David T. Koyzis

For Christmas this year my beloved wife gave me an antiquarian copy of the Lobwasser Psalter, a sturdy little volume that has weathered the centuries remarkably well. The Lobwasser Psalter was a German-language translation of the Genevan Psalms set to verse in 1573 by Ambrosius Lobwasser . . . . Continue Reading »

The best-known version of this ancient Christmas matins hymn may be that of Tomas Luis de Victoria, but American composer Morten Johannes Lauridsen’s lovely setting movingly conveys the spirit of the text:O great mystery,and wonderful sacrament,that animals should see the new-born Lord,lying . . . . Continue Reading »

I have recently been made aware of The Psalm Project, a group of young Christian musicians in the Netherlands who are rendering the Genevan Psalms in contemporary form. Here is a medley of their efforts below, which are quite compelling:Here are Psalms 86, 119 (partial, obviously) and 139:Quite . . . . Continue Reading »

The following report may or may not have been carried in the Canadian press:OTTAWA — The federal government has decided not to contest an Ontario court ruling that henceforth people unable to use their legs and confined to wheelchairs must be legally considered able to walk. The decision is a . . . . Continue Reading »

The following items are crossposted at Notes from a Byzantine-Rite Calvinist: The December issue of National Geographic Magazine carries an article, Kings of Controversy, exploring the debate over whether a united Israelite kingdom under David and Solomon ever existed or whether an overly fertile . . . . Continue Reading »

Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle, who is commemorated in this familiar hymn:Jesus calls us over the tumultOf our life’s wild, restless, sea;Day by day His sweet voice soundeth,Saying, “Christian, follow Me!”As of old Saint Andrew heard itBy the Galilean . . . . Continue Reading »

This has to be one of my favourite Advent hymns, a versification of Isaiah 40:1-5 set to the Genevan tune for Psalm 42. Here is a wonderful choral version arranged by David Ashley . . . . Continue Reading »

Like the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, the Free Church of Scotland has historically allowed only unaccompanied singing of Psalms in the liturgy. However, its synodical assembly has now decided, by a narrow majority, to permit extrabiblical hymns and instruments in worship for those . . . . Continue Reading »

Who knew? When Fordham University posted this sample of Thomas Aquinas’ handwriting on its page for today’s Natural Law Colloquium, it provided needed evidence for something that had been only conjecture up to now: the late mediaeval theologian’s writings were obviously transcribed . . . . Continue Reading »

First there was Wikipedia, the global collaborative encyclopedia of virtually everything worth knowing — and, admittedly, a lot we’d be better off not knowing. Then there was open-source software — free, downloadable software that is also part of a collaborative effort. Now we have . . . . Continue Reading »