal must be both aesthetically pleasing and complement the lyrics with graciousness. In that regard, arrangements can be of much use when it comes to conveying the main ideas hymns were written for. Music can suggest joy, contrition, expectation, or penitence. Good tunes and well-designed accompaniments will match those moods to the lyrics and to the purpose of each hymn. In fact, sometimes good music compensates for lyrics that lack some usually essential characteristics. For example, Suzanne Toolan’s well-known hymn “I am the Bread of Life” has no meter (Figure 3). It is also uncommon in that its lyrics do not rhyme.^[42] It was intended to be sung by a cantor, with the congregation joining for the refrain, but in many hymnals and congregations, it is sung by the whole congregation as a whole. And, despite its lack of a regular meter, it is a popular choice to this day.

Figure 3

I am the bread of life The Hymnal 1982 (New York: The Church Hymnal Corporation, 1985).

This hymn’s power rests upon the fact it has some powerful music matched to it. Not only can the tune effectively adapt to different stanzas and different metrics, but it also progressively conveys a triumphant mood, which calls for fanfares and lively percussion as it reaches the refrain. It is impossible not to rise up with it as it progresses. The music is so successful that a series of parodies were produced showing how the tune can match almost anything in terms of lyrics (Figure 4).

Figure 4

Parody of “I am the Bread of Life.” Unknown author.

9 Theological Wideness: Inclusiveness at Work

Finally, hymnals should possess theological wideness. This means they must give witness to different ways of understanding and reflecting upon the basic tenets of the Christian faith. Many hymns composed prior to the twentieth century rely on ascending Christologies and high views of God. This means the divinity of Christ is usually emphasized and the Triune God is often depicted as the Almighty, the Maker, the Judge. Sometimes, metaphors even used references borrowed from imperialistic or military terms. On the other hand, as modern theology started to promote alternative views of God, hymn writers began exploring a descending Christology, emphasizing the humanity of Christ. They also sought to find, both in Scripture and in imagination, alternative names and characteristics that define God. God is presented as a mother, peacemaker, and enabler; God is shown as the One who walks in solidarity with the poor.

Westermeyer argues that such differences must be held in tension, so hymnals must be able to cover the whole breadth of theological approaches to a given discipline. Therefore, instead of replacing all hymns that emphasize Jesus’ divinity with those that aim to show his human face, it is possible to force both views to coexist. “Music that affirms bodily movement and music that lives in an ethereal world of contemplative mystery might be forced to live in an incarnational tension.”^[43]

Likewise, when it comes to Christ’s main actions, at times the Church focused more on his role as an example humanity should seek, and hymns from that era reflected this view. At times, the Church emphasized the fall of humanity, with liturgical music that reminded worshippers of their need to be rescued by a Savior. And sometimes, the Church saw Christ as a mighty conqueror, who was victorious over death and sin. Some compositions also reflected this view. Presenting the two of them as complementary options within a collection of hymns ensures that congregations will manage to ensure “the music of marches, high art, suffering, and victory are all given place … [and] hold together the fullness of theological affirmations.”^[44]

Other doctrines also cover a variety of viewpoints. For example, the Church as the community of believers versus the Church as the Body of Christ on earth. The sorrow of death is “its penalty from sin and its separation from loved ones … [but also] joy in that death is not final because death no more has dominion.”^[45] Also, when dealing with eschatology, some lyrics emphasize the proximity of the Kingdom of God, while others suggest a yearning for its coming in a more distant future.

In that regard, committees and editors must understand the purpose and theological content of each hymn, in order to assemble them together in a way they provide a hermeneutic that matches both main viewpoints of basic doctrine, and tensions found in Scripture and tradition, thus showing a biblical and theological basis for Christian hymnody.^[46] Theological wideness in worship calls for an ecumenical approach when compiling hymns. Committees must understand the importance of preserving a variety of valid theological viewpoints which reflect the tensions the Church had from its beginning. No single song will be able to hold all of them in tension at once, which requires careful weaving of different texts, compositions, and musical traditions. However, sometimes hymns manage to encapsulate a myriad of theological approaches in a single piece of poetry. Those should never be missed. For example, see this anonymous sixteenth-century poem by a Spanish author (sometimes attributed to St. Francis Xavier):

No me mueve, mi Dios, para quererte,

el cielo que me tienes prometido,

ni me mueve el infierno tan temido

para dejar por eso de ofenderte.

