Exclusive psalmody is the practice of singing only the biblical

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

congregational singing Congregational singing is the practice of the congregation participating in the music of a church, either in the form of hymns or a metrical Psalms or a free form Psalm or in the form of the office of the liturgy (for example Gregorian chants). ...

worship Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. It may involve one or more of activities such as veneration, adoration, praise, and praying. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognition ...

. Today it is practised by several Protestant, especially

Reformed Reform is beneficial change Reform may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine *''Reforme'' ("Reforms"), initial name of the ...

denominations.

Hymns A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

besides the Psalms have been composed by Christians since the earliest days of the church, but psalms were preferred by the

early church Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewish ...

and used almost exclusively until the end of the fourth century. During the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...

and many other reformers, including those associated with the Reformed tradition, used hymns as well as psalms, but

John Calvin John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...

preferred the Psalms and they were the only music allowed for worship in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

. This became the norm for the next 200 years of

Reformed worship Reformed worship is religious devotion to God as conducted by Reformed or Calvinistic Christians, including Presbyterians. Despite considerable local and national variation, public worship in most Reformed and Presbyterian churches is governed by ...

. Hymnody became acceptable again for the Reformed in the middle of the nineteenth century, though several denominations, notably the Reformed Presbyterians, continue the practice of exclusive psalmody.

History

The singing of

psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

was included in the

synagogue service Jewish prayer ( he, תְּפִלָּה, ; plural ; yi, תּפֿלה, tfile , plural ; Yinglish: davening from Yiddish 'pray') is the prayer recitation that forms part of the observance of Rabbinic Judaism. These prayers, often with i ...

at the time of Jesus.

Early Christians Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewish d ...

appropriated this tradition, as well as many other elements of synagogue worship. The whole congregation may have sung, or there may have been a

cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds. In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...

who would sing each verse with the congregation responding by singing "

Hallelujah ''Hallelujah'' ( ; he, ''haləlū-Yāh'', meaning "praise Yah") is an interjection used as an expression of gratitude to God. The term is used 24 times in the Hebrew Bible (in the book of Psalms), twice in deuterocanonical books, and four tim ...

." Such a pattern appears outside the psalms; each song in the obscure early Christian poetry collection known as the

Odes of Solomon The Odes of Solomon are a collection of 42 odes attributed to Solomon. The Odes are generally dated to either the first century or to the second century, while a few have suggested a later date. The original language of the Odes is thought to ha ...

concludes with a "Hallelujah", indicating a similar liturgical purpose for its ancient users. The Psalms of David formed the core of

liturgical music Liturgical music originated as a part of religious ceremony, and includes a number of traditions, both ancient and modern. Liturgical music is well known as a part of Catholic Mass, the Anglican Holy Communion service (or Eucharist) and Evensong ...

for the early church, to which other songs from the

Old Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

and

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

s (

canticle A canticle (from the Latin ''canticulum'', a diminutive of ''canticum'', "song") is a hymn, psalm or other Christianity, Christian song of praise with lyrics usually taken from biblical or holy texts. Canticles are used in Christian liturgy. Ca ...

s) were added. In addition, early Christians wrote original compositions for singing in worship alongside biblical texts. Soon after the New Testament period, psalmody took a preferred position in the worship of the church. There was some hymn-writing in

Eastern churches Eastern Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Northeast Africa, the Fertile Crescent and ...

, but in the

West West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...

psalms and canticles were used almost exclusively until the time of

Ambrose of Milan Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promot ...

at the end of the fourth century. Even then, the psalms were never completely replaced by original hymns. During the

, new church music was written in order to revive the practice of congregational singing, which had been replaced by the singing of

monastic Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religion, religious way of life in which one renounces world (theology), worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic ...

choirs in Latin.

and leaders of the

wing of the Reformation in

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

Constance Constance may refer to: Places *Konstanz, Germany, sometimes written as Constance in English *Constance Bay, Ottawa, Canada * Constance, Kentucky * Constance, Minnesota * Constance (Portugal) * Mount Constance, Washington State People * Consta ...

, and elsewhere wrote music for psalm texts as well as original hymns, but

used biblical psalms almost exclusively in the ''

Genevan Psalter The ''Genevan Psalter'', also known as the ''Huguenot Psalter'', is a metrical psalter in French created under the supervision of John Calvin for liturgical use by the Reformed churches of the city of Geneva in the sixteenth century. Background ...

