20
Jul
2009
Non-Trinitarian Worship Songs
Lester Ruth, Associate Professor of Worship and Liturgy at Asbury Theological Seminary, in his article “Lex Amandi, Lex Orandi: The Trinity in the Most Used Contemporary Christian Worship Songs” offers a very impressive analysis of the presence of the Doctrine of the Trinity, or lack thereof, in modern praise and worship songs. You can read it here. Of course, this could be leveled against some older hymns as well.
HT: Bob McDowell
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I found his analysis very insightful, but I also noted how the same criticisms would apply to many hymns as well as the Psalms.
In any case, I think people would really benefit from Ruth’s reflections.
Well none of the Psalms would meet the criteria of naming all three persons of the trinity. Do any of the Psalms discuss the internal dynamics of the God-head? Possibly a good argument for the necessity to have spiritual songs other than the Psalms… This is actually now making me wonder why the name “Trinity Psalter” was chosen, it seems somewhat ironic. Obviously it is The Triune God that the psalms are speaking of, but that doesn’t come through in the psalms themselves…
Thanks for this Nic. Very useful.
The point Tim H makes above is a good one though. What about the Psalms? I think some of what Lester Ruth says can be supplemented by insisting not merely on Trinitarian song but on Trinitarian liturgy in general.
Well now my friends, it seems that you have all taken your covenantal hermeneutic and set it aside. Of course the Psalms are Trinitarian. There are references to all three Persons of the Godhead in them. I do not think the point of Beth’s article was to suggest that every hymn ought to mention all three Persons of the Godhead. I am happy if Christ is mentioned in light of the fuller revelation of the New Covenant in our hymns. Of course the Psalms must be sung, and, if they are taught accurately are also shown to be about Christ. What sayest thou?
According to Ruth, a song about Christ, or even Christ and the Father doesn’t make it Trinitarian. I don’t think anyone would argue that Psalms like 22, 69, 110 do not involve the Father and Son. But are there any that make reference to each person of the God-head? Ruth even mentions this on p 352, stating that the lack of trinitarian content is because the psalms are the scriptural foundations for most songs in that study and “the triune God is not obvious there”.
I agree that I don’t think his point is that every song needs to mention each person of the trinity, but should this aspect of a songs content be at the forefront of the composers mind when they are writing, or should they strive to expound on some truth to show the glory of God that they see active? Well why not both if they can. What was particularly surprising to me was that “29 of 44” songs were spontaneously written, with presumably no deeper theological reflection/investigation.
Timothy,
Psalm 2, 16 and 11O are clear examples of the inter-Trinitarian relationships. There are several others. The problem lies, not in a lack of examples, but in out spiritual sight to see them clearly. We need to pray that the Lord will enlighten the eyes of our hearts. Thank you for challenging me to have to think through the Psalms.
Nick and Timothy,
I should have been more clear in my original post. I wouldn’t argue that none of the psalms have Trinitarian content. However, I think it is fair to say most of the Psalm do not. (Correct me if I’m wrong.) While I found Ruth’s analysis incredibly helpful, I hesitate when I realize the same metric applied to the Psalms might come up short.
I think Timothy D’s last paragraph is helpful. Ruth’s criticisms are helpful when understood as part (but not the entirity) of the theological discernment necessary when considering songs.
Thoughts?
I think that a Psalm ought to be explained before it is sung. You all may disagree, but the fuller revelation of the New Covenant must be understood in our reading or singing of the Old Covenant. Plus, any reference to El or Yahweh is a reference to the true and living Triune God. Unless of course you want to argue your position as a Jew.
I totally agree that songs should be introduced with some level of explanation, and even more so with the psalms. Especially ones with less than clear trinitarian references or even imprecatory psalms, so that we know more fully what we are singing. This is a good thing; it gives you more to think about when the song is running through you head as you go about your day.
We all seem though to be in agreement that this study is a step in the right direction, even though incomplete. I’d like to see a study that took a body of CWM and classified it according to the Westminster Confession’s chapters. We could see where the songs fell doctrinally, and also see the doctrines that may need more attention in song writing. Wayne Grudem does this partially in his Systematic Theology:
http://books.google.com/books?id=DA8xl4eagDcC&lpg=PA1222&ots=hBUGy3N-UX&dq=wayne%20grudem%20systematic%20theology%20songs&pg=PA1222
Hey Nick,
I thing we might be going around in circles while in complete agreement with one another. But one more try anyway. 🙂 I agree with your last post 100%. However, Ruth was arguing that many contemporary songs do not explicitly reference the Trinity, and I think he would similarly conclude that “El or Yahweh” (which we know refers to the Trinitarian God) is not an explicit Trinitarian reference.
I’m not attempting to make a judgment call, I’m simply saying by using the same analysis he used in this lecture, the Psalms would (with some exception) be only implicitly Trinitarian. Perhaps that demonstrates that his metric is not sufficient for measuring the value of a particular song.
Nic,
Having pastored a church in the Free Church of Scotland for five years I have delighted to sing Psalms exclusively and have not found the diet of praise to be in any way sub-Christian. I agree with you that we need to explain and draw out the Trinitarian connections that a good redemptive historical hermeneutic reveals. However you must confess that in the Old Testament in general and the Psalm in particular there are at best only adumbrations of the Trinity. We have hints and references that become clear as to their total meaning in the light of New Covenant fullness in Christ (a covenantal sensus plenior).
Nevertheless many of the psalms are not themselvs explicitly Trinitarian. I have been in Free Church worship services where the man preached a moralizing sermon from Old testament scriptures and we sang only the psalms without any explanatory preface. The onyl reference to Trinitarian realities came perhaps at the end of a prayer ‘in Jesus’ name’ or in a benediction at the end of the service. The whole could have been a Jewish service and I left shuddering.
I disagree with nothing you’ve said. I simply have too much experience with the (mis)use of the psalms to simply assert their Trinitarianism without careful qualification. It takes deliberate work to help worshipers use the psalms well. My point above was that in the context of a richly Trinitarian liturgy occassionally a psalm may be sung without any comment as to New Covenant application. And my bigger point was that if occassionally we do sing something that is not explicitly Trinitarian in the context of a richly Trinitarian liturgy we ought not to despair.
I suspect that Ruth’s thesis becomes even more dispairing when we realize that most contexts in which CWM find a home have given little thought to liturgy or Trinitarianism, or gospel logic or covenant renewal etc etc.
I agree with those who point out that most Psalms are not obviously Trinitarian. Indeed, I’m not suggesting throwing out either the Psalms or the contemporary songs I reviewed. Songs and Psalms pick up meaning, too, from what surrounds them in a worship service.
I’m glad most have found the analysis helpful.