How hymns changed

Shane Lems summarises some of what Barth has to say about hymns in his Church Dogmatics:

Barth talks about Luther's hymns and how they were simply meant to teach the Word of God and Christian doctrine to the common people ... He explains that Luther's hymns are "completely lacking in...all emphasis upon the emotion of the subject. What these hymns contain is adoration and solid communication, confession of faith, confession of sins, proclamation." Luther's hymns don't "demand to lay this or that" upon people's hearts in a subjective, man-centered way. "In these hymns we never find either God’s child or God's Church preoccupied with themselves, but always turning to the recognition and praise of God and his acts."

He then traces Lutheran hymnody and mentions how it later shifted its "epicenter" to the "heart, the soul, the I, the We;" to the subjective aspect of the Christian faith and away from the objective truths.

I a bit too much of a pietist at heart to regret the great hymns pietism produced, but it is interesting to read this because on Saturday I heard the Yorkshire Bach Choir perform Bach's Cantata BWV 80, Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott. Bach's cantata is based on Martin Luther's famous hymn A Mighty fortress is our God, but it interposes Luther's words with those of Salomo Franck (1659–1725). The difference two centuries made is quite starkly in line with Barth's observations [Luther in blue; Franck in red]:

1. Chorus [Verse 1] (S, A, T, B)


A mighty fortress is our God,
A sure defence and armour;
He helps us free from every need
Which us till now hath stricken.
The ancient wicked foe,
Grim is his intent,
Vast might and deceit
His cruel weapons are,
On earth is not his equal.


2. Aria (B) and Chorale [Verse 2] (S)


All that which of God is fathered(2)
Is for victory intended.

With our own might is nothing done,
We face so soon destruction.
He strives for us, the righteous man,
Whom God himself hath chosen.

Who hath Christ's own bloodstained flag
In baptism sworn allegiance
Wins in spirit ever more.

Ask thou who he is?
His name: Jesus Christ,
The Lord of Sabaoth,
There is no other god,
The field is his forever.

All that which of God is fathered
Is for victory intended.


3. Recit. (B)


Consider well, O child of God, this love so mighty,
Which Jesus hath
In his own blood for thee now written;
By which he thee
For war opposing Satan's host, opposing world and error,
Enlisted thee!
Yield not within thy spirit
To Satan and his viciousness!
Let not thy heart,
Which is on earth God's heavenly kingdom,
Become a wasteland!
Confess thy guilt with grief and pain,
That Christ's own soul to thine be firm united!


4. Aria (S)


Come in my heart's abode,
Lord Jesus, my desiring!
Drive world and Satan out,
And let thine image find in me new glory!
Hence, prideful cloud of sin!


5. Chorale [Verse 3] (S, A, T, B)


And were the world with devils filled,
Intending to devour us,
Our fear e'en yet would be not great,
For we shall win the victory.
The prince of this world,
How grim may he be,
Worketh us no ill,
That is, he is destroyed.
One little word can fell him.


6. Recit. (T)


So stand then under Christ's own bloodstained flag and banner,
O spirit, firm,
And trust that this thy head betrays thee not,
His victory
E'en thee the way to gain thy crown prepareth!
March gladly on to war!
If thou but God's own word
Obey as well as hearken,
Then shall the foe be forced to leave the battle;
Thy Saviour is thy shield.


7. Aria (A, T)


How blessed though are those who God hold in their voices,
More blessed still the heart which him in faith doth hold!
Unconquered it abides, can deal the foe destruction,
And shall at last be crowned when it shall death defeat.


8. Chorale [Verse 4] (S, A, T, B)


That word they must allow to stand,
No thanks to all their efforts.
He is with us by his own plan,
With his own gifts and Spirit.
Our body let them take,
Wealth, rank, child and wife,
Let them all be lost,
And still they cannot win;
His realm is ours forever.