In Christ alone my hope is found

I. Origins

“In Christ alone” was the first song written collaboratively between Keith Getty and Stuart Townend, begun in 2000 and finished in 2001. Getty was preparing an album of new songs, which was eventually released through Kingsway as New Irish Hymns (2001). In an interview following the release of that project, he explained some aspects of his original intent and his process:

For this latest album I used a combination of old hymns and portions of Scripture and reworked them to create modern hymns for the modern Church. Rock and worship, and rock and Celtic sounds have always combined well, but this mingling of worship and Celtic has a unique warm sound to it that I feel adds to the lyrics. And as an Irish composer and with working in Irish music a lot, I suppose all my music is destined to have an Irish feel to it. . . .

My primary aim was to write great hymns for the Church focused on God. However, if I had to choose only one hope I would have for this album it would be that it would bring new hymns that will really last to the Church. But if music is crafted and produced well it has the power to touch anyone and I would hope that beyond Church worship these new hymns would also reach out to secular listeners too. . . .[1]

The interviewer, Fiona McIlwaine Biggins, explained, “Keith wrote over 50 hymns spanning a year for this latest project and said it was hugely difficult to choose the best 10 to be on the album.”

Another early account of the project was relayed by Reformed scholar Bert Polman:

The Irish church musician Keith Getty “longed for hymns with a more complete expression of the Christian faith, which articulated a greater number of issues in deeper ways. With so many people learning their faith from the songs they sing, it was vital to create a clear understanding of what we believe through worship material. This could affect people’s thinking, praying, and Christian witness, and not only their praise.” He embarked on a project with the British publisher Kingsway to compose such new hymns, and in that process met Stuart Townend.[2]

Stuart Townend had already achieved some success with songs like “How deep the Father’s love for us,” “The Lord’s my shepherd,” and “Beautiful Saviour (All my days).” In particular, “How deep the Father’s love for us” inspired Getty to approach Townend. According to Townend, the process then played out in this fashion:

Keith and I met in the autumn of 2000 at a worship event, and we resolved to try to work together on some songs. A few weeks later Keith sent some melody ideas, and the first one on the CD was a magnificent, haunting melody that I loved, and immediately started writing down some lyrical ideas on what I felt should be a timeless theme commensurate with the melody. So the theme of the life, death, resurrection of Christ, and the implications of that for us just began to tumble out, and when we got together later on to fine tune it, we felt we had encapsulated what we wanted to say.[3]

Townend offered a similar account in an interview for WorshipTogether:

It came about in an unusual way for me. A friend of mine, Keith Getty, wrote a melody, and sent it to me—and I haven’t co-written many songs, certainly up to that point I hadn’t co-written any songs—and so he sent me this melody, and as soon as I heard it, it had a grandeur about it, [and] I thought “this needs some strong lyrics.” So I sat down, and as I wrote it, I just began to develop the whole theme of the life, death, resurrection of Christ, and what that means for us in our lives. As I was writing it, I was finding as I was writing each verse, it was getting stronger and stronger, and I was getting more emotional as I was writing it, just as I was contemplating the awesomeness of His sacrifice and what that means for us, so it ends up saying, “No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me. From life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny,” and it was just gripping me so much, so it was quite an experience to write it.[4]

In a lecture and Q&A session in Louisville, Kentucky, Keith Getty offered his own version of the story:

You’re familiar with “In Christ alone,” which was the first hymn that Stuart and I wrote back in 2000 and finished in 2001. The idea was to write a hymn that declared the whole life of Christ in a song. 

I was in a Bible study in 2000, and most of the people who are Christians often are quite articulate about certain areas of popular culture, or about what the Christian church should be doing about this, but most of them struggled to actually explain what Christ did in being born, coming to earth, and the Incarnate One dying, rising, and being able to articulate those things. So we hoped just to write a hymn which is going through the basics of the life of Christ . . . a simple, creedal hymn.

