1. Definition of a Hymn.
St. Augustine, 354-430, gave a definition of a hymn, which has been widely accepted:
A hymn is the praise of God by singing. A hymn is a song embodying the praise of God. If there is merely praise but not praise of God it is not a hymn. If there be praise, and praise of God, but not sung, it is not a hymn. For it to be a hymn, it is needful, therefore, for it to have three things—praise, praise of God, and these sung.
A recent definition, accepted by the Hymn Society of America, is that of the late Carl F. Price:
A Christian hymn is a lyric poem, reverently and devotionally conceived, which is designed to be sung and which expresses the worshiper’s attitude toward God, or God’s purposes, in human life.
L. F. Benson, America’s foremost hymnologist, defines a hymn in these simple words:
The Christian hymn ... is a form of words appropriate to be sung or chanted in public devotions.
A hymn is to be sung by a congregation. Its message must be simple, not subtle. It must read well and sing well. In modern usage, the hymn is not limited to the praise of God but includes other moods of worship such as resignation and consecration.