Metrical Psalm-Singing and Emotion in Scottish Protestant Affective Piety, 1560–1650

Psalm-singing was an emotional experience for early modern Scottish Protestants. This article explores the affective dimension of this practice. It identifies the experiences Scots had when they sang the metrical psalms, investigates why psalm-singing stimulated these emotional episodes, and situate...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Hood, Nathan C. J. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group 2021
In: Reformation & Renaissance review
Year: 2021, Volume: 23, Issue: 2, Pages: 151-169
Further subjects:B Scottish Protestantism
B Psalm-singing
B affective piety
B spiritual practices
B Emotion
B Prayer
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Summary:Psalm-singing was an emotional experience for early modern Scottish Protestants. This article explores the affective dimension of this practice. It identifies the experiences Scots had when they sang the metrical psalms, investigates why psalm-singing stimulated these emotional episodes, and situates the activity's role within the broader framework of Scottish Protestant introspective piety. The paper initially argues that many Scottish Protestants enjoyed psalm-singing. Particularly, listening to and singing the words and melodies of the psalms stimulated desired emotional experiences. The article's second part establishes that some Scottish Protestants approached psalm-singing as a form of prayer. Consequently, psalm-singing expressed lyrically and melodically the emotions – the speech of the soul to God in prayer – of the singer. The paper concludes that because psalm-singing evoked and expressed religious emotions, it constituted a core practice in Scottish Protestant piety.
ISSN:1743-1727
Contains:Enthalten in: Reformation & Renaissance review
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/14622459.2021.1922070