Story of Our Hymns

Ryden shared the lore of Christian hymns across many times and cultures not just in The Story of Our Hymns, but also in a radio show of the same name that aired in Minneapolis and St. Paul from 1928-1934. “To know the hymns of the Church is to know something of the spiritual strivings and achievements of the people of God throughout the centuries,” Ryden aptly wrote. Taking an historical perspective, he proceeds chronologically, but divides the history of hymnology according to culture. First, he recounts hymnology’s beginnings and development up until the Protestant Reformation. Then, he tells the story of Protestant hymnology in Germany and Scandinavia. He ends his history with the development of a hymn tradition in England and America.

Kathleen O’Bannon
CCEL Staff