Baptist Hymnal 1991

Rating:
Summary: The Baptist Hymnal 1991 the best hymnal in publication.
Review: The Baptist Hymnal contains not only all of the wonderful old standards, but contains many of the more recent hymns or Christian Songs. It also contains an excellent section of responsive reading. This hymnal is by far the most thorough in Christian Music.

Rating:
Summary: Conservative but Modern Hymnbook
Review: This 1991 hymnal is meant for Baptists. It you are not a Baptist, especially Southern Baptist, you may not like this hymnal. Yet, this hymnal has retained the best-loved hymns in the Southern Baptist hymnic tradition, but has broadened the repertoire to include well-loved hymns from other denominations. Theologically, the hymnal is a bit contradictory, which I believe shows disagreement within the Baptistic tradition concerning Arminianism ("I Have Decided to Follow Jesus") versus Calvinism ("Not What These Hands Have Done"). The language updates are a bit conservative concerning the "thees" and "thous," yet it does not foist inclusive language at the expense of theology and poetry. The musical arrangements are traditional so they lend themselves well for 4-part harmony. The hymnbook is arranged in an almost church-year format, which is a welcome addition. In short, this hymnal is thoroughly conservative yet modern.