The Whole Church Sings

Congregational Singing in Luther's Wittenberg

Robin A. Leaver

• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9780802873750
• eBook ISBN: 9781467446600
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Denominations

Authoritative study by a renowned musicologist and Reformation scholar Many scholars think that congregational singing was not established in Lutheran worship until well after the start of the Reformation. In this book Robin A. Leaver calls that view into question, presenting new research to confirm the earlier view that congregational singing was both the intention and the practice right from the beginning of the Wittenberg reforms in worship. Leaver's study focuses on the Wittenberg hymnal of 1526, which until now has received little scholarly attention. This hymnal, Leaver argues, shows how the Lutheran Reformation was to a large degree defined, expressed, promoted, and taken to heart through early Lutheran hymns. Examining what has been forgotten or neglected about the origins of congregational hymnody under Martin Luther's leadership, this study of worship, music, and liturgy is a significant contribution to Reformation scholarship.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Abbreviations
• 1. The Reformation Celebrated in Song
• 2. Pre-Reformation Vernacular Song
• 3. Wittenberg Reforms, 1517–23
• 4. The Initial Repertory of Hymns, 1523–24
• 5. The Publication of the Wittenberg Hymns, 1523–24
• 6. A Congregational Hymnal in Wittenberg, 1524–26
• 7. Liturgical Developments in Wittenberg, 1523–26
• 8. From Enchyridion to Geistliche lieder, 1524–29
• Appendix 1: Enchyridion geistlicher gesenge und psalmen fur die leyen, Wittenberg, 1524–26
• Appendix 2: Geistliche Lieder, Wittenberg: Klug, 1529/33
• Appendix 3: Luther’s Hymns and Liturgical Chants in Critical Editions and Hymnals
• Appendix 4: Hymns by Authors Other than Luther
• Appendix 5: Hymn Collections, 1524–36
• Bibliography
• Index of First Lines
• Index of Names and Subjects