As a general rule, those who study Christianity’s growth and expansion—missiologists—know that a given culture has truly embraced the faith when its people compose their own songs for worship. Similarly, hymns that remain popular centuries after their composition are often traced to times of reformation and revival. Two well-known Christmas carols in the English language are Joy to the World, written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748), and Hark the Herald Angels Sing, by Charles Wesley (1707-1788).
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A Singing People
I recently read a chapter that left an imprint on me both academically and personally, and I knew it was happening in real-time. It brought together numerous threads in a clear way that helped make sense of various discussions in my research field. But, more importantly, it left me in a spirit of worship as the words that echoed in my mind were not those of the author, but of others you might be familiar with.
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