School of Graduate Research Student Theses

Permanent URI for this community

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1

A Christological Examination of the Hymns of Martin Luther, Charles Wesley, and John Keble
(2023-12) 'Fraser, Emily V.'
This thesis explores the Christology expressed by Luther, Wesley and Keble in their hymns and poems. It demonstrates the centrality of Christ in the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter, revealing the writers’ nuanced seasonal Christology, informed by the key Biblical passages and theological concepts underlying each liturgical season. By reading hymns and devotional poetry with a Christological lens, it considers their strengths as tools of theological education and spiritual formation, their ability to communicate complex theological content, and as vehicles for the ideas of their era and ecclesiology. Through their hymns and devotional poetry, Luther, Wesley and Keble offered Christologically-based reform with a purpose: bringing Christians back to the core of the faith that they perceived lost, and strengthening their faith through sound theological education. This thesis contributes to work in hymnody, liturgical studies, and Christological research, demonstrating the value in examining hymn texts from a systematic perspective.