Keith Getty on What Makes 'In Christ Alone' Accepted and Contested

Last summer the modern hymn "In Christ Alone" made headlines for its lyrical references to the wrath of God and atonement theology. A hymn committee with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) wanted to add the song to their new hymnal, Glory to God, released this fall. But in doing so, the committee requested permission from the song's writers, Stuart Townend and Keith Getty, to print an altered version of the hymn's lyrics, changing "Till on that cross as Jesus died/the wrath of God was satisfied" to "Till on that cross as Jesus died/the love of God was magnified." The songwriters rejected the proposed change, and as a result the hymn committee voted to bar the hymn.

"The song has been removed from our contents list, with deep regret over losing its otherwise poignant and powerful witness," committee chair Mary Louise Bringle told The Christian Century. The "view that the cross is primarily about God's need to assuage God's anger" would have a negative effect on the hymnal's ability to form the faith of coming generations, Bringle explained.

This was the second time a hymnal publisher attempted to change the same lyric. In 2010, a hymnal called Celebrating Grace printed "In Christ Alone" with the same altered wording about God's wrath, unbeknownst to the songwriters. When the Presbyterian committee came across this version, they assumed the amended lyric was an authorized text and requested permission to use it in their hymnal. The Celebrating Grace hymnal's publisher is now working to address the problem, since the group neither asked nor received permission to alter the text.

Interestingly, a host of media outlets ran articles about this story, including USA Today, The Washington Post, and The Economist, speaking to the broad reach of the hymn. According to the Christian licensing group CCLI, "In Christ Alone" remains one of the most popular songs in churches, as their charts indicate it has been the number-one used hymn in the United Kingdom for the past seven years and among the top ten in the United States, Canada, and Australia for almost as long. The song is printed in hymnals and choral publications but also projected on screens, crossing stylistic and cultural boundaries and reaching from mainline churches to contemporary worship movements. It was recently used at the enthronement of the archbishop of Canterbury and also has become an anthem for underground churches throughout the world. Artists as varied as Alison Krauss, MercyMe, Natalie Grant, the Newsboys, OwlCity, and most recently Kristian Stanfill (Passion 2013) have recorded the hymn. Timothy George, the dean of Beeson Divinity School at Samford University, recently said he believes the hymn is well on its way to becoming the "Amazing Grace" of this generation.

A few weeks ago a close friend in ministry woke up to learn his 3-year-old son had died overnight with no apparent cause. At the heart-wrenching funeral we sang "In Christ Alone" as an expression of our hope in Jesus and his return. I'm grateful, then, for this opportunity to correspond with songwriter Keith Getty to learn his thoughts about the exclusion of "In Christ Alone" from the Presbyterian hymnal and why he remains committed to the song's original lyrics. Keep reading