This useful collection surveys the development of hymnody in the dissenting traditions through essays on major hymn-writers and their reception from the mid-seventeenth to the twentieth century. Initially, many dissenting Protestants objected to hymns as human inventions, favoring instead the singing of psalms in keeping with their biblicism. However, during the period in question, hymns moved from being suspect and a source of controversy to forming a key part of congregational and personal worship.

Central to the dissenting hymn tradition is the towering figure of Isaac Watts. So great was his influence that even a century after his death, new hymn collections claimed to be merely a “supplement” or “appendix” to Watts's collections (124). J. R. Watson suggests in his essay that part of Watts's widespread and enduring appeal lay in his irenic character and the manner in which his hymns presented the Bible as “discipline, comfort, inspiration, and guide” (67). The success of the hymn as epitomized by the work of Watts stemmed from its ability to capture a whole range of ideas and emotions associated with dissenting spirituality: conversion, the longing for redemption, assurance of salvation, and the communion of the saints under persecution.

In addition to Watts, other chapters explore the influence of Philip Doddridge, John Rippon, Josiah Conder, W. Garrett Horder, and James Martineau. Additional chapters address the music of the dissenting hymn and the Welsh hymn tradition.

Given the centrality of the hymn in the dissenting traditions, the study of its development is a useful window into the theological and social histories of its various confessions. This volume of well-written essays is a welcome guide.