Roger Duke
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Roger Duke
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Roger Duke
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Editor's Note: This is the second installment in a new series called Behind the Hymns. Dr. Roger D. Duke explores the history behind Christianity's most treasured hymns.
The hymn is really a prayer—a prayer to Jesus, who is “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.” It invites Jesus to make his dwelling in us—to visit us with his salvation—to enter our hearts. It invites him to take away our love of sinning—to set our hearts at liberty. It concludes by asking Jesus to finish his new creation . . . so that we might be pure and spotless—perfectly restored—ready for heaven.[4]
According to holiness teaching, the Christian is to seek a second blessing, also referred to as crisis sanctification. The idea is, as taught by some, that with this second blessing experience the sin nature is not only subdued but eradicated, and it becomes possible to live a sinless life.[13]
FOOTNOTES [1] Percy Dearmer, comp., Songs of Praise Discussed: A Handbook to the Best-Known Hymns and to Others Recently Introduced (New York: Oxford University Press, 1952), 304. See also: Mark Beggs, “Love Divine All Loves Excelling,” History of Hymns: Discipleship Ministry United Methodist Church, March 20, 2019, https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-love-divine-all-loves-excelling [2] Mark Beggs, “Love Divine All Loves Excelling.” [3] Barry Kauffman, “Love Divine All Loves Excelling.” [4] Richard Niell Donovan, “Hymn Story: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.” [5] Troy Baucum, “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling: The Christian Message in Son,” Truro Anglican (Church), March 22, 2019, http://truroanglican.com/media/publications/tracts/love-divine-all-loves-excelling/ [6] Dearmer, 304. [7] Ibid. [8] Leland Ryken observes: “’Love Divine’” is included in so many hymnals (rivaling even ‘Amazing Grace’) that we can safely conclude that it transcends denominational distinctives.” Leland Ryken, 40 Favorite Hymns on the Christian Life: A Closer Look at Their Spiritual and Poetic Meaning (Phillipsburg: P & R Publishing, 2019), 62. [9] Mark Beggs, “Love Divine All Loves Excelling.” [10] Official Programme of The Royal Wedding, The Marriage of H.R.H. Prince William of Wales, K.G. with Miss Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey, 29th April 2011, available on-line https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1381426/Royal-Wedding-Order-Service-Princess-Diana-funeral-hymn-sung.html [11] Ibid. [12] Ibid.
[13] John Zundel, “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” Worldwise Hymns: Hymns Their History and Meaning, October 3, 2012, https://wordwisehymns.com/2012/10/03/love-divine-all-loves-excelling/ [14] Ibid. [15] Jeffrey, W. Barbeau, “All Loves Excelling: How Romance Inspired Charles Wesley’s View of God: The Famous Hymn-Writer’s Understanding of Divine Love Was Reflected in His Mortal Marriage,” Christian History on-line, February 13, 2019, https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2019/february/charles-wesley-romance-love-sally-wesley.html [16] Ibid. [17] Ibid.
Dr. Roger D. Duke is an advisory board member and the scholar-in-residence at Stage & Story. Dr. Duke is an ordained Baptist minister and has taught at the college and graduate school levels for over 20 years. Dr. Duke holds graduate degrees from The University of the South’s School of Theology at Sewanee, TN; The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; and Harding University’s Graduate School of Religion. He has written or contributed to more than ten volumes (including works on John Bunyan). Visit his website at www.invertedchristian.com. His published work can be found on his website and his Amazon Author's Page. He has been happily married to Linda Young Duke for nearly 44 years. They have three adult children and four robust grandsons.
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