Inclusive, Not Exclusive Psalm Singing

A Big Tent, Yet Balanced Approach Toward Psalms & Hymns

Defining Hymns

What is a hymn? It is a song of praise, usually worshipful, from the Greek word hymnos. Hymnologist Carl F. Price expands on that by stating:

A Christian Hymn is a lyric poem, reverently and devotionally conceived, which is designed to be sung and which expresses the worshipper’s attitude toward God or God’s purposes in human life. It should be simple and metrical in form, genuinely emotional, poetic and literary in style, spiritual in quality, and in its ideas so direct and so immediately apparent as to unify a congregation while singing.¹

Price’s definition shows the multifaceted quality of hymnody as an art form that does multiple things at once. Is this the end-all, be-all definition—no. But does it help us see hymnody more three-dimensionally? I think so. Hymnologist David W. Music has also stated that “Hymns are simple in form, but they may be studied in many ways: as poetry: as music; as theology; as vehicles for worship, evangelism, religious education, ministry, and fellowship; and as historical and cultural artifacts.”

Defining Psalms

Now, a psalm is a song of praise, also of Greek origin, and was originally sung with a harp. It refers explicitly to songs from the 150 chapters of the book of Psalms in the Old Testament. Many in the Christian church have sung the Psalms in chant form, carrying the text with an elevated tone or tones. The church has also written metered prose versions of the Psalms, historically referred to as “Metrical Psalms,” or psalms translated in metered poetic rhyme scheme verse. The argument can be made that while many of these metrical psalm texts are closely translated to follow the flow and Hebrew meaning of the original Psalm texts, they are still artful paraphrases that could just as legitimately be called a hymn themed on that particular Psalm, much like we more quickly associate Isaac Watts’ “Our God Our Help in Ages Past” text as a hymn on Psalm 90 more than a psalm translation or metrical psalm.² Or similarly, think of Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” text on Psalm 46. While it is a metered text, it would be more accurate to call it a hymn on Psalm 46 than an exact metrical psalm setting of Psalm 46. Look no further than Psalm 46:3 to see where Luther’s creative license opts not to translate or emphasize the “waters roar and be troubled”(NKJV) from the text. Instead, he frames his hymn in terms of God’s work and our triumph over the evil foe that is Satan. There is nothing wrong with doing this, and I don’t want to discourage singing this hymn in any way. The point is that we ought to understand the overlap of metrical psalms and so-called hymnody and be wise in our use of both of these profitable song forms.

Instead, historically, Christian churches and denominations largely tend to chant the scriptures in various ways (plainsong, Anglican, and similar historic chant forms) or churches sing metrical and hymn settings of the Psalms. Alternatively, Christians should have a “Big Tent” view of Psalmody and Hymnody. Our churches should prioritize singing and maturation in participatory singing so we are not pigeonholed into only Psalm chanting or Metrical Psalm singing. Instead, we should be thankful and flexible in utilizing both chanting and Metrical Psalm-singing wisely and even through-composed versions like those found in David R. Erb’s Cantica Sanctorum collection of psalm compositions.

Inclusive, Not Exclusive

Put provocatively another way, we want to be “inclusive psalmists,” not in the recent way of inclusive language and watering down of the text to fit whatever the modern conventions say it should. Rather, we should include a broad range of forms and styles where there is merit. We want a thoughtful but gracious “Big Tent” where faithful translations and profitable compositions can be used to help us further meditate on the inspired words of Scripture. This is the ideal that Christians should work toward rather than these sometimes “Psalter Wars” where the Psalm chanters are pitted against the Metrical so-called “Psalms-Only” singers.³ We need a wise and thankful approach and a so-called “Big Tent” that welcomes all appropriate and profitable compositions that help us meditate and sing God’s Word in psalms and canticles and other musical settings of the Scriptures.

In other words, we should sing or work towards not only singing, say, Psalm 23 directly from authoritative Bible translations in various chant forms but also singing the metrical and hymn versions from the Genevan and even Scottish Psalters through time, such as “The Lord’s My Shepherd I Shall Not Want” or “The King of Love My Sheperd Is” and so forth. We could build up our musical and scriptural muscles to sing and hear many of these little prose commentaries or sermonettes on the psalms that we call metrical psalms and hymns. Our churches would be better for it, not worse, provided it is done in a thoughtful and balanced way that recognizes our people’s musical and theological frame and simultaneously acknowledges that not all compositions are musically or theologically equal and accessible for our people to sing. Wisdom must be applied here.

Conclusion

We need a balanced, historically informed approach to church music, not “Psalter Wars.” We want to foster an environment where the entire congregation can participate more and more, grow in their understanding, and appreciate the great gift of church music handed down to us over the centuries. From this “Big Tent,” we can thankfully stand upon the shoulders of this great tradition and build upon it in new and more glorious settings over time.

Feel free to chime in below in the comment section.

1. Carl F. Price, “What is a Hymn?” - Paper VI of the Hymn Society of America, 1937, 8.

2. The reader may think of the parallel passages of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 and wonder if I will address the so-called “spiritual songs.” The answer is not in this post.

3. The irony is that many in Presbyterian and Reformed church circles who trumpet the loudest their “exclusive psalmody” approach would not be caught singing any other type of psalm form, such as chanting or through-composed. I would encourage them to lessen the rhetoric and channel some of that energy towards this broad and thankful approach to singing the psalms in various ways, not just in the hymn-like metrical settings that encompass only a part of psalm singing in the church historically.