The lyrical style of the songs, we tend to write a lot of the stuff with kind of a narrative quality. . . . We were advised not to write these songs because there was no way of bridging the post-modern generation and the modern generation with the traditional generations. Because one wanted to sing theology and truth, the other wanted to sing experience and didn’t want any theology, but the interesting thing was, when you give them a story, when you feed something through a story, it helps them understand.[5]

According to another account, “The melody that changed Keith Getty’s life was first scratched out on the back of an electric bill in a humble flat in Northern Ireland.”[6]

Although Getty usually sees his strength as being the melodist, while Townend is the stronger lyricist, one particular and significant change to the text was initiated by Getty:

I had written the lyrics, and sent them off to Keith, and Keith made some comments, which were really helpful. One of the comments he made, which I think shows his sensibility as far as lyric writing—even though he’s known as a melody writer, his sensibility as a lyric writer—was that the first line originally said, “My hope is found in Christ alone,” and he said it would be really good if the song began with the phrase “In Christ alone.” I was slightly against it because I had this rhyming scheme going on in the verse and I didn’t want to mess it up, so slightly irritated by his request, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought, actually, yeah, that probably would be stronger, so I moved it around, so the song starts with “In Christ alone.”[7]

In a video posted to YouTube in 2013, Keith said the song was completed in January of 2001.[8]

In his somewhat facetious, half-joking manner, Keith has admitted the songwriting process for this song and many of their other songs, including the ones involving Kristyn, has not been not completely smooth, sometimes tested by passionate disagreement:

That was the first hymn Stuart and I wrote together, and we swore we would never write together after that, because we just argued the whole time, then we decided we would after we wrote that one, so it’s been fine. . . . For us, it’s usually a long, drawn-out, painful, anarchistic, tense, argumentative, difficult, refining process, so that by the end of the song, there’s just no way you’re going to speak to each other for at least a few weeks. I would also say, it is true love of God, and love for each other, but our personalities are such that . . . we write with strong opinions, and often . . . we’ve had to come to consensus, where not all of us have wanted a certain line, but we’ve had to go, “okay, how’s that going to go?”[9]

II. Audio Recordings

The song was recorded five times in 2001. According to Townend’s bandmate Lou Fellingham, the song was premiered at the Spring Harvest conference, which was held over the first three weeks of April. “There was a huge amount of response and enthusiasm as soon is we sang it,” she said.[10] Townend’s band for the festival included Luke Fellingham (bass), Nathan Fellingham (drums), Rachel Fellingham (vocals), Alan Rose (electric guitar), Mike Sandeman (keyboards), and Kate Simmonds (vocals). The festival was held at two sites of the Butlins Resorts, in Skegness and Minehead, drawing over 40,000 people in total. “In Christ alone” was recorded at the Skegness site in Lincolnshire, sung by Lou Fellingham, and later included on Spring Harvest Live Worship 2001, released 1 July 2001. Kate Simmonds offered this account of what that venue was like at the time:

The Spring Harvest venues (or at least, at that time) were big marquee tents holding about 5,000 people, I think. They had proper stadium-style seating in them. It certainly felt like a big venue to lead worship in. A strong recollection of leading worship at that event was that there would be delegates from many different church backgrounds—Anglican, Methodist, Evangelical, and so on—and so the first task as a worship leader taking that group of people through that week-long event was to find some common ground so we could all move forward together. Certainly a song like “In Christ alone” would have been highly successful at doing that.[11]

Just a few days after unveiling the song at Spring Harvest, Townend’s band led a live recording at their home church, Church of Christ the King (now called Emmanuel) in Brighton, on 8 April 2001, Palm Sunday (Fig. 1). Lou Fellingham led “In Christ alone,” just as she had at Spring Harvest. This was issued on In Christ Alone: Live Worship at Church of Christ the King (2001), released 20 July 2001. This performance leaned more into an Irish sound by featuring a flute-whistle and violin in place of the electric guitar, and it included a choir. This track was reissued on Modern Hymns Live (2006).

A couple of months later, the band flew to Waterloo, Ontario, for a WorshipTogether conference, held May 31 to June 2 at the University of Waterloo, where they presented the song again, led by Lou Fellingham and Stuart Townend, with a return of the electric guitar lead-ins. This recording was issued on Jesus Lifted High: Live from WorshipTogether Canada, released 21 September 2001. Other band members on that trip included Nathan, Luke, and Rachel Fellingham, Alan Rose, and Michael Sandeman.

