Abide with Me: The World of Victorian Hymns

Examines the development of hymn-singing from a primarily private devotional practice in 1837 to a mainstay of public worship and, more remarkably, a component of popular culture by 1900. How did hymns manage, without help from recordings, radio or television, to permeate all levels of British society within one lifetime? Why were new hymns eagerly welcomed by members of all denominations and even by non-churchgoers? - Hugh D. McKellar. Bradley discusses the Victorian hymn from literary, theological, and cultural perspectives. In addition to tracing the importance of Victorian hymns in nineteenth-century novels and culture, Bradley investigates their significance in churches, their public popularity, and as forms of parody and as literary references. Bradley also speculates upon the political and sociological implications of Victorian hymnody. - Style, Winter, 1998 by William Baker, Kenneth Womack.