Doxology

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A doxology (from the Greek doxa, glory + logos, word or speaking) is a short hymn of praise to God in various Christian worship services, often added to the end of canticles, psalms, and hymns. The tradition derives from a similar practice in the Jewish synagogue.

Contents

1 Trinitarian doxology
2 Other doxologies
3 Derivations
4 Links

Trinitarian doxology

By far the most common doxology (and often simply called "the doxology"), used by Catholics, Orthodox, and many Protestants including Anglicans and Methodists, is the Gloria Patri, so named for its first two words in Latin and addressed to the Trinity:

Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.

Glory [be] to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

"World without end", it might be noted, is a sort of paraphrase of the original, which is more precisely translated by the most commonly encountered Orthodox English version:

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now, ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen

A variant of this is:

Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit; all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, forever and ever. Amen.

[Gloria Patri setting by Henry W. Greatorrex] ([file info])
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* Problems listening to the file? See [Media helpmedia help].

In Greek this doxology runs:

Δόξα Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ καὶ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, καὶ νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

This doxology, as well as praising God, has been regarded as a short declaration of faith in the co-equality of the three Persons of the Holy Trinity.

Another doxology in widespread use in English is:

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

This is usually sung to the tune Old 100th, but also to Duke Street, by John Hatton and The Eighth Tune by Thomas Tallis.

Other doxologies

Doxologies do not all refer to a co-equal Trinity, and some do not refer to the Trinity at all. Another early form ("Glory be to the Father, with the Son, through the Holy Spirit") was originally used by the Orthodox along with the more familiar wording, but came to be used exclusively by Arians and others who denied the divinity of the Son and Holy Spirit.

Yet another familiar doxology is the phrase at the end of the traditional Lord's Prayer as recorded in Matthew 6:13 (not found in some ancient manuscripts; a possible allusion to 1 Chronicles 29:11-12): "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever, Amen."

At Matins, Orthodox worship specifies a Great Doxology for feast days and a Small Doxology for ordinary days. (Both include the Gospel doxology Gloria in Excelsis of the angel's (Luke 2:14): Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill among men.) A substantial portion of this doxology comprises the prayer Gloria in excelsis of the Roman Catholic mass.

In Unitarian Universalism there is a hymn referred to as "the Doxology" based on the common doxology sung to the tune of Old 100th.

From all that dwell below the skies

let faith and hope with love arise;

let beauty, truth, and good be sung

through every land, by every tongue.

It is not a hymn of praise, but rather takes the place in their services that would be filled by a Christian doxology in a Christian service.

Derivations

Because some Christian worship services include a doxology, and these hymns therefore were familiar and well-practiced among church choirs, the English word sockdolager arose, a deformation of doxology, which came to mean a "show-stopper", a production number.

Links

[Hymns of the Spirit Three] Contains numerous "doxologies" to the tune OLD HUNDREDTH used in the Unitarian, Universalist and liberal Christian traditions, in English, Spanish and French.

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