28 March, 2024

Do We Believe What We Sing?

Features

by | 27 August, 2012 | 1 comment

By Tom Lawson

Calvinism, largely through the influence of the Church of Scotland between 1600 and 1900, has become the dominant position of the majority of English-speaking Evangelical Protestants. The Stone-Campbell Movement, along with groups such as the Cumberland Presbyterians and Freewill Baptists, represent non-Calvinistic groups that have emerged within this broader majority. Since the hymns and songs used in Christian worship are widely shared across denominational lines, it is not surprising that many popular Christian songs come from dedicated Calvinists.

In many cases the doctrinal distinctives of Calvinism do not emerge in the lyrics of a song, even if the songwriter is a dedicated Calvinist. There may be no better example of this than the song “Rock of Ages.” Augustus Toplady was a brilliant writer and an adamant Calvinist. In 1769 he wrote a book strongly defending the idea that only Calvinism was the true doctrine of the Church of England. Over the next several years, which included a series of disputes with John Wesley, Toplady became Calvinism”s most vocal promoter with the Church of England.

Many of his lyrics reflect his Calvinism, such as, “He wills that I and all his sheep, Should reign with him in bliss; And pow”r he has to execute Whate”er his will decrees.”1 Nevertheless, his best known hymn, “Rock of Ages,” has lyrics embraced by Protestants on both sides of the Calvinism dispute.

Other times, the lyrics churches sing were originally intended to reflect a distinctly Calvinistic approach to Christianity. Often, the lyrics can be taken more than one way, allowing non-Calvinists to sing them with slightly different meanings. Other times, the phrases cannot be so easily tweaked. So the words simply sit there, waiting to be sung by churches that continue to insist they are not Calvinistic.

Doubtless some reading this article hold some form of Reformed or Calvinistic theology. Others, particularly within the Stone-Campbell Movement, probably will insist they do not. Many, to be honest, have not given it much thought. They don”t know what all the hubbub is about.

No matter your own views, the words we sing matter. So, how are you at identifying lyrics that reflect a distinctly Calvinistic theology and those that don”t?

Here”s a brief quiz. Read each question and then select which of the four possible answers you think is most likely correct.Check yourself by reading the answers at the end of this article.

 

1. In the popular 19th-century hymn “I Know Whom I have Believed” by Daniel Whittle, which of these stanzas reflects Calvinism?

a. Nor why unworthy””Christ in love redeemed me for His own

b. I know not when my Lord may come, at night or noonday fair

c. I know not how the Spirit moves, convincing men of sin

d. Revealing Jesus thro” the word, creating faith in Him

 

2. Which of these popular hymns sung in the early 20th century was not written by a committed Calvinist?

a. “Bringing in the Sheaves” (by Knowles Shaw)

b. “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” (by Elisha Hoffman)

c. “Rescue the Perishing” (by Fanny Crosby)

d. “Revive Us Again” (by William Mackay)

 

3. Which of the following very popular songs has a stanza that, when understood as the hymn writer intended, asserts a very Calvinistic view that grace produces faith?

a. “Amazing Grace”

b. “How Great Thou Art”

c. “The Family of God”

d. “Jesus Paid It All”

 

4. Which of the following contemporary praise songs, when understood as the composer intends, teaches predestination from before birth and eternal security for the elect?

a. “Awesome God”

b. “In Christ Alone”

c. “Blessed Be Your Name”

d. “How Great Is Our God”

 

5. Which of the following old-fashioned camp choruses is based on a classic Calvinistic altar call appeal?

a. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”

b. “Pass It On”

c. “This Little Light of Mine”

d. “Do Lord”

One final but very important point needs to be made. The church”s songs of worship are drawn from a wide variety of traditions, denominations, and various points in church history. Because the songs focus on the central core truths all these various groups share, they are readily exchanged and sung within these various traditions and denominations. Calvinism, like what is often labeled Arminianism (non-Calvinism), existed in a wide spectrum of variations.

No one, least of all me, would suggest churches launch theology purges of music. On the other hand, we do well to pay attention to doctrinal teachings and assumptions in the songs we use for worship.

Answers:

1. d. In Calvinism a person”s faith in God is not the product of any choice of his own, but is the work of the Holy Spirit within the elect. This cannot be resisted if a person is chosen, and cannot be generated if a person is not. Any perception that it involves human freewill is an illusion.

Choice “c.” certainly may have been intended to also support Calvinism, but since non-Calvinists also believe the Spirit works broadly to prod people toward repentance, it does not present a distinctly Calvinistic perspective.

2. a. Knowles Shaw was, in fact, a well-known preacher and hymn writer within the Christian church/church of Christ. “Bringing in the Sheaves” is the best known of his hymns. The others””whose songs are rightly loved by Christians of many traditions””were all composed by committed Calvinists.

3. a. Surprisingly, to the dismay of many who cherish John Newton”s beloved lyrics (the tune, properly called “New Britain” comes from long after Newton”s time), he was firmly committed to the Reformed branch of the Church of England. The second stanza of the original reads, “Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed.” Like many such stanzas, the words can be easily redefined in the minds of non-Calvinists. In Newton”s mind, however, the image is that God”s sovereign grace brings the elect to an awareness of God (“grace . . . taught my heart to fear”) and then to accept the offer of salvation (“grace my fears relieved”).

4. b. “In Christ Alone.” Of course, many contemporary songs are written by composers whose background is within Reformed Christianity. Most of the time, as in older hymns, distinctly Calvinistic perspectives simply have no reason to come up in their lyrics. In Stuart Townsend”s “In Christ Alone,” however, one of the stanzas reflects both predestination and eternal security. It speaks of Jesus commanding my destiny throughout life and says neither man nor Hell can remove a saved person from the hand of God. Of course, the phrases can be slightly tweaked and happily sung by non-Calvinists, as well.

5. d. “Do Lord.” This may be the easiest of the quiz questions, since the song makes virtually no sense to non-Calvinists. Why would we plead with God to remember who we are? In the traditional altar call at the end of a Calvinistic preaching service, the expectation is for people to plead with God that they will be (or, properly, always have been) part of the chosen. The repeated phrase “Remember me” is the central part of that prayer.

________

1The Works of Augustus M. Toplady, Vol. 6, Hymn XIII (London: William Baynes & Son, 1825), 405, 406; found at http://books.google.com.

 

Tom Lawson teaches classes in worship, Old Testament, and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. Follow his blog at ADORATE.ORG.

1 Comment

  1. Ray Downen

    Good for Tom Lawson. But he writes about traditional songs that are seldom now sung in “our” churches. Most larger churches have abandoned hymnals. Often, they’ve abandoned hymns. I lead a hymn-sing each week at Spring River Christian Village in Joplin. We sing from hymnals. Each person present selects a hymn for us to sing together. Sometimes I can select stanzas which are doctrinally correct. Sometimes it’s necessary to just sing the song as written. I sometimes interrupt the singing after such a song to point out that the words are not properly presenting Bible truth, but often we just move on to the next selection. Do those present understand the wrong doctrine we’ve sung. I doubt it. For each time I discuss (necessarily briefly) the words, I get only assent to what I point out is Bible truth. I sorrow that many of our congregations no longer sing grand and majestic hymns but are led in songs with little meaning but much repetition of phrases and almost no musical value. This is true even at the school where Tom teaches and where in 1955 I received a BA(Ministerial) degree. Back then we used hymnals.

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Features

Follow Us