Guidelines for the Language of Hymns As Developed and Used by the 1989 UM Hymnal Revision Committee

The 1984 General Conference authorized work to begin on a new hymnal that eventually resulted in our present 1989 United Methodist Hymnal. The General Conference established some guidelines for the committee's work. Two in particular were conflicting:

1. "It is recommended that the committee be sensitive to...inclusive and non-discriminatory language..."
   
   
2. "The hymnal committee shall be instructed to respect the language of traditional hymns contained in the 1964-66 United Methodist [sic] hymnal, but may also include alternate texts for the same hymn tunes in instances determined by the committee."

This rather contradictory pair of guidelines, plus the fact that the enabling petition contained no official and specific rules about language, forced the committee to develop its own set of language guidelines. Thus, the committee produced its own rules which the committee members then exhaustively tested through the editorial process. Heated controversy over the language issue ensued all across the denomination, and the Discipleship Ministries, which exercised editorial supervision over the revision, was overwhelmed with telephone calls, mail, petitions, telegrams, personal visits, and media coverage. The committee and Discipleship Ministries listened and carefully considered the voice of the church in response to its work and produced what many believe to be the most representative and most popular hymnal in Methodist history.

This document contains the guidelines developed, tested, and used by the committee as it made decisions about the language of hymns, including God-language, gender-language, inclusive language, feminist issues, racial and cultural concerns, military images, social concerns, antiquated language, and general issues of equality. These are the first such guidelines composed and used by any official church body in developing a hymnal.

A. Guidelines for Making Specific Changes in Hymns Written in Traditional Language

1. All texts shall be tested by the Wesleyan quadrilateral of Scripture, tradition, experience and reason, which includes sensitivity to our participation in the ecumenical church.
   
   
2. In traditional hymns or in new hymns written in traditional language we can and should employ inclusive forms of address for persons in the assembly, in the community and the world. "Traditional language" is defined as language used in devotional poetry either in [the] original or in [a] translation based on Cranmer and/or the King James Version until the time of World War II.
   
   
3. In traditional hymns or new hymns written in traditional language, it should, in most instances, be possible to retain the poet's original forms of address, descriptions, and metaphors for God, all three persons, but to substitute for unnecessarily repeated gender metaphors, nouns, and pronouns.
   
   
4. Texts shall be carefully examined to determine what they state or imply with regard to: care of God's creation; human rights with respect for all races and cultures and both sexes, and with equal opportunity and dignity for all persons; international understanding and cooperation; the eradication of war and the establishment of justice and peace.
   
   
5. Substitutions may be made for gender descriptions, and forms of address for church, nation, nature, objects, and virtues.

1. Belief: Determine that a given text as is constitutes a statement of faith and belief for significant numbers of United Methodists; and determine that if the text is substantially altered, it would or would not remain a statement of faith or belief for significant numbers of United Methodists.
   
   
2. Syntax: Changes in texts that are quotations or paraphrases of biblical texts ought to be done in the language base of the original text. The above ought to apply also in instances of English translations and devotional poetry. [The committee should] avoid rewording of word order and substituting words that change the poet's original intention.
   
   
3. Substitutions for words and phrases ought not change the essential message of the hymn.

1. The hymn text should be in accord with the basic faith of the Christian community, consistent with biblical teachings and the highest experience and insight.
   
   
2. The poetic and often metaphorical language of the hymn should express convictions that are consonant with Christian truth and have a recognizable relation to the psalms, parables, or worship tradition(s).
   
   
3. The hymn text should be inclusive and universal in outlook, free from divisive elements and phrases that convey attitudes of superiority or indifference toward people outside the circle of singers.
   
   
4. The entire hymn should be structurally sound and have a central theme or organic unity of ideas.
   
   
5. The use of language should be simple, concrete, and direct with an emphasis upon clarity and coherence.
   
   
6. The specific words and phrases should be put together in an orderly, connected fashion, while following accepted laws of grammar and syntax.
   
   
7. The hymn's lines should be poetic, euphonious, and aesthetic. The accented syllable should conform to a rhythm suitable for singing.

1. When it is not written in what we are calling the "traditional English language" associated with the King James Version of the Bible or the Book of Common Prayer and in common use in the church till about the mid-twentieth century. This language includes syntax, grammar, words for God and people, and other vocabulary not in common use today.
2. When the hymn text was written after 1962, at which time the corpus of our present Book of Hymns was closed.

Note: For editing purposes, some hymns written after 1962 would, because of their use of the traditional English language, be treated as traditional hymns. Likewise, some hymns written earlier in the twentieth century may, because of language usage, be treated as "new" hymns. But in most cases, the definitions in D.1 and 2 should prevail as the basis for a distinction between "new" and "traditional" hymns.