Trinity Hymnal

Since the dawn of creation—when “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy”—and throughout history, singing has characterized God’s people in worship. Mandated and exemplified in the Bible, singing is integral to corporate worship and is itself an act of worship. Psalms and hymns are a fundamental means by which believers respond to divine grace, communicate their praise, affirm their faith and proclaim spiritual truth.

It is essential for Christian hymnody to flow from the Word of God and to reflect the church’s belief system. To that end, Trinity Hymnal has been prepared to nourish and equip those in the Presbyterian/Reformed community for worship that is pleasing in the Lord’s sight. The hymnal is rooted in the rich tradition of the Reformation—with a zeal for the gospel, a high regard for doctrinal purity, and a focus on worship as defined in Scripture.

Trinity Hymnal is presented with the prayer that it may supply a recognized need for a truly ecumenical hymnal, theocentric in orientation, biblical in content and containing suitable hymns for every proper occasion of public and private worship of God. It has been compiled with the full consciousness that “the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by God himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men...or any...way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture” (Westminster Confession of Faith XXI:I).

This paragraph from the Preface of the first edition of Trinity Hymnal summarizes the principles and objectives that guided those who worked on the original volume. With 742 hymns, the revised edition of Trinity Hymnal is comparable in size to the original volume. The major change consists of 156 new selections, which include both classical and contemporary hymns. In assembling the collection of ongoing and new hymns, the committee sought to preserve the completeness of each section in the hymnal and the priority of Psalms and Psalm-based hymns. The hymnal continues to have a strong Biblical focus—with each hymn preceded by a Scripture reference—and a topical structure drawn from the Westminster Confession of Faith. Where possible, archaic word forms are updated.

Binding: Hardcover
ISBN: 0934688605