THE HISTORICAL REALITY OF RELIGIOUS SONGS  -  FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE MIDDLE AGES Cover Image

HISTORYCZNA RZECZYWISTOŚĆ PIEŚNI RELIGIJNEJ – OD STAROŻYTNOŚCI DO ŚREDNIOWIECZA
THE HISTORICAL REALITY OF RELIGIOUS SONGS - FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE MIDDLE AGES

Author(s): Adam Matyszewski
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion
Published by: Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II - Wydział Teologii
Keywords: RELIGIOUS SONG; LITURGICAL SONG; EXTRA-LITURGICAL SONG; DEFINITIONS OF A RELIGIOUS SONG; SIGNIFICANCE OF SACRED SONGS; AUTHORS OF RELIGIOUS SONGS

Summary/Abstract: Expressing oneself before God through singing religious songs has been characteristic of people of all cultures and nationalities since time immemorial. It seems that this is particularly the case with those who have been singing to praise Christ the Lord since the dawn of Christianity. This paper presents various definitions of a religious song as well as its types, sources and ways in which it developed in the period between antiquity and the Middle Ages. An import ant aspect of this study is the fact that it attempts to determine the role performed by religious songs in Christian worship over centuries. Besides looking at the oldest vocal relics of the Roman Catholic Church, the paper outlines the idea that motivated those who created sacred songs, which - as time went on - became more and more popular with Catholics, and, as a result, deserved to be used in the liturgy. Less sacred, other songs which did not meet the strict requirements existing at those times were called extra-liturgical songs or religious songs. Irrespective of how liturgical and extra-liturgical songs are defined, it is indisputable that there is a common thread to all the types of religious songs created in the period between antiquity and the Middle Ages, namely, love for God, to whom they are dedicated.

  • Issue Year: 2012
  • Issue No: 3 (59)
  • Page Range: 63-78
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: Polish
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