The foremost hymnist of this period is, of course, Martin Luther. Other great hymnists of this period are Justus Jonas, Paul Eber, Paul Speratus, Nikolaus Decius, Lazarus Spengler, Nikolaus Hermann, Barthol. Ringwaldt, and Nikolaus Selnecker. Michael Weiss of Bohemia belongs to this period, because he produced a number of excellent German translations of church hymns which had been in use among the followers of John Huss.
The second period of German hymnody, the seventeenth century, may be regarded as one of great prosperity. In it the objective and the subjective seem to attain a fine balance. The church hymn now comes more directly from the soul of the communion of the faithful. In form and expression there is healthy progress. A very fine type of lyrical poetry develops. During the first years of this period we note such excellent hymnists as L. Helmbold, Martin Schalling, Valerius Herberger, and Philipp Nicolai. Among hymn writers during the hard times of the Thirty Years War, who produced excellent hymns of consolation, powerful hymns, we note especially John Heermann, Paul Fleming, J. M. Meyfart, Martin Rinkart, John Rist, and Simon Dach. The objective-subjective hymnody of the seventeenth century, in its purest and noblest form, is to be found in the hymns of Paul Gerhardt, writer of more than one hundred hymns, in which the ardor and fervor of Christian subjectivity attained a most happy union with the firm evangelical faith and the noble popular elements of the Reformation period. He is one of the greatest German hymn writers, if not the greatest. With him we note Georg Neumark, J. Franck, and M. Schirmer.
The third period, from the end of the seventeenth century to about 1750, may be called the age of subjective hymnody. To this period belong such great hymn writers as Johann Scheffler (Angelus Silesius) and Countess Ludemilia Elisabeth of Schwartzburg-Rudolstadt. Both of these hymn writers are quite strongly inclined towards sound Mysticism. At the opening of the eighteenth century, Pietism brought about a great awakening in hymn writing. Several of the followers of Spener and Francke produced a large number of devotional hymns which are full of sound and sincere piety in simple and noble form. To this group of hymn writers belong Samuel Rodigast, Gottfried Arnold, Johann Freylinghausen, Herrnschmidt, Richter, Countess Emilie Juliane of Schwartzburg, J. J. Rambach, and Woltersdorf. In this connection we must also mention Gerhard Tersteegen, a preacher without a church, and a leader among “awakened souls.” The followers of J. A. Bengel, or the so-called Bible Theologians, produced a number of fine devotional hymns. Leading hymn writers in this group are Johann Mentzer and Phillip Friedrich Hiller. Count Zinzendorf, the great leader among the Herrnhuters, or Moravian Brethren, wrote a number of excellent hymns. Besides these hymnological fruits of Pietism, the orthodox tendency did not remain unproductive. Pietism exerted considerable influence upon the orthodox hymnody. To this group of orthodox hymn writers belong Erdmann Neumeister, Benjamin Schmolck, and Salomo Franck. Towards the middle of the eighteenth century a dull and degraded Pietism began to react upon sacred poetry. A sound and vigorous tone was superseded by the subjective and lyrical effusions of the individual. The hymns began to treat more and more of personal feelings and soul experiences, of events and situations in private life. A number of poor hymn books appeared. Public taste for the right kind of church song was spoiled. This paved the way for a hymnological revolution, brought about mainly by Rationalism, during the last half of the eighteenth century.
The fourth period, the era of decline, includes the last half of the eighteenth century and the first decades of the nineteenth. This is the time of the destructive influences of Neologism or Rationalism in Germany. German hymnody suffered. Rationalism is a denial of positive Christian life, and lacks sympathy for the primitive, the simple, and the popular. It cannot attend to the needs of the common people. It possesses a character of superficial and heartless intellectualism. Reason was made the highest authority in all religious matters. Genuine hymn writing could not grow up in a soil which was destitute both of poetry and of true Christianity. The dominion of rationalism in German hymnody began about the middle of the eighteenth century with a revision of the old church hymns in accordance with the new ideas of the age, an age of enlightenment and illumination. To begin with this hymnological revision was mainly in the interest of form. Severity, irregularity and archaism in expression and style, in rhyme and meter, etc., had to be eliminated from the church hymns. Up-to-date language had to be used. The revision of form was soon followed by a revision of content. Old ideas in the hymns had to be removed. The church hymns had to be in harmony with the new ethical ideas of the age. A great work in hymnological vandalism was in progress. It was not sufficient to merely improve the old hymns. Most of the grand old church hymns were dropped and new ones produced—new hymns which were in perfect harmony with the new ideas of the age. The new hymn book was to be a kind of textbook in moral philosophy. The new hymn book should instruct the people in many useful things. Hymns were written on such subjects as profitable economy, extravagance, superstition, scepticism, quiet and peaceful life, contentedness, integrity, the right use of pleasure, commerce, agriculture, vaccination, sleep, etc. The direction was not heavenward so much as worldward.