Finally, the band was featured at the annual Stoneleigh International Bible Week, held at the National Agricultural Centre in Warwick from July 21 to August 9, which drew about 20,000 people. A recording of “In Christ alone” was included on the Stoneleigh album The Father’s Embrace, released 19 October 2001. As before, the band utilized an electric guitar lead-in, led by the voice of Lou Fellingham. This was the final Stoneleigh conference of its kind after a decade in operation and a long series of albums. The Stoneleigh recording of “In Christ alone” was one of Townend’s favorites:

I’ve heard some wonderful recordings of it. The Newsboys’ version is really fresh and exciting, and the one done by Alan Asbury is superb. But the one that always moves me the most is when we recorded it with a congregation of 8,000 at the Stoneleigh Bible Week in England a couple of years ago. When we finish the third verse, about the resurrection of Christ, there’s an extraordinary burst of praise from the congregation that at the time was overwhelming, and listening back still sends a shiver down my spine.[12]

Although “In Christ alone” was originally intended for Keith Getty’s project New Irish Hymns, this was one of the last recordings to be released that year, in October 2001. Unlike the four live recordings, this was a studio session, with American singer Margaret Becker as the soloist, accompanied by Irish uillean pipes played by Troy Donockley. Curiously, this recording began “In Christ alone my heart is found,” and that lyric was included in the CD liner notes (Fig. 2). This album was distributed in the United States by WorshipTogether under the name In Christ Alone: New Hymns of Prayer and Worship (2001).

Shortly after the album was released, Margaret Becker offered her impressions of it:

I think this is a very lush album, due to Máire and Jo and most especially Keith Getty. The flavour is celebratory and mournful all at the same time—only the Irish can do that! In fact, the obvious emotional dichotomy is what, I think, makes this record standout. . . . I believe these hymns are a modern day interpretation of active faith. They manage to embody both the time-honoured principles and language, while subtly introducing modern language that points to relevant faith experience—I hope they become standards.[13]

Stuart Townend’s first solo/studio recording of “In Christ alone” was for his album Lord of Every Heart (2002), utilizing a predominantly synthesized backing track. Additional recordings by Stuart Townend have been included on Take Us to the River (2003), The Mandate: O Church Arise (2006), The Mandate: See What a Morning (2006), Mission:Worship (2006), Newfrontiers: In Christ Alone (2006), and There is a Hope (2008), plus various compilation reissues.

The Gettys have likewise recorded the song on other albums, namely, An Evening in Prague (2005), orchestrated by Keith Getty and played by the Czech Television Studio Orchestra; In Christ Alone (2006), the first studio version sung by Kristyn Getty; The Apostles’ Creed (2006), sung by Susan Ashton; Prom Praise (2008), with Noël Tredinnick and the All Souls Orchestra; Hymns for the Christian Life (2012), featuring Alison Krauss; Prom Praise 40th Anniversary (2012); Live at the Gospel Coalition (2013) in Orlando, Florida; Joy! An Irish Christmas Live (2015); Getty Kids Hymnal: In Christ Alone (2016), as a medley with “I stand amazed”; Sing! Live at the Getty Music Worship Conference (2017) in Nashville, Tennessee; Getty Kids Hymnal: Family Hymn Sing (2018), medley version; Incarnation (2019); Sing! An Irish Christmas (2019); and Confessio (2021) with Alison Krauss. On 27 June 2023, the Gettys recorded the song with Tiarne Tranter of CityAlight during a performance at the Sydney Opera House in Australia; this was later released as a single on 12 January 2024.

III. Video Recordings

The first formal video recording of the song was made when Stuart Townend introduced it in a video for WorshipTogether’s New Song Café series, made some time in 2001 or possibly 2002, hosted by Rick Cua. Additional video examples featuring Stuart Townend include a performance for a Mission:Worship DVD, live in Colorado Springs in 2006, and a video of him with Assiria on There is a Hope DVD (2008). He made an instructional video for how to perform the song with an alternate guitar tuning (DADGAD), posted to YouTube on 6 April 2020.

The first publicly documented video recording of the Gettys singing “In Christ alone” was made for a concert at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, on 6 October 2005. Keith and Kristyn performed the song for a television broadcast on The Harvest Show, produced by LeSEA Broadcasting (South Bend, Indiana), posted to YouTube on 22 October 2007. Kristyn led the song at Shadow Mountain Church in San Diego, California, with band, choir, and orchestra; this was posted to YouTube on 18 April 2008. Other videos from Shadow Mountain include a Christmas 2010 performance, posted to YouTube on 19 January 2011, and the Gettys’ first official DVD, Keith & Kristyn Getty Live (2011).