'', though it contained some gospel canticles and

catechetical Catechesis (; from Greek language, Greek: , "instruction by word of mouth", generally "instruction") is basic Christian religious education of children and adults, often from a catechism book. It started as education of Conversion to Christian ...

songs. This

psalter A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the emergence of the book of hours in the Late Middle Ages, psalters we ...

was to become a prototype for

, but Calvin did not have any objection to the use of original hymns in other churches, and he did not appeal to scripture in his preface to the psalter justifying his preference for the Psalms. Once the ''Genevan Psalter'' was translated into German in 1573, exclusive psalmody became the dominant mode of Reformed congregational singing for 200 years following John Calvin everywhere but in

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

s had no theological objection to hymns, but they failed to nurture a tradition of English-language hymnody. Works like the 1562 English ''

Sternhold and Hopkins Psalter A metrical psalter is a kind of Bible translation: a book containing a verse translation of all or part of the Book of Psalms in vernacular poetry, meant to be sung as hymns in a church. Some metrical psalters include melodies or harmonisatio ...

'' were very popular among the Reformed. Literal translations of the Psalms began to be preferred by the Reformed over the looser translations of the ''Genevan'' and ''Sternhold and Hopkins'' psalters in the latter part of the sixteenth century. Some of the most influential psalters of the seventeenth century were the ''Scottish Psalter'' of 1635 and the ''

Bay Psalm Book ''The Whole Booke of Psalmes Faithfully Translated into English Metre'', commonly called the Bay Psalm Book, is a metrical psalter first printed in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was the first book printed in British North America. The psa ...

'' of 1640, which was the first book printed in America. Seventeenth-century Reformed theologians did not reach a consensus on the propriety of hymns in worship, and several argued that they were permissible, including John Ball and

Edward Leigh Sir Edward Julian Egerton Leigh (born 20 July 1950) is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as a Member of Parliament (MP) since 1983. Leigh has represented Gainsborough, Lincolnshire in the House of Commons since 1983 (re ...

. Thomas Ford also seems to have favored an inclusive rather than exclusive psalmody, while clearly preferring biblical psalms.

Benjamin Keach Benjamin Keach (29 February 1640 – 18 July 1704) was a Particular Baptist preacher and author in London whose name was given to Keach's Catechism. Biography Originally from Buckinghamshire, Keach worked as a tailor during his early years. ...

, a

Particular Baptist Reformed Baptists (sometimes known as Particular Baptists or Calvinistic Baptists) are Baptists that hold to a Calvinist soteriology (salvation). The first Calvinist Baptist church was formed in the 1630s. The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith w ...

, introduced hymn-singing in his congregation in 1673, leading to a debate with Isaac Marlow, who opposed congregational singing altogether. By the end of the seventeenth century, hymn-singing was on its way to being acceptable among English Baptists. In 1719,

Isaac Watts Isaac Watts (17 July 1674 – 25 November 1748) was an English Congregational minister, hymn writer, theologian, and logician. He was a prolific and popular hymn writer and is credited with some 750 hymns. His works include "When I Survey the ...

, an early eighteenth-century English Congregationalist minister, published ''Psalms of David, Imitated in the Language of the New Testament,'' in which "imitated" means "interpreted," rather than being a strict translation. Some complained that his psalms were not translations at all, but paraphrases. Watts also wrote many hymns, many of which imitated the psalms. The rise of

pietism Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christian life, including a social concern for the needy and ...

in the eighteenth century led to an even greater dominance of hymns, and many of the Reformed reintroduced hymns in the early eighteenth century. Hymnody became acceptable for

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

s and Anglicans around the middle of the nineteenth century, though the Reformed Presbyterians continue to insist on exclusive

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

psalmody.

Possible Biblical basis

The practice of exclusive psalmody is sometimes based on a strict (sometimes called '

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...

') interpretation of the

regulative principle of worship The regulative principle of worship is a Christian doctrine, held by some Calvinists and Anabaptists, that God commands churches to conduct public services of worship using certain distinct elements affirmatively found in scripture, and conversely ...

