Joseph Thomas Fowler's 1897 edition of the Life and Letters of John Bacchus Dykes remains a critical document when assessing the musical life of the Church of England in the nineteenth century. It is filled with details concerning Dykes’ involvement with the first edition of Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861) and the compositional process behind many of the hymns that are well-known today across several denominations. This is a riveting discourse for anyone with an interest in church life, England and its hymnody in the nineteenth century, and the nature of an individual commitment to parish ministry. Dykes emerges as a figure that may well be an inspiration to many embarking on a journey of ministry, whether clerical or musical, and it is hoped that this text will be a source of reference to both scholars and those who seek to further the work of the church.

Hymns and the music the church sings in worship are tangible means of expressing worship. And while worship is one of, if not the central functions of the church along with mission, service, education, justice, and compassion, and occupies a prime focus of our churches, a renewed sense of awareness to our theological presuppositions and cultural cues must be maintained to ensure a proper focus in worship. Hymns and Hymnody: Historical and Theological Introductions is a sixty-chapter, three-volume introductory textbook describing the most influential hymnists, liturgists, and musical movements of the church. This academically grounded resource evaluates both the historical and theological perspectives of the major hymnists and composers who have impacted the church over the course of twenty centuries. Volume 1 explores the early church and concludes with the Renaissance era hymnists. Volume 2 begins with the Reformation and extends to the eighteenth-century hymnists and liturgists. Volume 3 engages nineteenth century hymnists to the contemporary movements of the twenty-first century. Each chapter contains these five elements: historical background, theological perspectives communicated in their hymns/compositions, contribution to liturgy and worship, notable hymns, and bibliography. The mission of Hymns and Hymnody is (1) to provide biographical data on influential hymn writers for students and interested laypeople, and (2) to provide a theological analysis of what these composers have communicated in the theology of their hymns. We believe it is vital for those involved in leading the worship of the church to recognize that what they communicate is in fact theology. This latter aspect, we contend, is missing—yet important—in accessible formats for the current literature.

Excerpt from Life and Letters of John Bacchus Dykes, M.A., Mus; Doc;, Vicar of St. Oswald's, Durham Ms. And proof-sheets, and that my name appears on the title-page. It has been said that no man's life ought to be written until twenty years after his death, and there is often much to be urged in favour of this opinion. The lapse of years reveals whether a man's work has been a living work; besides, had the present Life been published soon after Dr. Dykes' decease, it would have been painful to Bishop Baring, and might possibly have been the means of stirring up strife. Even now some may think that the correspondence between Dr. Dykes and the Bishop ought not again to be published. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Uniquely authoritative and wide-ranging in its scope, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church is the indispensable reference work on all aspects of the Christian Church. It contains over 6,500 cross-referenced A-Z entries, and offers unrivalled coverage of all aspects of this vast and often complex subject, from theology; churches and denominations; patristic scholarship; and the bible; to the church calendar and its organization; popes; archbishops; other church leaders; saints; and mystics. In this new edition, great efforts have been made to increase and strengthen coverage of non-Anglican denominations (for example non-Western European Christianity), as well as broadening the focus on Christianity and the history of churches in areas beyond Western Europe. In particular, there have been extensive additions with regards to the Christian Church in Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America, and Australasia. Significant updates have also been included on topics such as liturgy, Canon Law, recent international developments, non-Anglican missionary activity, and the increasingly important area of moral and pastoral theology, among many others. Since its first appearance in 1957, the ODCC has established itself as an essential resource for ordinands, clergy, and members of religious orders, and an invaluable tool for academics, teachers, and students of church history and theology, as well as for the general reader.