“And can it be”: Analysing the Words, Music, and Contexts of an Iconic Methodist Hymn

Abstract

This paper interrogates the iconic status of Charles Wesley\u27s hymn And can it be within British Methodism. It examines words, music and context, arguing that it is the combination of these that is crucial to understanding the hymn\u27s status, and that such an approach may be more widely useful in hymnology. Through examination of the literary characteristics of the text, the musical settings associated with it throughout its history, and the ways in which it has been used within British Methodism, it reflects upon the hymn\u27s peculiar place in the spiritual life of the denomination, and how this reflects upon Methodism\u27s attitude to its heritage of hymnody