Description:
From beginning to end, the hymnic voices of eighteenth-century British hymnwriters Anne Dutton and Anne Steele join the Psalmist in declaring, "Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage" (Ps 119:54 KJV). With their consistent witness and faithfulness to the themes of Scripture, their hymns display an unswerving devotion to both truth and praise--theology inspiring doxology. Through an examination of poetic language and biblical content, this book explores how the hymns of Dutton and Steele illustrate a closely interwoven relationship between theology and doxology that is revealed and bound together by the word of God. The purpose of the study is to highlight the fact that biblically faithful theological reflections of the mind paired with doxological engagement of the heart enable the church to present a more complete and more excellent offering to God.
This study is the first book-length comparison of the hymns of Dutton and Steele together; the three extensive appendices present their published hymns in one volume, complete with all Scripture references provided by the hymnists themselves. The church would benefit greatly if these hymns were rediscovered, studied further, and sung once again for their scriptural integrity and doxological message of hope in Christ.
Brief description: Holly M. Farrow holds a bachelor's degree in music (organ) and English from Union University, master's degrees in organ performance and in historical musicology from Florida State University, and a PhD in church music and worship from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She has served as a professional church musician in various denominational settings for over thirty-five years.
Review Quotes:
"Dr. Farrow's work is a captivating blend of authoritative scholarship and devotional appreciation for the hymns of two significant eighteenth-century Baptist women. She roots their hymns in Scripture and brings them to life as poets of their age and doxological witnesses for our time. I was immediately drawn into Farrow's narrative and gained fresh insight from her analysis. This book is a substantial addition to the literature on eighteenth-century Baptists."
--C. Michael Hawn, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Church Music, Southern Methodist University
"In this work, Holly Farrow retrieves the hymns of Anne Dutton and Anne Steele so that they may be read, studied, and sung again today. Through a comparison of their distinct vocabularies, she shows us how biblically saturated lyric poetry encourages more robust expressions of praise. This volume, which includes the complete published hymn texts of both Dutton and Steele, will be an invaluable resource for song writers, scholars, and historically informed worship leaders."
--Joshua A. Waggener, Professor of Church Music and Worship, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
"Holly Farrow's Theology Inspiring Doxology is an eloquently written, deeply thoughtful exploration of two under-appreciated hymnwriters. Farrow makes it clear that the hymns of Anne Dutton and Anne Steele deserve a careful re-evaluation. Through a wide-ranging analysis that is theological, poetic, and devotional, Farrow provides a significant introduction to their artistic creations."
--R. Allen Lott, Professor of Music History, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary