Custom, convention, continuity. Prescription over invention. Nothing seems less likely to make a difference for Christ. We need to acquire the fire, or so we are told, even if it is started by arsonists. Prudence is for prudes. Revolution is in the air! Jacobin? Never heard of it. We have to win the world for Christ, even… Continue Reading
Nathan Hatch, in his Democratization of American Christianity, writes concerning the changes in American religion due to the implicit notion of the “Sovereign Audience”: Popular gospel music became a pervasive reality in Jacksonian culture because people wrested singing from churchly control. The music created a spontaneous, moving medium, capable of capturing the identity of plain… Continue Reading
I am always thrilled when someone introduces me to a hymn that is well-written and theologically rich, and for some reason or another has been neglected by the editors of popular hymnals. Today, let me introduce you to one of my old friends! “Jesus Lives, and So Shall I” by Christian Gellert (original German title:… Continue Reading