In Christ Alone | |
---|---|
by Keith Getty | |
Genre | Contemporary Christian hymn |
Written | 2001 |
Text | Stuart Townend |
Meter | 8.8.8.8 D |
Melody | "In Christ Alone" |
"In Christ Alone" is a popular modern Christian song written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend, both songwriters of Christian hymns and contemporary worship music in the United Kingdom. The song, with a strong Irish melody, is the first hymn they penned together. [1] [2] The music was by Getty and the original lyrics by Townend. It was composed in 2001.
"In Christ Alone" is considered a Christian credal song for belief in Jesus Christ. The theme of the song is the life, death and resurrection of Christ, [3] and that he is God whom even death cannot hold.
The song is commonly known as "In Christ Alone (My Hope Is Found)" and "In Christ Alone (I Stand)" taking verses from the song. It has become very popular and has been the subject of many cover versions [4] and many language translations.
The song was composed in 2001 and originally released on the Kingsway album New Irish Hymns , featuring vocalists Máire Brennan, Margaret Becker, and Joanne Hogg. It gained increased popularity first in Ireland and the UK and then in the United States and internationally. In 2002, Stuart Townend, the lyricist of the song, recorded it on his own album Lord of Every Heart [5] By 2005, it had been named by a BBC Songs of Praise survey as the ninth best-loved hymn of all time in the UK and then third in the same poll by the show in 2019; [6] By 2006, it rose to the No. 1 position on the United Kingdom CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing International) charts. [7] "In Christ Alone" appeared on CCLI's "Top 25 CCLI Songs" American songs list for the first time in the February 2008 report although it had appeared in the CCLI chart for Canada, Australia and New Zealand prior to that.
In 2008, the song was included in the release of Christian Worship: Supplement for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). [8] In 2015, the song was listed among the "Fifty Favorite Hymns" in a WELS survey. [9] [10]
In 2013, the song was sung at the enthronement of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury. [11]
In 2010, Owl City's Adam Young recorded a version and offered it through his blog. About the song, he wrote: "I'm twenty-four years old, yet something about this song makes me bawl like a baby. The way the melodies and lyrics swirl together is so poignant and beautiful. If I were to count on one hand, the number of songs that have ever deeply moved me, this one would take the cake. Last night I probably spent more time actually crying at the piano than I did recording it. Such are the secret confessions of a shy boy from Minnesota". [12]
In 2012, American singer Christina Grimmie uploaded a cover of "In Christ Alone" onto her YouTube channel. [13] [14]
In 2013, the song was covered by American worship band Passion—with a new bridge section added—and led by Kristian Stanfill, and was included in their 2013 live album Passion: Let the Future Begin . [15]
In 2015, a portion of the piano melody featured on American musician Julien Baker's album Sprained Ankle , at the end of one of its tracks "Go Home". Baker later remarked: "It holds a lot of memories for me—being young in church, and the lyrics hold a lot of meaning when you analyze them." [16]
In 2023, the song was covered by American singer Natalie Grant on her 2023 album Seasons, [17] and in 2024 it was featured on Michael W. Smith's EP Worthy Is The Lamb. [18]
The second verse of the hymn contains the line, "Till on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied," which adheres to the satisfaction theory of atonement. This line has hence made the song a subject of criticism by opponents of satisfaction theory. In 2013, a 15-member committee of the Presbyterian Church (USA) voted to exclude the song from a new church hymnal after Townend and Getty refused permission to alter the controversial line to "the love of God was magnified." [19] [20] Members of the committee to compile the hymnal had discovered the alternate lyrics in a Baptist hymnal from 2010, causing them to assume that the change had been authorized by the copyright holders. [19] Critics of the committee's decision pointed out that the hymnal included other hymns endorsing satisfaction theory and the substitutionary model of atonement, including "O Sacred Head Now Wounded." [19] According to committee chair Mary Louise Bringle, the decision to exclude "In Christ Alone" centered not on the word "wrath" but rather on "satisfied." [19]
The committee's decision to exclude the song triggered a larger debate across denominations and within the Presbyterian Church USA itself. PCUSA minister Chris Joiner of First said that while many in his congregation liked the hymn, he agreed with the decision because "that lyric comes close to saying that God killed Jesus. The cross is not an instrument of God's wrath." [19] Timothy George, the dean of Beeson Divinity School, criticized the decision in an online column titled "No Squishy Love" and claimed that it "fits into a wider pattern of downplaying parts of Christian doctrine that are offensive." [21] Boyce College professor Denny Burk took a view similar to George, stating that "When wrath goes, so does the central meaning of the atonement of God: penal substitution. At the end of the day, the cross itself is the stumbling block, and that is why the PCUSA cannot abide by this hymn." [22] Meanwhile, Bob Terry of The Alabama Baptist wrote that he agreed with satisfaction theory, but "if the meaning of 'wrath' is that God is vindictive and took joy in punishing His Son then that is not how I find God described in the Bible. As I understand the Bible, it was because 'God so loved the world' that He was willing 'to crush Him and cause Him to suffer.'" [23]
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word hymn derives from Greek ὕμνος (hymnos), which means "a song of praise". A writer of hymns is known as a hymnist. The singing or composition of hymns is called hymnody. Collections of hymns are known as hymnals or hymn books. Hymns may or may not include instrumental accompaniment. Polyhymnia is the Greco/Roman goddess of hymns.
