Singing the faith : soundings of lyrical theology in the Methodist tradition

2020·1.4 MB·English

by  Paul Wesley Chilcote

inging
S
the faith
Soundings of Lyrical Theology
in the Methodist Tradition
PAUL WESLEY CHILCOTE
Singing the Faith: Soundings of Lyrical Theology in the Meth-
odist Tradition
The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry leads and serves
The United Methodist Church in the recruitment, preparation, nurture,
education, and support of Christian leaders—lay and clergy—for the work
of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Its
vision is that a new generation of Christian leaders will commit boldly to
Jesus Christ and be characterized by intellectual excellence, moral integ-
rity, spiritual courage, and holiness of heart and life. The General Board
of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church serves
as an advocate for the intellectual life of the church. The Board’s mission
embodies the Wesleyan tradition of commitment to the education of lay-
persons and ordained persons by providing access to higher education for
all persons.
Wesley’s Foundery Books is named for the abandoned foundery that early
followers of John Wesley transformed, which later became the cradle of
London’s Methodist movement.
Singing the Faith: Soundings of Lyrical Theology in the Meth-
odist Tradition
Copyright 2020 by Wesley’s Foundery Books
Wesley’s Foundery Books is an imprint of the General Board of Higher Edu-
cation and Ministry, The United Methodist Church. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, print or
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Education and Ministry, PO Box 340007, Nashville, TN 37203-0007; phone
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Scriptures are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copy-
right 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of
the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
All web addresses were correct and operational at the time of publication.
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Presses.
Manufactured in the United States of America
For two new grandsons in our family,
Oliver Wesley Glass and Theo Jonathan Brooks,
who are already avid singers

Contents
Preface vii
Introduction 1
1. Charles Wesley: Lyrical Theologian of Love Divine 17
2. John Wesley: Translator of German Lyrical Theology 29
3. Successors to the Wesleys: The Path to Fanny Crosby,
Gospel Theologian 43
4. Successors to Crosby: Gospel and Holiness Songs 57
5. Charles A. Tindley: Lyrical Theologian of
Black “Soul Echoes” 71
6. Emerging Social and Global Consciousness 85
7. Fred Pratt Green: Lyrical Theologian of Jubilation 99
8. Fresh Expressions: British and American Lyrical
Theology Today 113
9. Himnos Nuevos: Pioneers of Contextualized Lyrical
Theology 131
10. Global Praise: Methodist Lyrical Theology around
the World 145
Epilogue 163
Appendix: Methodist Composers of Sacred Songs
and Signature Texts 167
Index 205
v

