From its beginnings in the Bible, Christian hymnology has fulfilled three functions -- praise, recital and teaching of the Myth, and collective and personal adoration as well as the foundation and worship of the church. In Hymns and the Christian Myth, Lionel Adey demonstrates that over the centuries shifts emphasizing particular elements of the Christian faith accord with the interests and concerns of the times in which the hymns were composed.

Lionel Adey's profile page

Lionel Adey is a professor in the English department at the University of Victoria.

Brings considerable insight and perception to the task of the role of hymnody in perpetuation of dogma and devotional thought throughout the history of Christianity.

Faith and Mission

The serious study of English hymns, overlooked for so long, is rapidly becoming an important area of inquiry, not only for literature but for social history, church history, theology, and religion. Lionel Adey's study is a welcome and admirably comprehensive contribution to our knowledge of the diversity and significance of the genre, and should in all likelihood become required reading for anyone interested in the field ... It should find use in several disciplines, and does seem to lay effectively the groundwork for further study. Undeniably, it succeeds in stimulating the reader's wish to pursue the subject in the highly promising sequel.

English Studies in Canada

One of the most captivating books ever written on hymnody.

The Hymn