The leading hymnological revisor or editor was Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock (1724-1803). He also wrote a few original hymns. One of the best hymn writers of this hymnological era was Christian Fuerchtegott Gellert (1715-1769). He wrote a number of excellent hymns. Johann Casper Lavater (1741-1801) was perhaps the greatest hymn writer of this period.
The fifth period of German hymnody, an era of renovation, from about 1825 to about 1910, is known not so much for original hymn writing as for its general return to the best of old German hymnody. The neological hymn books of the preceding period were condemned and rejected. New hymn books were published, which contained the best church hymns of all times. Outstanding hymnological compilers and editors are Dr. Hermann Adalbert Daniel, Dr. Carl Eduard Philipp Wackernagel, and Stip. Albert Knapp and Dr. Carl Johann Spitta are important German hymnists of this period. Important English translators are Miss Catherine Winkworth, Miss Frances Elizabeth Cox, Miss Jane Borthwick and her sister—Mrs. Findlater, Rev. Richard Massie, and Rev. A. Tozar Russell.
SCANDINAVIAN LUTHERAN HYMNODY
The Reformation era, the sixteenth century.—The hymnody of the Scandinavian Church during this period was, for the most part, an echo of that of the German mother Church. Among important hymnists of this period we note Hans Taussen, Hans Tomissön, Cl. Töndebinder and Nils Jespersen of the Danish Church. In the Swedish Church we note especially the two brothers, Olaus and Laurentius Petri, the two great Swedish reformers, students under Dr. Martin Luther at the University of Wittenberg. The first Swedish Lutheran hymn book was issued by Olaus Petri, 1526, called “Swedish Songs” (about ten hymns). Revised and enlarged editions of this hymn book appeared in 1530 and 1536. In this first Swedish Lutheran hymn book we find hymns by the Swedish poet Olaf Swensson, who distinguished himself as a zealous polemic against the Roman Catholic Church and “Antichrist” (the pope). In 1567 appeared another Swedish Lutheran hymn book, containing 99 hymns, which has been called “the hymn book of Laurentius Petri,” because it contained many translations and several original hymns by him. A revised and enlarged edition of this hymn book appeared in 1572. In this hymnal appeared the popular and beautiful Swedish Lutheran hymn, “A sinful man, who lay in trance of sin, he heard a voice from heaven: Awake, awake, list to the Word that comfort gives.” It has been claimed by several authorities that this hymn is the foremost hymn in the Swedish literature of the sixteenth century, and also one of the greatest of Swedish Lutheran hymns. It is probably the work of Laurentius Petri Gothus.
Scandinavian Lutheran hymnody may be divided into five hymnological periods, similar to the five periods of German Lutheran hymnody. The hymnological periods of German and Scandinavian hymnody are parallel.
The second period, the seventeenth century.—The seventeenth century is said to be the days of glory in the history of Scandinavian Lutheran hymnody—its foremost period. While the Danish hymnists Hans Sthen, A. Arreboe, and especially T. Kingo wrote their hymns, the hymnody of the Swedish Church developed somewhat independently, with Swedish fervor and virility in connection with Biblical and practical simplicity in the best sense. The advance of this period on the Reformation era was much greater in the Swedish Church than in the German Church. It is also to be noted that the highest point in Swedish Lutheran hymn writing was reached in the later part of the seventeenth century, somewhat later than in Germany. Important Swedish hymnists of this period are Samuel Columbus, Erik Lindsköld, Petrus Brask, Gustaf Ollon, Israel Kolmodin, Jacob Boethius, Jakob Arrhenius, and especially the two bishops, Haquin Spegel and Jesper Swedberg. The Swedish Lutheran hymnal of 1695 was a masterwork.