Other video recordings of the Gettys singing “In Christ alone” include Prom Praise 40th Anniversary (2012) at Royal Albert Hall; Live at The Gospel Coalition (2013) in Orlando, Florida; Joy! An Irish Christmas Live (2015); a performance at the Sing! conference in Nashville in 2019, featuring Travis Cottrell and David Kim; a 2020 live performance from Joy! An Irish Christmas recorded for public broadcast, a performance at Sing! in Nashville in Sept. 2021 with Travis Cottrell, and a St. Patrick’s Day video recorded 12 March 2022 and broadcast on TBN 17 March 2022. See also a video of Keith Getty offering his thoughts about the song in relation to The Gospel Coalition performance, “Keith Getty talks about ‘In Christ alone,’” posted to YouTube on 14 September 2013, and a special 15th Anniversary video with Stuart Townend, “How was ‘In Christ alone’ written?” produced for Integrity’s We Are Worship, posted 7 April 2016.

In December 2023, Keith Getty sat with John Piper and discussed the meaning of the song. Parts of this interview were later made available on YouTube.

IV. Publication

“In Christ alone” was first printed in The Event Songbook 2001/2 (Kingsway, 2001 | Fig. 3), then in Spring Harvest Praise 2002 (Fig. 4). Its first appearance in the U.S. was in the WorshipTogether.com Songbook 5.0 (2002 | Fig. 5), where it was considered a “Bonus Song.” Its first appearance in a hymnal was in the Irish Presbyterian Hymnbook (2004 | Fig. 6). The earliest printings are all nearly identical, featuring the same minimal harmonized accompaniment. Official scores have also been offered as digital downloads on the websites for Kingsway Music (now defunct), WorshipTogether, and Getty Music. The Gettys have subsequently included the song in their songbooks for In Christ Alone (2006 | Fig. 7), Live at the Gospel Coalition (2013), Getty Kids Hymnal: In Christ Alone (2016), and Getty Kids Hymnal: Family Hymn Sing (2018), the last two being a medley with “I stand amazed.”

V. Analysis

Overview

The hymn is a narrative of key events in the life and work of Jesus Christ (stanzas 2–3), prefaced by a review of his characteristics (stanza 1) and followed by a declarative testimony of what his resurrection means for believers (stanza 4). Carl “Chip” Stam, a Baptist professor of church music, offered this overarching description, along with a connective Scripture text:

The poets expose the biblical idea of what it means to be “in Christ.” Notice the powerful depiction of the Lord’s Incarnation, his suffering and death, his resurrection, his exaltation, and the sure promise of his glorious return. Here’s a suggestion: Read Ephesians 1:3–14 and then read or sing this powerful text.[14]

Literary scholar Leland Ryken offered a similar assessment of the hymn’s meaning:

The twin themes of the poem are (a) what Christ has accomplished and (b) the certainties that these accomplishments have brought into the speaker’s life. The poem thus looks both outward to the redemptive life of Christ and inward to the speaker’s mind, feelings, and life. Of course, as readers we allow the speaker’s feelings to be ours as well.[15]

Like Stam, Ryken pointed to Ephesians 1, which is “an inventory of the treasures that a believer possesses in Christ.”

Vince Wright, whose website The Berean Test involves detailed scriptural analysis of congregational songs, saw a trifold message: “This song epitomizes praise and worship, replete with: 1. Attributes of God. . . . 2. Actions of God. . . . 3. Our response of eternal praise to Christ’s actions.”[16]

Stanza by Stanza

The hymn begins with a strong affirmation of the exclusivity of the Christian gospel (Ps. 62:5, Jn. 14:6, Acts 4:12). It refers to Jesus as a source of light (John 8:12), strength (Is. 40:29), and song (Ps. 118:14). He is the Cornerstone (Ps. 118:22, Is. 28:16), and a refuge from drought and storm (Ps. 46:1, 62:2). He is a comforter (Matt. 11:28), and is all-in-all (1 Cor. 15:28, Eph. 1:23).

This same Jesus took a human form (John 1:14), and was both loving (John 15:9) and righteous (1 Pet. 2:22), but was scorned by his own people (Lk. 23:18), crucified (Matt. 27:35), taking upon himself the penalty of sin (Is. 53:5), and through his death believers can experience new life (Jn. 5:24, Rom. 5:10).

