Description
Book SynopsisThe source readings in Hymnology are primary documents illustrating the philosophy and practice of congregational singing during various historical periods of the Christian church. They are drawn from a wide variety of sources including letters, diaries, periodicals, hymnal and tunebook prefaces, theological treatises, certain controversial books and pamphlets, and deliberations of church councils. The material ranges in date from the beginning of the second century to the 1960s. All the major streams of Christian song are covered, including early Greek and Latin hymnody, pre-Reformation vernacular hymnody, the Lutheran chorale, Reformed psalmody, and English and American hymnody from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. The book is suitable for use as a text or supplementary text for courses in hymnology, a professional reference work for ministers and church musicians, and a book for laymen interested in the history of church music.
Trade Review...belongs in the libraries that support programs in church music or theology and in the private collections of persons with a serious interest in the history of congregational song. * The Theological Educator *
David W. Music has given both the serious hymnological scholar and the interested 'person in the pew' valuable insights into the development of the congregational hymn... * Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture *
A needed addition to the historical study of hymnology that reminds us of the rich history of Christian congregational song that is part of the inheritance of every Christian today. It is a well-documented and scholarly work, the kind of resource we have come to expect from the author.The volume is a useful resource for teachers and researchers in church music and also for practicing church musicians. * Southwestern Journal Of Theology *
...a wide array of source readings in hymnology...David Music has provided an extremely helpful service by pulling together...some of the most important sources about hymnody in the history of the church...The work is well-conceived and well-executed...a valuable addition to the library of anyone who is concerned with the church's hymnody. * Worship *
