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.

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.

But Tudor English is not Victorian English, still less their 1950s' folksy imitations. Most of that trips us up not so much with pronouns as with verbs; all those arts, dosts, hasts, shalts, wasts, werts, wilts and wouldsts that you find you need as well. In the latest C of E alternative book, Common Worship, the wheels often come off the antiquarian wagon.

One other argument claims a moment's attention - but no more. It is claimed that we must preserve a special language when addressing God, for the sake of reverence. For some, it is enough reply that the Bible gives no support to such novelties. It has no special sacred verbs or pronouns for prayer. But another approach comes via the hymns. If 'thou' is the reverent way to address God, we have some revising to do.

Ye, thee and thou

I checked out one traditional hymn book widely used by evangelicals. 'Ye', plural of 'thou', makes a good starting point, from all ye faithful to all ye little children. Ye saints, ye sinners, ye souls, ye thankful people - we are all here. More than 50 hymns use this older form of addressing one another; it is also used to speak to angels and kings, animals and birds, hills and trees, the weather, the heavens, the stars, and various gates, doors and bars, most of these several times over. It is even used, rhetorically of course, to address the departed: 'Ye blessed souls at rest'.

What about thee and thou? Here again the variety is enormous. If those are the words for reverence, we might stretch them to justify addressing the Lord's Day, or Christmas Day, or the Bible, in such terms; they are here too. When we get to Bethlehem or Zion, Israel and the earth, death and the grave, stars and the Jubilee, we seem to be on more wobbly ground.

Most telling of all, what about the 30 odd hymns which use 'thou' of a fellow human being, converted or otherwise? Let alone a further 20 where I talk to myself, alias my soul, in the same way? They range from 'Art thou weary?' to 'Come, my soul, thy suit prepare' (which may have more pressing problems). 'Hark my soul, it is the Lord' illustrates both points.

Ancient or modern?

I have quoted some classic favourites which are well worth singing; none of your modern stuff here. But the point of the old language cannot possibly be to ensure reverence towards the one addressed, if that is merely you, or me! Those who want to stay archaic will need better arguments, or else go through their hymn books changing every single thee and thou which does not refer to the Godhead, while leaving in those that do. One handsome book in local use made a brave start before hitting a spot of bother. But I have noticed no standard hymnal which follows this through - hast thou?

Christopher Idle

© Evangelicals Now - May 2001
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