Christ was buried in a tomb (Matt. 27:59–60) but rose from the dead (Matt. 28:6), through which we share his victory (1 Cor. 15:57), and sin’s curse has been broken (Gal. 3:13, Heb. 2:14). The phrase “I am his and he is mine” echoes Song of Solomon 6:3 (“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine”) and the strains of an older hymn, “Loved with everlasting love,” by Irish hymn writer George Wade Robinson (1838–1876). This biblical form of redemption is a type of purchase agreement (Ex. 15:16, Ps. 74:2).

The work of Christ has removed the weight of guilt (1 Cor. 1:7–8) and fear (Heb. 13:6, 1 Jn. 4:18). He knows and directs our future (Eph. 2:10, Phil. 1:6). Nothing can separate us from our Savior (Rom. 8:38–39).

Additional Observations

Reformed scholar Emily Brink noted the hymn’s traditional underpinnings, saying it “clearly stands in the classic metrical tradition: ‘In Christ Alone’ . . . is in a very familiar meter (8888 D), rhymed, and in every way matches the definition of classical Protestant hymnody, though many of those who sing it would be surprised by that analysis . . .”[17]

Reformed scholar Bert Polman, a colleague of Brink’s, said of the hymn:

Strongly rooted in biblical texts such as Romans 8, ‘In Christ Alone’ emphasizes Paul’s expression ‘in Christ . . .’ But that Pauline Christology is combined with a storytelling summary of Christ’s life, and that union of theology and narrative makes for a compelling hymn text. . . . It is a profound expression of the Christian faith set to a most singable tune (another rounded bar form, AABA). There are many occasions when this hymn could be used in worship: for example, in conjunction with a spoken creed, following a sermon, or during the seasons of Easter or Advent.[18]

The song’s musical structure is identical to other historic hymn tunes, such as NETTLETON (“Come, thou fount of every blessing”).

VI. The “Wrath of God” Controversy

In 2010, an independent consortium of Baptist scholars—including American, Canadian, and Cooperative Baptists, among other interested parties—produced the Celebrating Grace Hymnal (Fig. 8). Among the hymns in that collection was “In Christ alone,” and tucked into the second stanza was a small alteration; in place of “the wrath of God was satisfied” the editors used “the love of God was magnified.” In the fourth stanza, “no scheme of man” was replaced with “no human plan.” In the first case, the change was made because “Some on the committee were uncomfortable with the many references to God's wrath (and the penal substitution theory in general), not just in that hymn but in others as well, and the change was suggested as a way to lessen that aspect somewhat. The committee recommended it to the editors, who also approved it, pending permission from the copyright owners.”[19]

These changes went largely unnoticed in the broader church music community until the committee for Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal (PCUSA, 2013) explored the possibility of using the same revisions in their collection. Getty and Townend, as it turned out, had not approved the changes in Celebrating Grace and would not approve the changes for the Presbyterians. These discussions happened privately until the hymnal’s chairperson, Mary Louise Bringle, wrote an essay for The Christian Century, 1 May 2013, about some of the difficult decisions the committee faced in producing the hymnal. She expressed, for example, their debate over the American folk hymn “Jesus walked this lonesome valley.” Then she related the choice to exclude “In Christ alone”:

Even more sustained theological debate occurred after the conclusion of the committee’s three-and-a-half years of quarterly meetings in January 2012. We had voted for a song from the contemporary Christian canon, Keith Getty and Stuart Townend’s “In Christ Alone.” The text agreed upon was one we had found by studying materials in other recently published hymnals. Its second stanza contained the lines, “Till on that cross as Jesus died / the love of God was magnified.” In the process of clearing copyrights for the hymnal we discovered that this version of the text would not be approved by the authors, as it was considered too great a departure from their original words: “as Jesus died / the wrath of God was satisfied.” We were faced, then, with a choice: to include the hymn with the authors’ original language or to remove it from our list.

