The Singing Church: The Hymns It Wrote and Sang
CHAPTER III
THE LITERARY ASPECT OF HYMNS 53 I WHAT MAKES THE HYMN LITERATURE? Its Character as a Transcript of Life. Its Wide Distribution. Its Acceptance Through Many Generations. Its Profound Influence. II OBJECTIONS TO RECOGNIZING ITS LITERARY CHARACTER. Due to Narrow Definition of Literature. Due to Failure to Realize Limitations of Hymns. Some Critics and Their Criticisms. III THE WRITING OF HYMNS. The Handicap of Thought and Diction. The Handicap of Meter. IV LITERARY QUALITY NOT TO BE OVERESTIMATED. Literary Quality Not the Supreme Consideration. Literary Quality Should Be Subconscious.