The Genevan Psalter in its time by Aad Alblas

by Aad Alblas | Het ORGEL | Year 97 | (2001) | Issue 3

Aad Alblas The Genevan Psalter in its time
Het ORGEL 97 (2001), nr. 36-39,  [summary]

On 22 and 23 March a congress on ‘The Genevan Psalter in its time’took place in Emden (North Germany). International experts gathered to discuss the presentstate of knowledge.

The Johannes a Lasco Library at Emden initiated research into the culture of reformedProtestantism: dr. Christoph Strohm (Bochum) investigates ‘Jurisdiction between 1550and 1650’; dr. Eckhard Grunewald (Oldenburg) and Dr. Jan Luth (Groningen) areinvestigating the ‘Huguenot Psalter’, Dr. Heinz Schilling (Berlin) the influenceof protestant upbringing in early modern history. Grunewald and Luth organised thecongress.

Other speakers were Dr. W. van ’t Spijker (Apeldoorn) and Dr. Robert Kingdon(Madison)MadisonM<, on the church historical context of the Psalter; the Psalter wasvery popular, and Johannes Calvin stimulated this. Dr. Jan Smelik (Groningen) treated‘Calvin’s theology of music’, which should not be judged with Luther’stheology of music in mind; Calvin was less a rationalist than a biblical humanist. Dr.Edith Werner (Paris) agreed with that point of view. Dr. Francis Higman (Geneva) pointedout that Geneva Psalter was viewed as a proper reproduction of what the Bible said.

Other lectures were given by Dr. Dietrich Gutknecht (on the Psalter melodies), Dr.Robin A. Leaver (Princeton, on the psalm melodies that appear also in Lutheran hymn books)and Masaaki Suzuki (Tokio, on the introduction of the Psalter in Japan).