Because we were no longer meeting as a committee, our discussions had to occur through e-mail; this may explain why the “In Christ Alone” example stands out in my mind—the final arguments for and against its inclusion are preserved in writing. . . . The final vote was six in favor of inclusion and nine against, giving the requisite two-thirds majority (which we required of all our decisions) to the no votes. The song has been removed from our contents list, with deep regret over losing its otherwise poignant and powerful witness.[20]

Those against inclusion were mainly concerned about “the view that the cross is primarily about God’s need to assuage God’s anger.” The story, while not intended as a definitive doctrinal statement on behalf of PCUSA, drew sharp criticism from other circles. Timothy George, dean of Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, penned a piece called “No Squishy Love” for First Things, 29 July 2013, in which he perceived the issue partly as a wholesale liberal dismissal of the notion of God’s wrath, and partly as a rejection of Christ’s propitiation, “which means averting divine judgment”:

Sin, judgment, cross, even Christ have become problematic terms in much contemporary theological discourse, but nothing so irritates and confounds as the idea of divine wrath. . . . Why do many Christians shrink from any thought of the wrath of God? R.P.C. Hanson has said that many preachers today deal with God’s wrath the way the Victorians handled sex, treating it as something a bit shameful, embarrassing, and best left in the closet. The result is a less than fully biblical construal of who God is and what he has done, especially in the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ. . . .

The problem comes when we use an anthropopathic term like “wrath” and apply it univocally to the God of eternity. Before long, we have constructed “a god who looks like me,” to use the title of a recent book of feminist theology. Then caricatures of divine wrath proliferate: God having a temper tantrum or acting like a big bully who needs to be “appeased” before he can forgive or, as is often alleged with reference to the atonement, practicing cosmic child abuse.[21]

On the other hand, the decision received support from other Presbyterians:

The Rev. Chris Joiner of First Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tenn., agrees with that move. He said some of his church members are fans of the song and will be disappointed that it was dropped. But the words of the song don’t work, he said. “That lyric comes close to saying that God killed Jesus,” he said. “The cross is not an instrument of God’s wrath.”[22]

Misgivings about the song’s theology have extended beyond mainline Baptists and Presbyterians. Methodist scholar C. Michael Hawn—who served on the Texts and Tunes committee for Celebrating Grace—summarized the historical doctrines involved in the controversy, then cautioned his Methodist readers about using the song:

Often referred to as the satisfaction theory of atonement, this approach draws upon Anselm of Canterbury (c. 1033–1109), stating that Christ’s suffering was a substitute for human sin and, as such, satisfied God’s wrath against the transgressions of humanity. Traditionally, this has been the view held by Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and Getty’s Reformed tradition. This was the theological interpretation that influenced John Calvin. Other related, classical views of atonement include substitutionary atonement, that Christ died as a substitute for others or stood in their place, and penal substitution, a view that Christ, by choosing a sacrificial death, was punished or penalized in the place of a sinful humanity. . . .

The discussion above notwithstanding, as well as the haunting beauty of melody and broad popularity of the hymn, it is interesting to note that the hymn was chosen to be included in The United Methodist hymnal supplement, Worship & Song (2011). It would seem that the satisfaction theory of atonement with the reference to the “wrath of God” is at odds with the ubiquitous references to the focus on God’s love and grace—full allusions that permeate Wesleyan hymns. Indeed, “In Christ Alone” does not appear on the Discipleship Ministries’ evaluation of CCLI list of top 100 hymns that are vetted for theology appropriate to United Methodist theology (latest version, 2017).[23]

In an official response by PCUSA, members of that body felt the criticism was not an accurate portrayal of their beliefs or the contents of the hymnal:

Some have argued that this decision reflects a defective theology or unwillingness to reckon with the judgment of God. But the absence of one text, however popular, should not be construed as a failure to address this theological theme. Scripture speaks in a variety of ways about what happened in Christ’s death, and a model of atonement that understands the cross as satisfying God’s wrath and saving us through the blood of Christ is already richly presented in this collection.

For instance, “Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me” and “Judge Eternal, Throned in Splendor,” beloved hymns from the 1955 Presbyterian Hymnbook, are both included in Glory to God, as is “Lamb of God” by Twila Paris from the contemporary praise and worship canon, and a praise hymn from Korea that speaks powerfully of how Jesus “with his blood has washed and healed me / paid the heavy cost.”

Other views of the atonement are represented as well. These models do not reject the reality of God’s wrath, but they do not see the cross as an expression of it.

