Psalmody-hymnody controversy still alive in the Southwest (1869)

Source: the-transition-from-psalmody-to-hymnody-in-the-southern-presbyterian-church
Page: 82
Type: quote
Confidence: high
Date mentioned: 1869
Topics: psalmody-controversy theological-arguments hymnody
Places: Louisiana, New Orleans, Southwest

Context

The dissertation notes that even after the Civil War and the publication of the new Psalms and Hymns (1867) by the Presbyterian Church in the United States (Southern), the controversy over psalmody versus hymnody persisted. This article from the Southwestern Presbyterian newspaper in August 1869 demonstrates the ongoing theological debate.

Extract

The following article in Southwestern Presbyterian, August 12, 1869, indicates that the Psalmody-Hymnody controversy was still alive in the Southwest:

We assert that there is much matter of praise outside of the Book of Psalms, and that there is no Scriptural authority for excluding it from the worship of the Church . . .

Let it be remembered that all our books of praise are of recent date, and are the works of men, and by no means the work of inspiration.

Significance

This extract documents the persistence of the psalmody controversy into the post-Civil War period and provides insight into the theological arguments being deployed:

  1. Longevity of controversy: The debate was “still alive” in 1869, some eighty years after the first General Assembly addressed it in 1789
  2. Regional persistence: The “Southwest” (Louisiana and surrounding states) remained a locus of debate
  3. Pro-hymnody argument: The article argues there is “no Scriptural authority for excluding” non-Psalm praise from worship - directly challenging the exclusive psalmody position
  4. Attack on Psalter itself: The provocative claim that “all our books of praise are of recent date, and are the works of men, and by no means the work of inspiration” challenges even the Scottish Psalter as being merely human composition

This last point is particularly significant because it turns the exclusive psalmist argument on its head: if the metrical versions (Rous, Watts, etc.) are all “works of men,” then the distinction between Psalms and hymns becomes less meaningful from an inspiration standpoint. This represents a sophisticated theological move in the ongoing controversy.