By Viola Larson, Naming His Grace blog When I followed a link to the Presbyterian journal, Unbound, this morning, I couldn’t help thinking of how so many great British mysteries and novels bring their contradictory and troubling plots and characters together in explosive scenarios of disaster thus leveling all to a final equality as the author…
By Steve Salyards This year has seen the release of two new hymnals for mainstream Presbyterian and Reformed churches. Last week my copy of the new hymnal Glory To God arrived in the mail. Now having a copy in my hands I did what I always do when I acquire a new hymnal, new or…
By Jerry L. Van Marter Four entities of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) responsible for publication of the new Presbyterian hymnal, “Glory to God,” have issued a statement in response to extensive media coverage of the absence of one hymn, “In Christ Alone,” from the new book. Media outlets such as the Huffington Post, the Nashville…
By Jeff Gissing Protestant churches—especially Evangelical ones—typically sing their theology. In the absence of a formal liturgy hymnody carries the weight of theological formation. Scripture shapes our beliefs about God more in the theory than in reality. The average Christian spends little time exploring how the confessions interpret Scripture. Instead, our sung worship songs shape…