¡Tú me mueves, Señor!, muéveme el verte

clavado en una cruz y escarnecido,

muéveme ver tu cuerpo tan herido,

muévenme tus afrentas y tu muerte.

Muéveme, en fin, tu amor, y en tal manera

que aunque no hubiera cielo yo te amara,

y aunque no hubiese infierno te temiera.

No me tienes que dar porque te quiera,

porque, aunque lo que espero no esperara,

lo mismo que te quiero te quisiera.^[47]

A translation into English, with different poetic meter:

I love thee, Lord, but not because

I hope for heaven thereby,

nor yet for fear that loving not

I might for ever die;

but for that thou didst all the world

upon the cross embrace;

for us didst bear the nails and spear,

and manifold disgrace,

and griefs and torments numberless,

and sweat of agony;

e’en death itself; and all for one

who was thine enemy.

Then why, most loving Jesus Christ,

should I not love thee well,

not for the sake of winning heaven,

nor any fear of hell;

not with the hope of gaining aught,

not seeking a reward;

but as thyself hast loved me,

O ever loving Lord!

E’en so I love thee, and will love,

and in thy praise will sing,

solely because thou art my God

and my eternal King. ^[48]

As a theological statement, these lyrics cover a wide spectrum of theological viewpoints often perceived as contradictory. The poet sometimes reminds the reader – quite vividly – of Christ’s agony on the Cross, a theme usually associated with the spirit of the Counter Reformation and the Spanish Baroque. At the same time, he hints at the non-existence of heaven or hell. Regardless of it he would still love and serve God. What an impressive statement which gives new meaning to a theology of atonement so much used to scare and oppress! The translation by Edward Caswall (further adapted by Percy Dearmer) is usually sung to the tune St. Fulbert by Henry Gauntlett, a simple tune which allows for great pronunciation (Figure 5).

Figure 5

I love thee, Lord, but not because I hope for heaven thereby. The Hymnal 1982 (New York: The Church Hymnal Corporation, 1985).

10 Practical Theology and Transversal Themes

Lastly, on top of any selection of hymns based on theological wideness, some transversal themes that pertain to current theological discourse must be addressed. These themes cut across the entire hymnal and should guide its composition as a whole.

One of them is justice. For too long, the Church has been silent way too many times on issues related to war, human exploitation, and power abuse. For some contemporary Christians, “justice has become an especially important and intense focus in ways that are far broader than the hymnic ones.”^[49] Justice must be clearly found throughout a hymnal, thus proclaiming Gospel-based moral values and the need for conversion. For the same reason, militaristic language and imagery must be avoided at all costs. How can the church ignore in worship the needs of the world, the plea of refugees, the masses of trafficked humans, and displaced minorities? Liturgical materials that have heavily relied on justice-themed worship songs can be found among Hebrew psalms, African-American spirituals, and music produced under the context of liberation theology. In other scenarios, including traditional Western hymnody, justice-related themes can also be found, albeit not as easily. These materials must always be examined and considered as both source of possible additions to a future hymnal and inspiration for new compositions that raise awareness of the pleas of this world, so Christians may pray, act, and change these sad realities.

Another theme is gender equality. The Church has also ignored the importance of its non-male members for centuries. In terms of worship, this can easily be found by taking a look at the outdated language many hymns still possess. The challenge committees have before them is to harmonize and update lyrics in a way that doesn’t reinforce patriarchy and heterosexism. This may not be easy when dealing with sixteenth-century hymns, for example. And it may cause a lot of contempt, but it is a pressing issue that needs to inform and transform the way we worship from now on.

For example, “[p]hrases such as ‘peace on earth, good will towards men’ and ‘join hands then brothers of the faith’ need to be carefully scrutinized and in most cases, edited to eliminate the use of male terms when used in a generic sense.”^[50] This, however, is the minimum expected in terms of language revision. Commissions must ensure sexist references to God as male are either removed as much as possible or counterbalanced with powerful imagery that portrays God as metaphorically female or genderless. If the reworked poetry is good and well done, it will stand on its own without major complaints. Of course, these changes can be achieved much more easily when committees are gender-balanced and not overwhelmingly male as has been the case sometimes.

Racial inclusion should also be a key paradigm through which hymnal revisions need to operate. It is not enough to include some minority songs. All worship should be inclusive of ethnic groups who compose a specific culture and a specific church community. This also requires careful examination of existing hymns and the establishment of set rules for writing and composing new ones. A hymn must be free of discriminatory or pejorative language,^[51] and its metaphors cannot condone references that might be interpreted as racist. Also, hymnals need to be more inclusive of music created by a variety of ethnic groups, which reflects their distinct genres, theological viewpoints, and ways of praying to God. And finally, special care must be taken not to commit the common mistake of cultural appropriation,^[52] which is unacceptable – even for the sake of the Gospel!

