Monthly column on hymns and songs
People offer many reasons for continuing to use thee/thou language in their prayers and praises - from the argument about regional dialects to the need for 'thee' as a useful rhyme. The first factor doesn't work for newcomers to those regions, or to these islands; the second suggests desperation rather than conviction.
Christopher Idle
Scripture is not enthusiastic about using language which confuses people, whether strange tongues, Greek and Latin, or archaic forms. A better reason for Tudor English lies in the Book of Common Prayer; no modern liturgies can rival the spiritual nourishment and biblical doctrines of the 1662 services. Thank God for churches, mainly rural, where that book is still understood and valued.
