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The Patrick Coffin Show | Interviews with influencers | Commentary about culture | Tools for transformation

21: Father George Rutler on church music: Back to the Future?

The Patrick Coffin Show | Interviews with influencers | Commentary about culture | Tools for transformation

Patrick Coffin

Catholicanswers, Christianity, Religion & Spirituality, Culture, Society & Culture, Commentary, Americanculture, Catholic, Conservative, Podcast, Christian

4.81.4K Ratings

🗓️ 2 May 2017

⏱️ 32 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

If you’re like me, you enjoy complaining about bad church music. Whether it’s the stuff the Glory and Praise collections, or the St. Louis Jesuits, or the Marty Haugen/David Haas Monster – most of what passes for hymns of Christian worship at suburban parishes today is dreck: saccharine, sentimental, and syrupy, not to mention mostly unsingable (unless you have vast experience belting out Broadway power ballads).

Well, there is good news, and Father George Rutler announces it in his new book The Stories of Hymns: The History Behind 100 of Christianity’s Greatest Hymns

In this interview, the wry and erudite Father Rutler dives into the stories behind the songs that generations of Christians have loved to sing – yes, including male Christians. As the prophet Joni Mitchell thus spake, “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you got till it’s gone.”

If you’re a junky for good “story behind the story” content, you’ll love this conversation about the great hymns of the past, which may yet, please God, see a return to your local parish.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome to episode number 21 of the Patrick Coffin Show.

0:04.0

Warning, the following podcast contains ideas and arguments that might challenge your worldview.

0:09.0

And now for something completely different.

0:13.6

The Poetry Coffin Show, A Bacon of Light

0:16.7

in a world of spam.

0:18.5

Thank you for a false.

0:21.5

You're tired of secularist bullies punching your values in the face.

0:26.0

You're looking for smart commentary that doesn't sound like NPR,

0:30.0

with our annoying voices.

0:31.0

You're wondering where we're going

0:33.0

and why we're in this hand basket.

0:35.4

If you answer true to any of these, you've come to the right place.

0:39.8

You're about to meet the innovators and influencers who are restoring the Judeo Christian

0:44.6

foundations of our culture right here on the Patrick Coffin show.

0:50.0

And now here's your host, Patrick Coffin.

0:54.0

Welcome to this edition of The Patrick Coffin show.

1:00.0

I'm so excited about this topic. It's something it's... Welcome to this edition of The Patrick Coffin Show.

1:02.6

I'm so excited about this topic.

1:04.1

It's something, it's kind of a pet peeve of mine,

1:06.3

how bad Catholic liturgical music has gotten

1:08.9

in the last two generations.

1:10.3

Luckily, while we'll talk about the bad news, there is some very good news and much of it is contained

...

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