The emergence of hymnody in England, 1707-1861

Abstract

This thesis approaches the emergence of English hymnody from the standpoint of its communicational function in the corporate worship setting (its use in private devotion not here being considered). The Introduction develops this frame of reference, with associated terminology. Worship is examined as to the direction(s) of communication therein: the God-to-man 'descending'encounter, the man-to-God 'ascending' response, and the 'horizontal' communication between worshippers. Since much of worship, including hymnody, is conducted through the verbal mode of communication, the human and religious scope of language is next considered. But as the hymn is also the work of a literary artist, his mode of communication, qua artist, is integrated with general religious verbal communication through the concept of 'trajectorial* speech, as seen in both Scriptural and artistic uses of language. In worship then, the hymn stands somewhat uniquely at the confluence of all these aspects.

A preliminary chapter traces the career of the Calvin-inspired 'Scriptural Principle' in English congregational song from the Anglican Reformation to c. 1700, as principally embodied in metrical psalmody. The gradual expansion of the Principle to include all Scripture, its bending to include paraphrase thereof, and finally the first stirrings of hymnody in the seventeenth century are all noted. This prepares us to consider the works of three representative hymnodists after 1700.

The first is Isaac Watts (l67il-17l4-8). He is the real agent of transition from psalmody to hymnody. His "Psalms of David Imitated" show his efforts to make psalmody more theologically and environmentally communicative t£ the singer (encounter), in order that the singer's re¬ sponse through the singing of the psalm may be fuller and more personally involved. Watts also wrote "Hymns and Spiritual Songs," and in these we see the beginning of a new communicational focus and content: the singer's feelings, states, and perceptions, contemplated aloud, and perhaps not cognitively communicated in any specific direction.

not cognitively communicated in any specific direction. The subjective focus is seen to be deepening in the "Olney Hymns" of John Newton (1725-1807)(William Cowper (1731-1800)) ,who represents the Evangelical Revival of the later eighteenth century. The hymns are examined in this regard, and also (in Newton's case) for a strong didactic element. Both the subjective focus and the didacticism present communicational problems when sung: they are more impressive than expressive, from the singer's standpoint. A detached note to this chapter briefly discusses John Wesley's translations of the subjective, pietistio strain in German hymnody.

The hymns of Reginald Heber (1783-1826) commended hymnody to 'majority' Anglicanism, through his intent to integrate hymnic content with the Gospel lections of the liturgical year. Thus we are partly returned to the objectively-centered/recollective-response function of congregational song which characterized metrical psalmody and most of Watts's work. A new form of subjectivity enters, however, in Heber*s use of romantic nature imagery, sometimes so vivid as to possibly divert the singer's attention from the religious content and direction-of-communication, by pleasurable immersion in the verbal imagery surrounding and conveying the content.

These, then, are the major coramunicational elements in the emergence of J&igliah hymnody. In the mid-nineteenth century, hymnody in England gained historical authentication through the translations from the Latin tradition. Simultaneously, German hymnody - both pietiatlc and pre-pietiatic - was being introduced in translation. These endeavors are examined, showing how they reinforced both the objective and subjective communicational elements already present in English hymnody. Finally, it is observed how the indigenous English hymnody and the translations are eclectically united in "Hymns, Ancient and Modern" (1861), the first 'modern' hymnal, and first book with a truly popular acceptance and use in England. Its publication and success signal the completion of English hymnody's emergence, and bring the study to a close on the note of the pluralistic co-existence of both communicational approaches (objective and subjective) from that time to this.