Christianity is a ""singing church,"" with biblical foundations and centuries of examples in the Psalms and canticles, favorite hymns, and gospel songs. And this singing church has a history. Through engaging tales of the stories behind this music and its authors, Rorem makes church history come alive. Singing Church History journeys through an ecumenical history of church music from early and medieval times through the Reformation and the early modern world, into American and World Christianity. Throughout, Rorem shows us how these familiar hymn texts have us ""singing church history"" on Sunday mornings without even knowing it.

Rorem's analysis of well-known hymns from diverse strains of Christianity makes Singing Church History a useful resource for students, congregations, and curious readers. Placing familiar music from Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Pietist, Methodist, American evangelical, historically Black, and Christian communities around the world into historical context helps us appreciate the ecumenical nature of our musical traditions. Singing Church History includes hymn texts for easy reference.