
The Singing Church: The Hymns It Wrote and Sang
0Listen FreeFree AI audiobook with natural voice. No signup required.
About This Book
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute thi...
Chapters (274)
- THE SINGING CHURCH
- INTRODUCTION
- THE PLACE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE HYMN
- The Impulse to Sing Is Constitutional in Man.
- Biblical Authority for the Singing of Hymns.
- The Use of Hymns in the Development of the Christian Church.
- Cultural Value of Hymns.
- Spiritual Value of Hymns.
- The Value of Singing Hymns Too Often Overlooked.
- The Need of Emphasis on Efficient Use of Hymns.
- Chapter I WHAT IS A HYMN?
- I. DEFINITION OF THE HYMN
- Importance of Accurate Definition.
- Inadequate Definition.
- Definition Must Be Based on Practical Considerations.
- Types of Hymns.
- Definition of the Congregational Hymn.
- II. THE HYMN MUST BE POETRY
- To Be Poetry, It Must Be Emotional.
- It Must Have Poetical Form.
- It Must Be Poetic in Spirit.
- The Hymn Must Have Unity.
- The Poetical Element Is Contributory Only.
- Poems of Semi-religious Fancy Are Not Hymns.
- Mere Moralizing Will Not Serve.
- Special Propaganda Is Not Admissible.
- Christian Hymns Should Be Genuinely Christocentric.
- Hymns Based on the Scriptures.
- Use of Scriptural Forms Desirable.
- Congregational Singing Is a Pronounced Christian Exercise.
- Meter Essential to Mass Singing.
- Ideas Must Be Plainly Evident.
- Hymns May Not Be Extremely Individualistic.
- Distracting Figures and Forms of Expression.
- Verses Must Be Complete in Themselves.
- Musical Limitations.
- Outworn Hymns.
- Mistaken Objections to Some Hymns.
- Chapter II THE PURPOSE AND VALUE OF HYMNS
- The Influence of Purpose.
- The Purpose Must Affect Only the Practical Aspects.
- Hymns Unite Christians in Worship and Christian Activities.
- Hymns Concentrate Interest and Attention.
- Hymns Afford a Means of Expression for the Congregation.
- Hymns Provide Help and Comfort in Dark Hours.
- Hymns Afford Clear Expressions of Christian Truth.
- Hymns Give Opportunity for Active Participation by All.
- Hymns Provide Variety.
- Hymns Create a Religious Atmosphere.
- Hymns in the Home.
- Hymns in Personal Work.
- Hymns Are Evidences of the Effect of the Bible.
- Hymns and Psalms Affected the Life of the Church.
- Hymns in Personal Christian Experience.
- Hymns as Stimulating the Spiritual Life of the Minister.
- Hymns Approved by Paul.
- Hymns in the Early Church.
- Hymns Prepared the Church for Periods of Marked Progress.
- The Minister’s indifference.
- Indifference of the Congregation.
- Chapter III THE LITERARY ASPECT OF HYMNS
- Its Character as a Transcript of Life.
- Its Wide Distribution.
- Its Acceptance Through Many Generations.
- Its Profound Influence.
- Due to Narrow Definition of Literature.
- Due to Failure to Realize Limitations of Hymns.
- Some Critics and Their Criticism.
- III. THE WRITING OF HYMNS
- The Handicap of Thought and Diction.
- The Handicap of Meter.
- IV. THE LITERARY QUALITY NOT TO BE OVERESTIMATED
- Literary Quality Not the Supreme Consideration.
- Literary Quality Should Be Subconscious.
- Chapter IV THE EMENDATION OF HYMNS
- I. THE CHANGES IN OUR HYMNS
- Early Changes.
- The Abuse of the Editorial Revision.
- II. PRINCIPLES OF EQUITY INVOLVED IN THESE CHANGES
- The Limits of the Author’s Rights.
- III. EFFECT OF CHANGES ON QUALITY
- Biblical Precedent.
- IV. ANALYSIS OF CHANGES MADE
- The Omission of Verses.
- Reconstructing and Rewriting Faulty Hymns.
- Minor Felicitous Changes.
- Chapter V THE CONTENT OF THE HYMN
- I. ITS RELATION TO GOD
- Thanksgiving.
- Prayer for Future Blessing.
- Adoration.
- The Hymn of Communion.
- II. RELATION TO THE SINGER
- The Hymn of Emotion.
- The Hymn of Inspiration.
- The Hymn of Personal Experience.
- The Hymn of Meditation.
- The Hymn of Exhortation.
- The Didactic Hymn.
- The Doctrinal Hymn.
- The Homiletical Hymn.
- The Hymn of Propaganda.
- Hymns of the Social Gospel.
- Special Hymns.
- The Great Hymnic Themes.