A doxology is a short hymn of praises to God in various forms of Christian worship, often added to the end of canticles, psalms, and hymns. The tradition derives from a similar practice in the Jewish synagogue, where some version of the Kaddish serves to terminate each section of the service.
Contemporary worship music (CWM), also known as praise and worship music, is a defined genre of Christian music used in contemporary worship. It has developed over the past 60 years and is stylistically similar to pop music. The songs are frequently referred to as "praise songs" or "worship songs" and are typically led by a "worship band" or "praise team", with either a guitarist or pianist leading. It has become a common genre of music sung in many churches, particularly in charismatic or non-denominational Protestant churches with some Roman Catholic congregations incorporating it into the Mass as well.
"Rock of Ages" is a popular Christian hymn written by the Reformed Anglican minister Augustus Toplady.
Kingdom songs are the hymns sung by Jehovah's Witnesses at their religious meetings. Since 1879, the Watch Tower Society has published hymnal lyrics; by the 1920s they had published hundreds of adapted and original songs, and by the 1930s they referred to these as "Kingdom songs" in reference to God's Kingdom.
Stuart Townend is an English Christian worship leader and writer of hymns and contemporary worship music. His songs include "In Christ Alone",, "How Deep The Father's Love For Us", "Beautiful Saviour" and "The King of Love". As of 2008, Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) lists "In Christ Alone" in its Top 25 CCLI Songs list.
Louise "Lou" Fellingham is an English Christian worship leader, singer and songwriter from Brighton in East Sussex, England. She is a founding member of the British band Phatfish and has also pursued a solo career. In 2008, she won a Christian Broadcasting Council (CBC) Award for her album Promised Land, in the category of Best Worship. She has worked alongside other Christian artists such as Matt Redman, Graham Kendrick, Tim Hughes and Stuart Townend. She regularly leads worship and performs at different venues around the world. A rendition of Fellingham leading the hymn "In Christ Alone" has had more than six million views on YouTube.
"My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less" is a Christian hymn written by Edward Mote, a pastor at Rehoboth Baptist Church in Horsham, West Sussex. Mote wrote around 100 hymns, this one, which he wrote in 1834, being the best known of his.
New Irish Hymns is the first in a series of themed albums created and produced by Keith Getty.
Julian Keith Getty is a Northern Irish businessman, Christian singer and songwriter, best known for writing the song "In Christ Alone" in 2001 with veteran songwriter and worship leader Stuart Townend. Getty and his wife, Kristyn, also release music under the musical duo Keith & Kristyn Getty.
Kristyn Elizabeth Rebekah Getty is a Northern Irish Christian singer and songwriter. With her husband, Keith Getty, she has co-written a number of popular modern hymns.
In Christ Alone may refer to:
An Evening in Prague is a symphonic album by Keith Getty—a departure from his catalog of predominantly vocal albums—though it reflects Getty's origins as an arranger and orchestrator for other artists. It is also unique in that it draws material mostly from other songwriters, with only four songs co-authored by Getty.
The Apostles Creed is an album of songs by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend, featuring many guest performers assembled by producer John Hartley. As its title suggests, the songs reflect various aspects of the Christian Apostles' Creed. All songs are by Getty and Townend, except "Merciful God," which is also by Kristyn Getty.
"What Wondrous Love Is This" is a Christian folk hymn from the American South. Its text was first published in 1811, during the Second Great Awakening, and its melody derived from a popular English ballad. Today it is a widely known hymn included in hymnals of many Christian denominations.
"10,000 Reasons " is a song by the English worship singer-songwriter Matt Redman from his tenth album of the same name (2011). He wrote it with the Swedish singer Jonas Myrin. The track was subsequently included on a number of compilations, covered by other artists and included as congregational worship music in English or in translation around the world. In 2013, the song won two Grammy Awards for "Best Contemporary Christian Music Song" and "Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance". After the song's success and impact, Redman also published a book: 10,000 Reasons: Stories of Faith, Hope, and Thankfulness Inspired by the Worship Anthem.
"My Heart Is Yours" is a worship song released by Passion as the lead single from their 2014 live album, Passion: Take It All, on April 1, 2014. It features live vocals from American Christian music singer and worship leader Kristian Stanfill. The song peaked at No. 13 on the Christian Songs Billboard chart and appeared on the 2012 year-end Christian Songs chart at No. 27. The song's bridge features lines from the popular hymn "I Surrender All" by Judson W. Van DeVenter and Winfield Scott. This song was also listed at No. 12 on Worship Leader's Top 20 Songs of 2014.
Keith & Kristyn Getty are a musical duo from Northern Ireland, focusing on hymns and other Christian music. They are best known for the 2001 hymn “In Christ Alone”, co-written with Stuart Townend.