A Book Review from Books At a Glance
by Michael D. Mock
The Psalms have had a rough go of it for the last few centuries. Go into any church, and you’d be hard-pressed to hear psalms sung. Psalmic themes would likely reverberate the walls of the assembly. Psalmic summaries in hymns would reach the ears of onlookers. But unless you attend a Psalms-only congregation (which is few and far between), you’re lucky to hear one psalm sung in the corporate assembly of worship. This fact of present history flies in the face of past history. Charles Cosgrove has written a book that takes us into the Christian gatherings of the first centuries to hear the voices of our brothers and sisters devoted to psalms. His book is both detailed and (albeit indirectly) devotional.
Detailed
Cosgrove’s book displays his research. This book has a lot of detail. His 25-page Bibliography bears this out. His regular footnoting is witness to this reality. This fact may scare some off, because Cosgrove gets into the weeds. Nevertheless, for those who commit themselves to the plow, they will reap a harvest from this well-researched subject. Weeds aren’t always bad! Cosgrove covers every question someone could ask about psalm-singing from the first five centuries. I picked it up mainly because of my interaction with proponents of Exclusive Psalmody (EP). To be clear, this book is not arguing for or against EP, even though it’s not hard to see where Cosgrove lands on that question. But that question is simply one of countless queries related to the psalms in the early centuries.
Like any good writer, Cosgrove clarifies by definition the topic under consideration. What is meant by “psalms”? Do “psalms” always refer to the same thing? Cosgrove’s meaning is biblical psalms, in particular the ones in the Book of Psalms (xi). This does not mean that “hymns” are necessarily non-biblical psalms. In fact, understanding the language is a significant matter of thought. After laying the definitional foundation, Cosgrove canvasses chronologically the early church’s assessment and application of the psalms. That is, the first few chapters trace the rise and development of psalm-singing. What influence, if any, did Jewish customs have on Christian practice? Cosgrove’s balanced conclusions may surprise the reader. Why did Christians sing psalms given that the psalms were an Old Testament tradition? How did the early Christians, in both the East and the West, sing psalms? Did they sing the psalms, or just read them? Were instruments involved? If anyone sang, was it one person alone, a chorus, or antiphonal? These and other questions meet Cosgrove’s attention. In many cases, Cosgrove offers clear answers based on extant evidence. At the same time, Cosgrove is careful not to over-conclude. That is, he may at times offer speculation based on circumstantial evidence, but he is quick to say only where the evidence leads. He also is aware that the absence of evidence does not prove the absence of certain practices. It’s often the case that we just don’t have enough evidence one way or another to answer certain questions definitively.
The general consensus of the early Christians was joyful exultation at the singing of the psalms. The people loved the psalms, loved chanting them, reciting them, responding to them, hearing them at gatherings, and joining with others in their singing. Chapters 4-12 detail the many occasions of psalm-singing and the logistics of the practice. As we read these pages, we’re brought into the life and practice of Christians from the first centuries. How were the psalms used in Communion? Which psalms were used? How did the Christian individual or household treasure and apply these psalms as they went out and came in? What use did the psalms have during times of grief? When the church lost a member of its body, was a psalm used? If so, how? And which ones? During Holy Week, funerals, communion meals, mournful vigils, etc., how did the psalms shape corporate life? When we read the psalms, we can see the usefulness of these songs for all of life. The early Christians welcomed the psalms at every juncture of living and dying. These songs were the warp and woof of daily life. That point is clear from the first to the last page in this book. Indirectly, therefore, it is a lesson for us all to incorporate the psalms both inside and outside of corporate worship. Individual, choral, responsorial, corporate, and antiphonal singing were all part of the Christian’s life.
Devotional
As noted above, Cosgrove’s book is devotional. I don’t suspect he intended to offer devotional remarks, but when we reflect on the early church’s devotional use of the psalms, it is only natural to read Cosgrove’s remarks in that light. This is seen most clearly in his final chapter: Purposes and Pleasures (319-364). This was my favorite chapter, because it demonstrated the wide and personal appropriation of these beloved passages of inspired Scripture. It was clear that “…the Psalter includes all the content and speech forms found in the rest of the Bible, including law and commandments, historical narrative, and prophesy [sic], making the Psalter eminently practical” (319). The psalms were used both to express and stimulate emotions (320). From the psalms, the Christians shed tears: tears of joy at God’s salvation, tears of sorrow at their sin, and tears of joy again at God’s love (320-323). The psalms likewise were employed, both individually and corporately, in soul-care, that is, in the cultivation of godliness (325). Notably, the singing of psalms “had a sanctifying effect on others” (326). Intriguingly, the fact of the psalms set to music served as an illustration or an analogy of the soul at harmony with its Maker. Cosgrove summarized, “Singing, demanded by God for its symbolic function, is the occasion or medium of the ordering of the soul that the mind brings about. This occurs when the psalm-singing Christian looks to the mind of Christ and brings a music-like order to his or her soul” (339). These and still other uses of the psalms highlight the devotional application of inspired songs.
Final Remarks
Even though the last few centuries have seen the Psalms on hard times, it is time to return to the first few centuries to reform our hearts and re-tune our voices to the songs that God has inspired. I wouldn’t say that Cosgrove has done the best in calling us to return to the Book of Psalms. But that’s not the main thrust of his writing. Nevertheless, Christians reading his book should conclude that to the degree they’ve not used the psalms, this neglect has been to their souls’ impoverishment. The remedy for an enrichment of the Christian life is right there in the middle of our Bibles. As Paul commends to Christians in every generation, let us address “one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:19-20).
Michael D. Mock