Finally, it should be noted that Glory to God includes an entire section devoted to “Christ’s Return and Judgment.” Indeed, this hymnal adds significant entries on the theme of judgment to material brought forward from earlier Presbyterian hymnals.[24]

After the controversy spurred by the Presbyterians drew attention to the Celebrating Grace Hymnal, the publishers of that hymnal corrected their copies to reflect the original text, starting with the fourth printing.

C. Michael Hawn conveyed a response by one of the songwriters: “In a conversation with Stuart Townend, he noted that he was taken by surprise at the controversy over atonement theology in stanza 2, as this, for him, was a long-held theological truth.”[25] In a separate interview, Keith Getty likewise defended the lyrics:

First, it’s important to express how truly honored we feel that these groups would consider adding “In Christ Alone” to their hymnals. We support the approach they take of studying the lyrics of hymns as they select music worthy to be sung and preserved. However, we believe altering the lyrics would remove an essential part of the gospel story as explained throughout Scripture.

The main thread of what we see revealed throughout the Old and New Testament is the need for man to be made right with God. The provided path toward reconciliation came through Christ’s predetermined and perfect sacrifice on the cross, satisfying God’s wrath once and for all. The two hymnal committees wanted to change the lyrics to focus on how Christ’s death on the cross magnifies God’s love for the world. And indeed, God’s love was magnified on Calvary’s hill. Yet the way this occurred was through Christ doing for us what we could not do for ourselves—shedding his own perfect blood to atone for our sins.[26]

VII. Legacy

The hymn’s adoption and usage has been nothing short of extraordinary, often sitting on or near the top of popular lists, including the CCLI Top 100. Cover versions include a wide diversity of artists, such as Newsboys, Kristian Stanfill (Passion), Bob Kauflin (Sovereign Grace), Shane & Shane, Avalon, Keith Lancaster & The Acappella Company, The Booth Brothers, Sawtooth Bluegrass Band, Oslo Gospel Choir, and the Lagos Community Gospel Choir.

Just a few years after the song’s creation, Townend expressed his impressions of the song’s reach and impact:

“I’ve been amazed by the response to this song,” says Townend. “We’ve had some incredible e-mails about how people have been helped by the song through incredibly difficult circumstances.” One e-mail described how a U.S soldier serving in Iraq would pray through each verse of the song every day, and how the promises of God’s protection and grace helped to sustain him through the enormous pressures and dangers of life in a war zone.

“It seems like this song is timely,” Townend says. “We in the West have had our sense of safety and security brutally torn apart by recent world events, and it’s caused many to re-evaluate the foundations of their life. I feel that the song has helped to stir faith in many believers that God really is our protector; that our lives are in His unshakable hands.”[27]

Even amidst the controversy in 2013, Keith Getty remarked at the hymn’s overall success:

I believe the lyrics of “In Christ Alone” succinctly express theological truths about the life, death, and saving power of Christ through his sacrificial death on the cross. Yet the song is more than didactic theology. As we’ve shared the hymn in churches, we’ve witnessed the passion and emotion it evokes. I think this is what makes it so memorable.

In more than a decade now of writing modern hymns together, Stuart and I continue to receive feedback about the effect of “In Christ Alone.” We’re amazed and humbled by the way this hymn seems to have connected with so many people on their Christian journey. Hearing how the song has helped others hold fast to Christ, often in times of great crisis and pain, is deeply meaningful and encourages us to continue writing. Believers are hungry to celebrate truth put to music, and Stuart and I are grateful to have played a small part in helping facilitate such opportunities for the church.[28]

by CHRIS FENNER
for Hymnology Archive
28 November 2021
rev. 16 January 2024

Footnotes:

1. Fiona Mcllwaine Biggins, “New Irish Hymns: New hymns, ancient faith for three CCM hitmakers,” Cross Rhythms (1 Jan. 2002): CR

2. Bert Polman, “Songs for Ascension, Pentecost, and professing our faith,” Reformed Worship, no. 71 (Mar. 2004): RW

3. Debra Akins, “Song story: In Christ alone,” Crosswalk (22 July 2004): CW

4. Stuart Townend & Rick Cua, “New Song Café: In Christ Alone,” WorshipTogether.com (ca. 2001): WT

5. Keith Getty, “Behind the songs,” Part 1, Institute for Christian Worship Lectures, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (5 Feb. 2009): SBTS