, the teaching that only scriptural elements may be included in worship. However, John Calvin did not invoke such a principle in his justification for the practice. Later exclusive psalmodists contended that since God has given Christians a collection of 150 worship songs and provides scriptural examples of them being sung, God requires these songs to be used in public worship and forbids others to be sung (2 Chronicles 5:13, 2 Chronicles 20:21, 2 Chronicles 29:30, Ezra 3:11, Exodus 15:1). As such, "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 would serve as a

hendiatris Hendiatris (; ) is a figure of speech used for emphasis, in which three words are used to express one idea. The phrases "sun, sea and sand", and "wine, women and song" are examples. A tripartite motto is the conventional English term for a motto ...

, referring to the various titles of the Psalms as used in the

Septuagint The Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint (, ; from the la, septuaginta, lit=seventy; often abbreviated ''70''; in Roman numerals, LXX), is the earliest extant Greek translation of books from the Hebrew Bible. It includes several books beyond th ...

. Another basis would be the Christology of the Psalms, especially seen in Hebrews 2:12 quoting Psalm 22:22 as the words of Christ, demonstrating Christ being among the congregants during worship. The clean, pure and holy one of Psalm 24, who is able to stand perfectly before the Father, would also be the King of glory, and the only Mediator who can lead the congregation to worship the Father (John 14:6).

Objections

One counterargument to the doctrine is the fact that exclusive psalmody (EP) implicitly prohibits the

(NT) revealed name of Jesus in sung worship. The EP position is that the word ישוע ("yeshua") is used many times in the Psalms and it is the root source of the name of Jesus. The assertion is that this satisfies any requirement concerning the use of Jesus' name in sung worship. The complication arises when the context of the word in the Psalms is considered. ישוע is always used to speak of salvation, not directly as the name of the One who is the revealed source and author of salvation, namely Jesus. This is theological/linguistic gymnastics to support a false conclusion. It is widely understood by the Christian community that the Old Testament, including the Psalms, only speak of Jesus in "types and shadows", not directly using His revealed NT name. To rightfully sing of Jesus as Lord and Savior, one must sing incorporating the proper name of Jesus (i.e., Joshua, Yeshua, Ἰησοῦς, ישוע) to refer to the revealed Jesus, which the Psalms do not do. An additional objection to the doctrine and aligned to the

Regulative Principle of Worship The regulative principle of worship is a Christian doctrine, held by some Calvinists and Anabaptists, that God commands churches to conduct public services of worship using certain distinct elements affirmatively found in scripture, and conversely ...

is as follows: 1. The Psalms are a trustworthy guide to proper worship. 2. The Psalms command that we sing of the works and deeds of the Lord: salm 9:11 ESVSing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds! salm 105:2 ESVSing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! salm 107:22 ESVAnd let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy! 3. The works and deeds of the Lord Jesus are most fully revealed in the New Testament. 4. The Psalms command new songs (Psalms 33:3, Psalms 40:3, Psalms 96:1, Psalms 98:1, Psalms 144:9, Psalms 149:1) Therefore, new songs concerning the works and deeds of Jesus from the NT are commanded and required for proper worship. Additionally, EP doctrine does not allow the "whole council of God" to be included in sung worship, vs allowing it in all other elements.

''psalmos'' and the use of musical instruments

One objection to the non-use of musical instruments is that the Greek word ψαλμός (''psalmos'') literally means " a striking of strings

This means that the use of musical instruments is implied by the word itself.

Denominations

denominations practising exclusive psalmody: * American Presbyterian Church (founded 1979), American Presbyterian Church *

Associated Presbyterian Churches The Associated Presbyterian Churches (APC) is a Scottish Calvinist fundamentalist denomination (with a congregation in Canada), formed in 1989 from part of the community of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. History The division occu ...

Australian Free Church Australian Free Church is a Presbyterian denomination in Australia. History The Australian Free Church was established in 1979 when Eric Turnbull (1928-2013) was removed from being a minister of the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia. A ...

* Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Australia *

Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) (Scottish Gaelic: An Eaglais Shaor Leantainneach) is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination which was formed in January 2000. It claims to be the true continuation of the Free Church of Scotland, hence its ...

Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland ( gd, An Eaglais Shaor Chlèireach, ) was formed in 1893. The Church identifies itself as the spiritual descendant of the Scottish Reformation. The Church web-site states that it is 'the constitutional hei ...

Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia The Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia (PCEA) is a small Presbyterian denomination which was formed in Sydney on 10 October 1846 by three ministers and a ruling elder. As of December 2012 it consists of 13 pastoral charges with a total of ...

* Presbyterian Reformed Church * Reformation Presbyterian Church, Australian Presbyteryhttps://reformation-presbyterian-church-australian-presbytery.org/ * Reformed Presbyterian churches **

Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia is a Reformed church in Australia. It is a small Presbyterian church numbering slightly over 200 persons with its largest congregation in the area of Geelong, Victoria. The first church, in Geelo ...

Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland is a Presbyterian church in Ireland. The church currently has forty-three congregations, of which thirty-five are located in Northern Ireland; the remaining eight are located in the Republic of Ireland. A ...

Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America The Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) is a Presbyterianism, Presbyterian church with congregations and missions throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, and Chile. Its beliefs—held in common with other members of the Refo ...

Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland is a small, Scottish, Presbyterian church denomination. Theologically they are similar to many other Presbyterian denominations in that their office-bearers subscribe to the Westminster Confession of ...

Reformed Presbyterian Church of Malawi The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Malawi was initiated by mission work of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and was founded in 1985. There are more than 200 congregations and 7.000 to 10.000 members mainly in rural areas of central and so ...

* Southern Presbyterian Church in Australia *

Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States The Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States (WPCUS) was a Presbyterian denomination, founded in United States in 2006, by Rev. Brian Schwertley, formerly affiliated with Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church and other pastors former ...

* Igreja Puritana Reformada no Brasil (Puritan Reformed Church in Brazil) * Pilgrim Covenant Church (Singapore)

Dutch Reformed The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NHK) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch Royal Family an ...

denominations practising exclusive psalmody: *

Free Reformed Churches of North America The Free Reformed Churches of North America (FRCNA) is a theologically conservative federation of churches in the Dutch Calvinist tradition with congregations in the United States and Canada. It officially adopted its current name in 1974. Thes ...

Gereja Jemaat Protestan di Indonesia Gereja Jemaat Protestan di Indonesia is a Reformed church in the Province of Papua in Indonesia. It was created on 25 June 1984 by the Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands. It began pioneer mission work in the Yali territory. Historically thi ...

Heritage Reformed Congregations Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today ** Cultural heritage is created by humans ** Natural heritage is not * Heritage language Biology * Heredity, biological inheritance of physic ...

Netherlands Reformed Congregations The Netherlands Reformed Congregations is a conservative Calvinist denomination with congregations in Canada, the United States and Bolivia. It is affiliated with the Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands. The Netherlands Reformed Congreg ...

Nigeria Reformed Church The Nigeria Reformed Church was a mission project of the Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands. The work was started in 1970. In 2000 the denomination had 1,911 members. The church operates in the Izi language, Izi tribe, comprising about a half ...

Old-Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands The Old-Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands (Dutch language, Dutch: ''Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland'') is a pietistic Reformed church, Reformed denomination in the Netherlands. Characteristics The characteristics of the denomi ...

(Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland) * Old-Reformed Congregations (unconnected) (Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten buiten verband) *

Reformed Congregations The Reformed Congregations (in Dutch: Gereformeerde Gemeenten, abbreviated GerGem) is a conservative Reformed church with 152 congregations in the Netherlands, 1 in Randburg, South Africa and 1 congregation in Carterton, New Zealand. The ...

(Gereformeerde Gemeenten) *

Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands The Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands (Dutch: Gereformeerden Gemeenten in Nederland, abbreviated GGiN) is a pietistic Reformed church located mainly in the Netherlands, along with five congregations in North America and one in Pretoria ...

(Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland) * Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands (unconnected) (Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland (buiten verband)) *

Reformed Congregations in North America The Reformed Congregations in North America form a denomination Continental Reformed Church, Continental Reformed, established in 1967 in United States and Canada, by dissidents from Netherlands Reformed Congregations. The denomination has officia ...

Restored Reformed Church The Restored Reformed Church ( nl, Hersteld Hervormde Kerk, abbreviated HHK) is a Calvinist denomination in the Netherlands. It was founded in 2004, from congregations which made up the orthodox-reformed wing of the Dutch Reformed Church; t ...

(Hersteld Hervormde Kerk)

References