Ecological concerns, or, in theological terms, care for God’s creation, is another relevant transversal theme. Nature, as God’s gift entrusted to human care, is to be revered, protected, and kept.^[53] Hymns must be selected in order to reflect this commandment and teach the people of God about their role as stewards of the beauty and complexity of nature.

Awareness of the Body of Christ, and of the “bodies of the Body of Christ,” is another topic that cuts across issues regarding race, gender, and other human prejudices. Notable Anglican Brazilian scholar Jaci Maraschin wrote extensively about a theology of the body and embodied liturgies, through which bodies have taste and power, and where there’s room for dance and laughter.^[54] He further suggested that Church music should be able to provide a certain level of bewilderment, by raising people’s awareness of their bodies as holy and by using rhythms and instruments borrowed from local settings and cultures.^[55] The Charismatic Movement was able to master this approach, but it has often coupled innovation in music with a restrictive theology. Maraschin argued it was necessary to provide renewed liturgical music that made people aware, through lyrics, rhythm, song, and dance, that their bodies do matter and are an integral part of the Body of Christ.

Other transversal themes may be defined by the commission in charge of producing a new hymnal, whenever they reflect a specific context. For example, in countries where refugee and immigration ministries are much needed, a hymnal with a strong emphasis on welcoming the stranger might sound very appropriate. The events of the world, economic instability, social inequalities, and other questions that bring uncertainty and desperation to the faithful must be addressed through prayer.^[56] Liturgical music is prayer. Some concessions might be made regarding themes and matters of concern that might be too ephemeral, for hymnals are put together to endure a few decades, but they cannot be alienated from the wounds and oppressions of the world either. This is why such matters are suggested as transversal themes in order to guide the committee in their choices.

So how do transversal themes function in practice? Initially, a committee must define the broadness of theology the hymnal must possess, based on what has already been discussed previously. This will define how major doctrines will be addressed, and how questions on context, balance, and feasibility will be approached. Transversal themes can be used as a final thermometer of a hymnal’s contextuality. Not all hymns need to address them, but a good proportion of them will. Also important: no hymn should contradict a transversal theme. In some cases of well-loved hymns, this means they might have their lyrics reworked. See, for example, how the lyrics of “Onward Christian soldiers,” by Sabine Baring-Gould, were adapted as “Onward Christian pilgrims,” by David Wright:^[57]

First Stanza - Lyrics by Sabine Baring-Gould:

Onward, Christian Soldiers,

marching as to war,

with the Cross of Jesus,

going on before.

First Stanza - David Wright’s pacifist version:

Onward, Christian Pilgrims,

Christ will be our light,

see the heav’nly vision,

breaks upon our sight.

All major references to militaristic, triumphant language were removed. Issues around justice and peace were included. The new version retained some similarity to the structure of the original lyrics and, of course, kept the same tune: St. Gertrude by Arthur Seymour Sullivan (Figure 6).

Figure 6

Onward Christian pilgrims. Hymns Old and New (Buxhall, Suffolk: Kevin Mayhew Limited, 2005).

11 Moving on

From everything that has been said, it is more than obvious that hymn singing is central to Christian worship. In fact, it forms part of a kernel (alongside Scripture reading, preaching, and the sacraments) that defines the experience of most Christians around the world.

In that regard, hymnals are not only desirable but also necessary. They define a core set of liturgical music that properly covers a wide spectrum of Christian theology, musical styles, cultural settings, and human experiences with the Divine. They also provide a sense of harmony and stability long desired in a fast-changing world.

Hymnals have existed for some centuries. Most likely, they will continue being an important tool for worship, in printed and (increasingly) digital forms. Their level of success, however, relies on overcoming the fragilities of their predecessors and broadening the scope of worship in our world. The research found in previous pages is intended to foster deep conversations on the nature of hymnals and what needs to be improved so future revisions achieve more success in terms of reaching out to the margins and providing music that builds the beloved community of believers. I sincerely hope further discussions arise from this and other texts, so that our future generations will be able to experience God and see Christ’s face – in them, and in their neighbors – as they sing in unison and become a choir, like many in one, and bearing witness to the Holy One here and there, now and forever.