- Chapter VI THE GOSPEL HYMN
- Lack of Discrimination.
- Wrong Assumptions of the Opposition.
- Unfairness in Comparisons Made.
- Criteria for Evaluation.
- Gospel Hymns and the Unsaved.
- Gospel Hymns and the Demands of Worship.
- Gospel Hymns in the Preparatory Service.
- Gospel Hymns in the Laboratory.
- The Advantages of Gospel Hymns.
- Discrimination in the Use of Gospel Songs.
- Chapter VII APOSTOLIC ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT
- I. SACRED SONG IN THE NEW CHRISTIAN CHURCH
- The Rise of Sacred Song in Apostolic Times.
- Apostolic Emphasis of Sacred Song.
- Traces of Hymns in the Epistles.
- The Hymns of the Apocalypse.
- “The Odes of Solomon.”
- The Failure of Apostolic Spiritual Songs to Survive.
- Chapter VIII THE POST-APOSTOLIC HYMN
- The Post-Apostolic Church a Singing Church.
- The Earliest Surviving Hymns.
- The Relation of Hymns to Psalms and Canticles.
- The Hymn as Propaganda.
- Chapter IX THE GREEK HYMNODY
- I. EARLY GREEK HYMNS
- II. THE LATER GREEK HYMNS
- Chapter X THE LATIN HYMNODY
- I. THE BEGINNINGS OF LATIN HYMNODY
- II. EARLY LATIN HYMN WRITERS
- III. GREAT LATIN HYMNS
- IV. MEDIEVAL DEVOTIONAL POEMS
- V. MEDIEVAL POPULAR HYMNODY
- Chapter XI LUTHER AND THE GERMAN HYMN
- I. PRE-REFORMATION VERNACULAR HYMNS
- II. LUTHER’S RELATION TO GERMAN HYMNODY
- Chapter XII THE LATER GERMAN HYMNODY
- I. THE RISING STANDARD OF LITERARY VALUES
- II. THE GOLDEN AGE OF GERMAN HYMNODY
- III. THE PIETISTIC HYMN WRITERS
- IV. GERMAN REFORMED HYMNODY
- V. TRANSITION TO RATIONALISTIC HYMNS
- VI. RATIONALISM IN HYMNODY
- VII. HYMNS OF RENEWED RELIGIOUS LIFE
- VIII. HYMNS OF PIETISTIC TYPE
- Chapter XIII METRICAL PSALMODY
- I. CALVIN’S CONCEPTION OF CONGREGATIONAL SINGING
- II. CALVIN’S FOLLOWERS MORE EXTREME
- III. MAROT’S SUCCESSFUL VERSIONS
- IV. DEVELOPMENT OF THE GENEVAN PSALTER
- V. ENGLISH PSALM VERSIONS BEFORE STERNHOLD
- VI. VERSION OF STERNHOLD AND HOPKINS
- VII. THE SCOTCH VERSION
- VIII. ROUS’ VERSION
- IX. TATE AND BRADY’S “NEW VERSION”
- X. AMERICAN PSALMODY
- XI. THE VALUE OF THE PSALM VERSIONS
- Chapter XIV THE ENGLISH HYMN BEFORE WATTS
- I. THE EARLIEST ENGLISH HYMN
- II. ENGLISH HYMNODY SUBMERGED BY REFORMED PSALMODY
- III. ENGLISH LITERARY IDEALS UNFAVORABLE TO HYMN-WRITING
- IV. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TECHNIC OF WRITING SINGING HYMNS
- V. THE IDEAL OF THE SINGING HYMN REALIZED
- Chapter XV ISAAC WATTS AND HIS PERIOD
- I. THE HYMNIC NEED OF THE TIME
- II. THE LIFE OF WATTS
- III. WATTS AS A HYMN WRITER
- IV. WATTS’ ARGUMENTS FOR THE HYMN
- V. WATTS’ INSISTENCE ON PRACTICABILITY
- VI. THE INESTIMABLE VALUE OF WATTS’ HYMNS
- VII. CONTEMPORARIES OF WATTS
- Chapter XVI THE WESLEYS AND THEIR ERA
- I. THE INFLUENCE OF WATTS ON THE WESLEYS
- II. THE HOME OF THE WESLEYS
- III. THE MORAVIAN INFLUENCE
- IV. JOHN WESLEY
- V. CHARLES WESLEY
- VI. CHARLES WESLEY’S HYMNS QUITE SUBJECTIVE
- VII. WATTS AND CHARLES WESLEY
- VIII. THE ISSUES OF THE WESLEYAN HYMNS
- IX. THE METHODIST TUNES
- X. INFLUENCES OPPOSING THE WESLEYAN HYMNS
- XI. OTHER METHODIST HYMN WRITERS
- XII. CALVINISTIC-METHODIST HYMN WRITERS
- XIII. BAPTIST HYMN WRITERS
- Chapter XVII HYMNS IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND
- I. RISE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE IN THE ENGLISH CHURCH
- II. EARLY COLLECTIONS OF EVANGELICAL HYMNS
- III. EVANGELICAL HYMN WRITERS
- IV. HYMN WRITERS OF THE ROMANTIC SCHOOL
- V. CONTEMPORARY HYMN WRITERS
- VI. MINOR HYMN WRITERS
- VII. THE HYMNS OF THE OXFORD MOVEMENT
- Chapter XVIII AMERICAN HYMNODY
- I. THE TRANSITION FROM PSALMODY TO HYMNODY
- II. THE INTRODUCTION OF WATTS’ HYMNS
- III. THE BEGINNINGS OF AMERICAN HYMNODY
- IV. COLLECTIONS OF AMERICAN HYMNS
- V. EPISCOPAL HYMN WRITERS
- VI. UNITARIAN HYMNODY
- VII. LATER ORTHODOX HYMN WRITERS
- Chapter XIX THE STUDY OF HYMNS
- I. IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY OF HYMNS
- II. PERSONAL ADVANTAGES OF SUCH STUDY OF HYMNS
- Literary Pleasure.