Preface
In 2017 my book A Faith That Sings: Biblical Themes in the Lyrical
Theology of Charles Wesley received the Saddlebag Award from the
Historical Society of The United Methodist Church. This award is
given for the outstanding book on United Methodist history or a
related subject published during the previous calendar year. That
book is included in the Wesleyan Doctrine Series, which “seeks to
reintroduce Christians in the Wesleyan tradition to the beauty of
doctrine.” In that earlier volume I attempted to articulate the theol-
ogy sung by countless early Methodists through Wesley’s hymns.
In a tradition frequently described as “born in song,” it seemed to
make sense to explore the salient theological themes proclaimed
in the hymns of this unsurpassed lyricist. This exercise confirmed
many of my own conclusions about Wesleyan theology but also
revealed new insights about a theology that is sung.
While I was working on that project, the idea surfaced in my
mind to produce a parallel volume examining the compositions of
Methodist lyricists since the time of Charles Wesley and to explore
the theology embedded in their hymns and songs. I thought that
such a book might serve well as a parallel to Thomas Langford’s
long-standing classic, Practical Divinity: Theology in the Wesleyan Tra-
dition. Using a fairly straightforward chronological methodology,
Langford examined the theology of great Methodist figures such
as Richard Watson and Borden Parker Bowne, Mildred Bangs Wyn-
koop and Georgia Harkness, James Cone and José Miguez Bonino.
But we know the theology of Methodist people has been shaped by
the songs they have sung as well as the books they have read and
the sermons they have heard. This fact begs the question, who are
some of the significant Methodist lyricists who have shaped the the-
ology of those who sing their songs? How has this sung theology
changed over the years? What are the patterns and permutations
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Preface
of this lyrical theology? My feeling is that these song writers and
their songs are just as significant as the major theologians who have
shaped Methodist discourse for nearly three centuries. And so, this
volume seeks to enrich our theological understanding by listening
to these voices as well.
I am not a hymnologist like a Michael Hawn or Martin Clarke,
someone who has studied and has a broad knowledge of songs in
all their various forms. Neither do I possess anything approaching
the breadth of their knowledge related to hymnals or hymn col-
lections. I am neither a poet nor a serious student of poetry like a
Richard Watson or Frank Baker, someone who has mastered the art
and craft of lyrical expression. I have never written a hymn or given
serious attention to the literary qualities of lyrical material. Nor am
I a musician like an S T Kimbrough Jr. or Jeremy Begbie, someone
who possesses a sophisticated understanding of the musical aspects
of hymns and songs in terms of their genres, structures, or styles.
Moreover, I am not a Carlton Young, someone who has mastered all
of these areas. I am an historical theologian who loves to sing the
songs of faith and who has a passionate interest in how the sing-
ing of the community of faith both expresses and shapes theology.
Because of my engagement in and love for many different forms of
sacred song, I am constantly reminded about the complexity and
multifaceted phenomenon of lyrical theology.
I owe a deep debt of gratitude to a multitude of friends, scholars,
and practitioners who have provided assistance in this project. I am
particularly thankful for six dear friends and colleagues who helped
bring focus to this volume conceptually. This was a difficult task,
given the nascent character of this kind of study and the complex-
ity of the lyrical/theological interface. So my heartfelt gratitude to
Ron Anderson, Elise Eslinger, S T Kimbrough Jr., Ed Phillips, Lester
Ruth, and Karen Westerfield Tucker in particular for their front-end
heavy lifting. I own the faults in the design and methodology and
any of my failures to heed their good advice.
With regard to the evolution of this book, Taylor Burton-
Edwards, Randy Maddox, Jonathan Powers, Don Saliers, and John
Witvliet provided helpful guidance. For those Methodists who are
currently engaged in the practice of creating sacred texts, I have
wanted them to represent themselves as much as possible in this
work. So the opportunity to enrich long-standing relationships and
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Preface
to develop new ones with Tomas Boström, Constance Cherry, Dan
Damon, Hartmut Handt, Swee Hong Lim, Jorge Lockward, I-to Loh,
Patrick Matsikenyiri, Simei Monteiro, George Mulrain, Andrew
Pratt, Pablo Sosa, and John Thornburg have been life-giving to me
throughout this experience. Their creative energy astounds me; I
thank them for who they are and what they continue to produce in
praise of God.
Much of the basic research for this book depended heavily upon
InterLibrary Loan, so many thanks to the staff at Asbury Theologi-
cal Seminary for their excellent service, as well as the many libraries
that fulfilled my requests. Kathy Armistead has been a great friend
for many years. Not only did she and her colleague Jennifer Manley
Rogers welcome the proposal for this book with open arms, but they
have supported me in this project with great generosity. My daugh-
ter, Rebekah, provided copy editing services on this volume as she
has on others I have written. She has a good eye and good sense, so
some of the credit for this book goes to her with my thanks.
While I was preparing the manuscript of this book, the Cathe-
dral of Notre Dame in Paris fell prey to the ravages of fire on April
15, 2019. As I sat at my computer writing, I kept an eye on the TV
screen in the distance. The tragedy is still incomprehensible. But as
darkness fell and the crowds swelled in the vicinity of the cathedral,
those who gathered began to sing hymns. In the midst of this great
loss God’s people expressed their lament and bolstered their faith
in song. This reflects the power of singing and the way our singing
embodies our faith.
P.W.C.
May 21, 2019
Anniversary of Charles Wesley’s Awakening of Faith
ix