The Bible and Music

What makes up a hymn? We know that a hymnal is a collection of hymns, but why are Christmas carols not considered hymns? In class on Thursday, we discovered via Google that a hymn is “collective singing of a religious song or poem, typically of praise to God or a god”. I think this definition is broadly defined, however, because some Christmas carols to fall under this scope. But there is a different between Christmas music, and secular Christmas music. I would use different language in referring to these secular songs by a more exclusive name, such as holiday songs or winter songs, because I find that they are referring more to the winter season than a Church season. What is characteristic of a hymn, though not exclusive, is its use of imagery. Phrases such as “God of Angel Armies”, “Lord of Hosts”, and songs referencing the star under which Jesus was born are such examples.

We also asked how old to still qualify as Contemporary Christian Music? We concluded that “contemporary” is an arbitrary category. Something can be contemporary to something else, and songs hundreds of years old can still fall under the “Contemporary” Era. These songs include Great Is Thy Faithfulness, Be Thou My Vision, and Before The Throne.