6. Bob Smietana, “Twenty years later, ‘In Christ Alone’ still inspires millions to sing,” Religion News Service (9 Sept. 2021): RNS

7. Stuart Townend & Keith Getty, “How was ‘In Christ alone’ written?” We Are Worship (7 Apr. 2016): YouTube

8. Keith Getty, “Keith Getty talks about ‘In Christ alone,’” YouTube (14 Sept. 2013): YouTube

9. Keith Getty, “Behind the songs,” Parts 1–2, Institute for Christian Worship Lectures, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (5 Feb. 2009): SBTS

10. Email correspondence with Lou Fellingham, 19 Nov. 2021.

11. Email correspondence with Kate Simmonds, 28 Nov. 2021. “I remember the first time I heard ‘In Christ alone’ I was in the CCK building but not in a church service, so we must have been in rehearsal for Spring Harvest.” Simmonds can be heard singing “In Christ alone” on the Spring Harvest album 40 Years of Live Worship (2019).

12. Debra Akins, “Song story: In Christ alone,” Crosswalk (22 July 2004): CW

13. Fiona Mcllwaine Biggins, “New Irish Hymns: New hymns, ancient faith for three CCM hitmakers,” Cross Rhythms (1 Jan. 2002): CR

14. Carl Stam, “In Christ Alone,” Worship Quote of the Week (28 Mar. 2006): wqotw.org, archived in the James P. Boyce Centennial Library, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY), and Archive.org

15. Leland Ryken, “In Christ Alone,” 40 Favorite Hymns on the Christian Life (Phillipsburg, NJ: 2019), p. 69: Amazon

16. Vince Wright, “In Christ Alone,” The Berean Test (20 February 2019): BT

17. Emily Brink, “When in our music God is glorified,” New Songs of Celebration Render, ed. C. Michael Hawn (Chicago: GIA, 2013).

18. Bert Polman, “Songs for Ascension, Pentecost, and Professing Our Faith,” Reformed Worship, no. 71 (Mar. 2004): RW

19. Email correspondence with David W. Music, 25 November 2021.

20. Mary Louise Bringle, “Debating hymns,” The Christian Century (1 May 2013): CC

21. Timothy George, “No squishy love,” First Things (29 July 2013): FT

22. Bob Smietana, “Presbyterians stir debate by rejecting popular new hymn,” Religion News Service (6 August 2013): RNS

23. C. Michael Hawn, “In Christ alone my hope is found,” History of Hymns, United Methodist Church Discipleship Ministries (24 Oct. 2019): UMC

24. Jerry L. van Marter, “Presbyterian Hymnal producers respond to misinformation,” Presbyterian Church (USA) (9 Aug. 2013): PCUSA

25. C. Michael Hawn, “In Christ alone my hope is found,” History of Hymns, United Methodist Church Discipleship Ministries (24 Oct. 2019): UMC

26. Collin Hansen, “Keith Getty on what makes ‘In Christ Alone’ accepted and contested,” The Gospel Coalition (9 Dec. 2013): TGC

27. Debra Akins, “Song story: In Christ alone,” Crosswalk (22 July 2004): CW

28. Collin Hansen, “Keith Getty on what makes ‘In Christ Alone’ accepted and contested,” The Gospel Coalition (9 Dec. 2013): TGC

Additional Resources:

C. Michael Hawn, “In Christ alone my hope is found,” Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology (2019): CDH

Bob Smietana, “Twenty years later, ‘In Christ Alone’ still inspires millions to sing,” Religion News Service (9 Sept. 2021): RNS

Beverly Howard, “In Christ alone my hope is found,” Sing with Understanding, 3rd ed., edited by C. Michael Hawn (Chicago: GIA, 2022), pp. 214–217.

James Cheesman, “Wrath in worship?: An analysis of the “wrath of God” controversy surrounding Getty and Townend’s ‘In Christ Alone,’” Artistic Theologian, vol. 11 (2024), pp. 55–72: AT

“In Christ alone my hope is found,” Hymnary.org: https://hymnary.org/text/in_christ_alone_my_hope_is_found

“In Christ Alone,” Getty Music: https://store.gettymusic.com/us/song/in-christ-alone/

“In Christ Alone,” Stuart Townend: https://www.stuarttownend.co.uk/song/in-christ-alone/