Lester Ruth, Hymn/Cont. Worship Song Comparison
October 4, 2014
Compiled by Lester Ruth, Research Professor of Christian Worship, Duke Divinity School
From 1989 through the August 2014 list of top-25 CCLI songs (108 songs total)
Compared against the 70 most-republished evangelical hymns from 1737-18601
(Both bodies of song reflect American usage.)
Numerical Name Comparisons
Comparison: Explicit Trinitarian (3 Person) Songs
Texts
EH (70)
CWS (108)
All 3 Persons clearly named in song
3 songs (4%)
4 songs (4%)
God worshiped for being Triune
1 song (1%)
1 song (1%)
Other songs naming all 3 as worshiped
1 song (1%)
2 songs (2%)
Comparison: Explicit “Binitarian” (2 Person) Songs
Texts
Possible reference to 2 Persons
1st and 2nd Person songs
EH (70)
17 songs (24%)
10 songs (14%)
CWS (108)
17 songs (16%)
12 songs (11%)
Note: 1 song in CWS is indeterminable for which 2 Persons are named
2nd and 3rd Person songs
7 songs (10%)
4 songs (4%)
Comparison: Explicit Naming of the 1st Person (God the Father)
Texts
EH (70)
CWS (108)
Explicit 1st Person reference
16 songs (23%)
14 songs (13%)
Explicit use of “Father”
11 songs (16%)
5 songs (5%)
Direct address to 1st Person
6 songs (9%)
4 songs (4%)
Comparison: Explicit Naming of the 2nd Person (Son, Jesus Christ)
Texts
Clear 2nd Person reference
Explicit use of Son, Jesus, or Christ
Direct address to 2ndPerson
EH (70)
52 songs (74%)
39 songs (56%)
28 songs (40%)
CWS (108)
54 songs (50%)
41 songs (38%)
44 songs (41%)
Note: Difference in first and second columns due to songs which use other names for deity but the context makes clear that it is the 2nd Person in
mind.
Comparison: Explicit Naming of the 3rd Person (Holy Spirit)
Texts
EH (70)
CWS (108)
Explicit 3rd Person reference
10 songs (14%)
9 songs (8%)
Direct address to 3rd Person
4 songs (6%)
5 songs (5%)
Comparison: General Naming of Deity: Lord
Texts
EH (70)
CWS (108)
Occurrences of “Lord”
41 songs (59%)
63 songs (58%)
Unable to determine which Person meant
16 songs (23%)
35 (32%)
Comparison: General Naming of Deity: God
Texts
EH (70)
CWS (108)
Occurrences of “God”
41 songs (59%)
48 songs (44%)
Unable to determine which Person meant
20 songs (29%)
22 songs (20%)
1
For the list, see Stephen A. Marini, “Hymnody as History: Early Evangelical Hymns and the Recovery of American
Popular Religion,” Church History 71, no. 2 (2002): 273-306.
1
Lester Ruth, Hymn/Cont. Worship Song Comparison
October 4, 2014
Comparison: General Naming of Deity: King
Texts
EH (70)
CWS (108)
Occurrences of “King”
17 songs (24%)
23 songs (21%)
Unable to determine which Person meant
4 songs (6%)
7 songs (6%)
Comparison: General Naming of Deity: No Explicit Name or Title
Texts
EH (70)
CWS (108)
No explicit name or title
1 song (1%)
10 songs (9%)
Numerical Verb Comparisons
Comparison: Number and Range of Verbs
Texts
EH (70)
CWS (108)
Total instances of verbs
Divine: 445; Human: 850
Divine: 441; Human: 612
Total number of different verbs
Divine: 188; Human: 276
Divine: 173; Human: 186
Most Used Divine Verbs with Number of Instances in EH and CWS
(Verbs with 4 instances or more in EH or CWS)
Verb
EH instances
CWS
instances
Save
Love
Redeem
Make
Come
Give
Take
Die
Let
Reign
Bid
Promise
Call
Can/Be
Able
Rise
Lead
Bring
Ransom
Shine
Stand
Forgive
Heal
Send
Teach
Live
Go
Deliver
(Not)
Fail
26
20
16
13
10
9
9
8
8
7
7
6
6
6
18
16
4
17
16
10
10
9
7
11
0
5
4
4
6
6
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
4
2
7
2
8
4
3
3
3
3
6
5
4
4
2
Lester Ruth, Hymn/Cont. Worship Song Comparison
Fill
Speak
Do
Hear
Pour
Open
Set
Embrace
Have
Lay
Stand
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
October 4, 2014
7
6
5
4
4
6
5
4
4
4
4
Most Used Human Verbs with Number of Instances in EH and CWS
(Verbs with 4 instances or more in EH and CWS)
Verb
See
Sin
Sing
Can/Be Able
Fear
Die
Come
Hope
Love
Praise
Know
Let
Hear
Join
Rest
Rise
Find
Rejoice
Pray
Bring
Behold
Live
Give
Stand
Go
Meet
Fly
View
Feel
Dwell
Lie
Bless
Seek
Proclaim
Make
Take
Thank
Awake
Raise
Reign
Mourn
Triumph
Adore
EH instances
27
27
22
21
19
18
16
14
13
11
11
11
11
11
11
10
9
9
9
8
8
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
6
6
6
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
4
3
CWS instances
20
16
27
10
5
5
9
8
12
27
11
9
5
2
2
6
9
6
2
3
1
15
13
10
5
2
0
0
5
0
0
7
7
4
3
3
2
1
1
1
0
0
9
Lester Ruth, Hymn/Cont. Worship Song Comparison
Bow
Have
Think
Trust
Believe
Hail
Cease
Taste
Depart
Pant
Stay
Travel
Worship
Say
Call
Walk
Do
Fail
Reach
Lift
Want
Lay
Shout
Long
Offer
Exalt
Fall
Glorify
Look
Turn
Cry
Magnify
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
4
October 4, 2014
8
7
5
5
4
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
15
8
7
6
4
4
4
14
6
4
4
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
6
4