(RNS) — When “How Great Is Our God” first hit the worship charts in the fall of 2004, George W. Bush was in the White House, Barack Obama was a little-known Illinois lawmaker just elected to the U.S. Senate, Donald Trump was a would-be reality TV star and scholars were just starting to pay attention to an uptick in the people known as “nones.”Twenty years later, the song, co-written by Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves and Ed Cash, remains a hit — currently No. 4 on the CCLI worship chart, popular in small groups and stadium worship concerts.
It’s also become the theme song for Christian nationalists.
“How Great Is Our God” was sung by protesters during the Jericho marches that preceded the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and has been a staple at Christian nationalism conferences in recent years. And last week, when MAGA activist and worship leader Sean Feucht stood at the gates of Columbia University to oppose pro-Palestinian protesters and to demand that the school’s president resign, “How Great Is Our God” was on his lips.
“Our hearts will sing how great is our God,” he sang into a bullhorn, with a drummer in the background and a flag bearing the Stars and Stripes alongside a blue and white Star of David waving overheard.
At first listen, “How Great Is Our God” seems an unlikely candidate for a Christian nationalism protest song. There is nothing overtly political or partisan about the lyrics, and the song is sung in churches of all shapes and sizes. And it remains extraordinarily popular. The song first appeared on the Top 100 list compiled by Christian Copyright Licensing International, which licenses music for use in churches, in October 2004 and has remained there ever since, often among the top 10 songs.
Leah Payne. (Photo by Beck Bee Photo)
Leah Payne, a religious historian and author of “God Gave Rock & Roll to You,” said “How Great Is Our God” showcases the skill of Tomlin and his co-writers — who have fused the power of stadium rock anthems with Christian lyrics, creating songs with infectious hooks that draw a cro …
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It’s also become the theme song for Christian nationalists.
“How Great Is Our God” was sung by protesters during the Jericho marches that preceded the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and has been a staple at Christian nationalism conferences in recent years. And last week, when MAGA activist and worship leader Sean Feucht stood at the gates of Columbia University to oppose pro-Palestinian protesters and to demand that the school’s president resign, “How Great Is Our God” was on his lips.
“Our hearts will sing how great is our God,” he sang into a bullhorn, with a drummer in the background and a flag bearing the Stars and Stripes alongside a blue and white Star of David waving overheard.
At first listen, “How Great Is Our God” seems an unlikely candidate for a Christian nationalism protest song. There is nothing overtly political or partisan about the lyrics, and the song is sung in churches of all shapes and sizes. And it remains extraordinarily popular. The song first appeared on the Top 100 list compiled by Christian Copyright Licensing International, which licenses music for use in churches, in October 2004 and has remained there ever since, often among the top 10 songs.
Leah Payne. (Photo by Beck Bee Photo)
Leah Payne, a religious historian and author of “God Gave Rock & Roll to You,” said “How Great Is Our God” showcases the skill of Tomlin and his co-writers — who have fused the power of stadium rock anthems with Christian lyrics, creating songs with infectious hooks that draw a cro …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]