“Nothing but the Blood”: Robert Lowry’s question-and-answer hymn
"Nothing but the Blood of Jesus" was written by the American Baptist pastor Robert Lowry and published in 1876. Built on a simple question and answer,…
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Feature Articles
“Standing on the Promises”: the hymn written by a man who expected to die
"Standing on the Promises" was written by Russell Kelso Carter and published in 1886. Carter, a former athlete and teacher, wrote it after a serious heart…
Kwame Bediako: the Ghanaian theologian who said Christianity had come home to Africa
Kwame Bediako (1945 to 2008) was a Ghanaian theologian and founding rector of the Akrofi-Christaller Institute at Akropong. He argued that Christianity was not a foreign…
“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”: Charles Wesley’s wedding favourite
Charles Wesley published "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" in 1747. It is now one of the most popular hymns at weddings and is sung to Welsh…
“Be Still, My Soul”: a German hymn, a Scottish translator and Sibelius’s Finlandia
"Be Still, My Soul" was written in German by Katharina von Schlegel in the eighteenth century and translated into English by Jane Borthwick in 1855. It…
Written at a camp meeting in Maryland: “There Is Power in the Blood”
"There Is Power in the Blood" was written in 1899 by Lewis E. Jones while he was attending a camp meeting at Mountain Lake Park, Maryland.…
“Take my silver and my gold”: Frances Ridley Havergal and “Take My Life and Let It Be”
"Take My Life and Let It Be" was written in 1874 by the English hymn writer Frances Ridley Havergal. Each line offers a part of life…
“Crown Him Lord of all”: the story of “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name", written by Edward Perronet, first appeared in the Gospel Magazine in November 1779, edited by Augustus Toplady. It is…
An art teacher’s choice: the story behind “I Surrender All”
"I Surrender All" was written by Judson W. Van DeVenter, an American art teacher and musician who struggled for years between a career in art and…
Two writers, twelve verses, one tune: the story of “Crown Him with Many Crowns”
"Crown Him with Many Crowns", first published in 1851, has words by Matthew Bridges and Godfrey Thring and is sung to George Job Elvey's tune Diademata.…