'Heretic hymn'

[SOP]

The Bishop of Hulme has attacked the hymn 'I Vow To Thee My Country' as heretical, nationalistic, un-Christian and wrong.

TBH, it is not a hymn we used to sing at school, (neither is Jerusalem) so I do not have any fond memories of it. I do not know all the words but can easily look them up.

What do others think of this particular hymn?

And, are there others you consign to the same dump?

[presbyter]

Oh I'd put "Jerusalem" in the dump too

[organist]

Why dump 2 well-loved hymns? Can't the English be proud to be English? I was once asked by a bridegroom who was getting married in Ireland if I thought "Jerusalem" was a good idea. I said I thought maybe not. Yet another bolshie groom wanted a Christmas carol in July. The bride's mother persuaded him to have Jerusalem instead! The real point is that sometimes we should include items that people know and love. But of course you can't please everyone!
For possible heresy have a close look at "Lord of the dance".

[musicus]

For possible heresy have a close look at "Lord of the dance".

There is a similar Gnostic dance allegory in the text of Holst's Hymn of Jesus. (See The Hymn of Jesus: Holst's Gnostic Exploration of Time and Space by Raymond Head at http://www.gustavholst.info/essays/001.php?pageno=1 for a very interesting essay*.) However, other than this poetic allusion to an ancient heresy, I cannot see anything else to object to in Carter's text. What am I missing, Organist?

M

* one of the footnotes is wryly amusing: 8. Just as some chorus members had objected to singing Holst's hymns to Hindu gods so, even as late as the early 1950s, so did Vaughan Williams mention with some disgust that (while rehearsing for a performance of The Hymn of Jesus) some members of the Leith Hill Festival choir had objected strongly to the idea of dance in the Christian religion.

[organist]

Thanks for the article musicus. I think my priest friend (English college trained) who told me it was heretical was on about the gnostic element or maybe he just doesn't like dancing? Perhaps the bit about the devil on your back may have also displeased him or his theology professor? It's interesting that this hymn can work well on the organ if one does a staccato pedal and really get one's feet dancing on the pedals!

[gwyn]

The Bishop of Hulme has attacked the hymn 'I Vow To Thee My Country' as heretical, nationalistic, un-Christian and wrong.

The first verse is indeed doubtful but surely not even a doubtfully ordained anglican bishop can take issue with the second verse.

[manniemain]

Can't the English be proud to be English?

Now here's a problem! There are some well loved hymns that immediately become difficult because they are so specifically English. "Faith of Our Fathers" is a good example. Us kilted ones get round that by changing "England" to "This Land" but others are more difficult. Dare I say it - I like Jerusalem but it seems a bit out of context North of the Border.

[docmattc]

I like Jerusalem but it seems a bit out of context North of the Border.

Its equally out of context south of the border. The answer to the the questions posed by each line of the first verse is exactly the same whether you sing England or Scotland:
And did those feet...? NO!
And was the holy...? NO!
etc etc

[quaeritor]

I read somewhere a very erudite exposition of why we should not sing "Amazing Grace" because it expressed gratitude for the wrong kind of grace! ('Skuse me - I've just lost count of the number of angels on this pin - have to start all over again.)