- Literary Culture.
- Development of Emotional Nature.
- III. THE PRACTICAL VALUES OF INDIVIDUAL HYMNS
- Classifying Hymns by Their Nature.
- Classifying Hymns by Their Fitness for Definite Purposes.
- IV. THE MINUTE STUDY OF HYMNS
- Analysis of the Hymn.
- The Background of the Hymn.
- Making a Hymnal of His Own.
- Memorizing Hymns.
- V. A STUDY OF METHODS OF USE
- Using Hymns in Sermons.
- Studying Responsiveness of the Congregation.
- Studying Methods of Announcement and Securing Participation.
- Studying Use of Hymnal for Specific Purposes.
- VI. A STUDY OF THE TUNES
- Chapter XX THE PRACTICAL USE OF HYMNS
- I. THE HYMN AS A MEANS TO AN END
- II. ANALYSIS OF PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF HYMNS
- III. THE USE OF HYMNS FOR CREATING RELIGIOUS INTEREST
- IV. THE HYMN AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TEACHING TRUTH
- V. HYMN SERMONS AND HYMN SERVICES
- VI. THE USE OF HYMNS IN EMERGENCIES
- Chapter XXI THE SELECTION OF HYMNS
- I. SELECTION SHOULD SECURE UNITY OF SERVICE
- Narrow Conception of Unity.
- Broader Conception of Unity.
- Unity Based on Purpose.
- II. SUGGESTIVE SELECTIONS OF HYMNS
- Hymns for Service on God’s Omnipotence.
- Hymns for Service on God’s Love.
- Hymns for a Missionary Service.
- III. IMPORTANCE OF THE TUNES
- Chapter XXI THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND TREATMENT OF HYMNS
- I. THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF HYMNS
- II. THE TREATMENT OF HYMNS
- EPILOGUE
- REFERENCES AND NOTES
- INTRODUCTION
- CHAPTER I
- CHAPTER II
- CHAPTER III
- CHAPTER IV
- CHAPTER V
- CHAPTER VII
- CHAPTER VIII
- CHAPTER IX
- CHAPTER X
- CHAPTER XI
- CHAPTER XII
- CHAPTER XIII
- CHAPTER XIV
- CHAPTER XV
- CHAPTER XVI
- CHAPTER XVII
- CHAPTER XVIII
- CHAPTER XIX
- CHAPTER XX
- CHAPTER XXII
- GENERAL INDEX
- INDEX OF HYMNS
- THE SINGING CHURCH The Hymns It Wrote and Sang By EDMUND S. LORENZ
- THE CONTENTS
- THE SINGING CHURCH The Hymns It Wrote and Sang By EDMUND S. LORENZ
How to Listen
- 1. Click "Listen Free" above
- 2. The book opens in CastReader's browser reader
- 3. Click the play button — AI narration starts with word highlighting
- 4. Use "Send to Phone" to continue listening on your phone
More by Edmund S. Lorenz
FAQ
Is this audiobook really free?
Yes. "The Singing Church: The Hymns It Wrote and Sang" is a public domain work from Project Gutenberg. CastReader converts it to audio using AI text-to-speech for free. No account or payment needed.
What does the AI voice sound like?
CastReader uses Kokoro TTS, a natural-sounding AI voice. It handles punctuation, names, and dialogue naturally. Most listeners forget it's AI after a few minutes.
Can I listen on my phone?
Yes. Open the book, then use "Send to Phone" to stream audio to your phone via Telegram. No app download needed.
