Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit in on a Bethany class? Are you curious about the content and connecting together the name, photo, and classes taught by the professor? Or maybe you would simply like to pause the busyness in your life to learn more about mathematics, music, communication, chemistry, etc.?
Amid the Trees highlights the expertise of our professors at Bethany by inviting you into their classroom and seeing a sample writing of their outstanding work.
Depictions of hymn writers Martin Luther, Paul Gerhardt, Thomas Kingo
Luther, Gerhardt, and Kingo
By Benjamin Faugstad, Associate Professor of Music
Have you ever heard of “The Three B’s of Classical Music” – Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms? These three composers represent a span of 250 years, encompassing the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic music periods, respectively. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) created incredible works, such as his Brandenburg Concertos, St. Matthew Passion, The Well-Tempered Clavier, and Cello Suites, to name a few. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) composed nine outstanding symphonies, Moonlight Piano Sonata No. 14, Violin Concerto, Piano Concerto No. 4, and many more incredible works. Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) generated Hungarian Dances, Piano Quintet, Piano Concerto No. 1, and also composed four beautiful symphonies.
If you were asked about three key hymn writers, who would you choose? In that “The Three B’s of Classical Music” provided the world with unforgettable music, the writings of Luther, Gerhardt, and Kingo gifted us with profound, poetic texts, drawn from the Bible. Martin Luther (1483-1546) created “We Now Implore God the Holy Ghost, From Heaven Above to Earth I Come, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, Dear Christians One and All Rejoice, Out of the Depths I Cry to Thee, and God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage,” to name a few. Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676) composed “Holy Ghost Dispel Our Sadness, Come Your Hearts and Voices Raising, A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth, O Sacred Head Now Wounded, Now Rest Beneath Night’s Shadow,” and many more. Thomas Kingo (1634-1703) designed “I Pray Thee Dear Lord Jesus, Over Kedron Jesus Treadeth, Like the Golden Sun Ascending, and Praise to Thee and Adoration.”
We are blessed to have a span of 250 years represented through Luther’s 34 hymns, Gerhart’s 23 hymns, and Kingo’s 18 hymns in our Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary. Next time someone asks about the best hymn writers–you will know where to start! In closing, review this hymn by Thomas Kingo that serves as a reminder of Bethany’s mission:
On my heart imprint Thine image,
Blessed Jesus, King of grace,
That life’s riches, cares, and pleasures,
Have no pow’r Thee to efface.
This the superscription be:
Jesus, crucified for me,
Is my life, my hope’s foundation,
And my glory and salvation.