A modern rewrite of the ancient hymn is perhaps appropriate in this Reformation spirit.
The Only Song for 500th Anniversary?
This Sunday is observed as the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, remembering when Martin Luther posted 95 Theses on the door of Christ Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Churches everywhere will likely be singing the most famous of Luther’s hymns: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.
But when they start singing it, particularly congregations who don’t have it in their typical rotation, they may notice some weird lines. “Prince of Darkness grim?” We are singing about Satan? What is with is this hymn about good and evil in a military-laden conflict?
Is there a better way to sing the hymn without these weird lines?
Guess what, you are in luck.
My friend Tallessyn takes ancient hymns that are lovely but have problematic language or atonement theology and offers more inclusive versions of them. She also wrote some inclusive Christmas carols we’ve previously featured.
So in honor of this anniversary, here’s her version of Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” appropriate for folks to sing on Reformation Sunday:
A Mighty Fortress Is Thy Love
Tallessyn Grenfell-Lee
A mighty fortress is thy Love, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper still, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still an ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
A craft and power great, of fear and cruel hate,
Alone, we cannot equal.
Did we in mortal strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Without the One who dwells inside, the Light of Life infusing.
Dost ask who that may be? Christ now, eternally;
With many Earthly Names, from age to age the same,
And Love must heal the battle.
And though this world, with evils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for Love hath willed a truth to triumph through us.
The Hour of Darkness grim; we tremble not within;
This rage we can endure, for lo, its end is sure,
One little word brings healing.
That word above all transient powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Love, who ever guideth.
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
A body they may kill; this Truth abideth still:
Love’s kin-dom is forever.
How to use
I love this version without male references to God or weird Satan references. I recommend its use in two ways:
- For congregational singing, a congregation can project the changed words on the displays. Barring congregational acceptance, folks in the pew can print off a copy and sing with gusto the new lyrics amidst the old so they can join in the moment with theological integrity. I do this all the time by changing masculine pronouns for God, so this is just an elevated version of that practice.
- For Sunday School conversation, comparing the two versions can lead to great theological exploration. For example, compare the third stanza’s original focus on defeating Satan with Tallessyn’s focus on overcoming the evil and reaching healing could lead to conversations about the value of personified evil.
Both are great ways–and well within the Reformation spirit itself!
Your turn
Thoughts? It’s way better than the Gilmore Girl’s take on the hymn, I’m positive!
Thanks for reading, commenting, and your shares on social media.
As always, thank you! Since I no longer attend “church”, I will stand on the patio this Sunday morning after I’ve finished my morning devotional reading and sing all the revised verses. Perhaps the neighbors (as well as the squirrels and rabbits) will appreciate the words as much as I do!
Luther is a pretty hard act to follow. His original has a 500 year track record of effectiveness. This new version is unproven. Give it time for people to decide if it has merit. A couple of hundred years ought to suffice.
I find the phrase “with many earthly names” disturbing…seems like a nod away from the Christian original toward some U-U understandings.
Leave it alone I like and will sing the original. There is nothing wrong with it please stop dumbing down.
Ha! The author is wicked smarter than me, so I’m unsure what level of “dumbing down” I would be at if this doesn’t satisfy you. 🙂
Please stop dumbing down there is nothing wrong with the original words and that’s what I will be singing.
It might be better to explain what the original words mean than to replace them with new words, particularly if the new words are not faithful to the meaning of the old ones.
Hence the suggestion to have a Sunday School class study them. That would be enlightening!
“problematic language or atonement theology . . . “
Hello Talbot 🙂
I think that’s an adjective for both: “problematic language or problematic atonement theology.” I’m sure we both agree such things exist even if we don’t agree on which!
No wonder the American branch of The United Methodist Church is at dagger points re sexuality! You do not believe/understand that those who have gone before have something to contribute to our current understanding. If it sounds weird or troublesome, don’t seek to understand what Martin Luther was saying, simply rewrite it to fit your current perceptions of what Christianity is about! In the end, Christianity becomes about nothing in particular except a never ending discussion. I am no longer surprised that the denomination is experiencing 50 years of uninterrupted numerical decline–it has absolutely nothing to offer! The American United Methodist Church has exceeded John Wesley’s worst fears that Methodism would become the form of religion without the power. We have become the church of “whatever anybody thinks”! No thank you!
I attended church on Reformation Sunday and sang the original Mighty Fortress. And I have to say that these new lyrics capture the intent of the original very well. Thanks for sharing them, Jeremy!
This comes almost a year after this post, but I really appreciate this rendition. Unless you are singing this in German, you can’t sing it in the original. It is all an attempt at translation, and in English there are as many versions of this hymn as there are hymn books. Wikipedia counts 70 different English translations of the original German. I am therefore not sure what ‘original’ version folks are referring to, but now we have another one to add to those already written. In a time when a we are in the third generation away from weekly church attendance, our main concern has to be sharing the gospel in the language that this generation can understand. It can’t be to just sing the old hymns we know in the language of the past. So thank you for this wording which is beautifully done.
Very well said!
It can be very destabilizing – even frightening – to change old hymns. We are attached to them on a visceral level. Every time a denomination comes out with a new hymnal, the changes are always resisted by some – whether to remove racist language and imagery, or any other kind of oppressive images. I believe that liturgy is here for the people, not the other way around. Jesus was very clear on this as well – the Sabbath was made for us, not in order for us to be slaves to it. Wherever the fruits of the Spirit are, there is the Living Christ. The original German, the older English translations, and this translation all provide inspiration and healing. Luther himself was a Reformer; he believed that if something no longer yields these fruits, it’s time for rebirth. Some people in the Body of Christ experience the older English versions as oppressive in certain ways, just as racist language is experienced as oppressive. It would be a real shame to lock poor Luther in an eternal box until no one is left who is willing to sing his beautiful song. The ideas in his song are so much bigger than individual words or symbols – his ideas are huge and redemptive and liberating, because this song came from the Spirit. As a Wesleyan, I believe we need to allow the Spirit to continue to move and change, even when it’s painful, scary, or uncomfortable for us. We cannot worship the past – that is idolatry. If we can trust the Spirit, we can let go and be free.