The catechetical function of Reformed hymnody

Abstract

Has Reformed hymnody played a catechetical role in propagating characteristically Reformed theological emphases? While early Reformed ‘hymnody’ focused on the Psalms, the eighteenth century saw a great proliferation of Reformed hymns employing non-scriptural language. For example, the hymnody of English Congregationalist Isaac Watts shows both the traditional use of psalms and the innovative creation of hymns of praise, thanksgiving and theological narration. This paper considers how Reformed hymnody has served that tradition's catechetical purposes, taking as a test case the ways in which its hymnody may have helped inculcate the characteristically Reformed emphasis on the threefold office of Christ.