I. History of the Discipline

Hymnology, as the scientific study of Christian hymnody with regard to its origins, development, and practice, is a subdivision of practical theology, but closely related to other disciplines.

Hymnology has its roots in the 12th century philological and theological commentaries and glosses (scholia) to the office hymns of the church year. An early and popular example is the Liber hymnorum of Hilary of Poitiers, found in …