Abstract: This study attempts to penetrate the mindset of the American hymnist, Fanny Crosby, who composed over 9000 hymns, many of which have been performed worldwide. The methodology includes a poetic analysis of the hymn, “Whither, Pilgrims, Are You Going?” Previous studies had not examined her works through the combined prisms of poetry, philosophy, theology, thanatology and metaphysics. This investigation assumes the premise that Crosby was not just a prolific and popular hymn writer as often portrayed, but she was more than that. The study uses the lyrics of the hymn as primary data and supplements them with secondary sources such as references and published works. A textual analysis of the hymn is conducted with the literary model propounded by Tom Ryan to determine whether Crosby could be considered a poet or just a hymnist. The investigation demonstrates that she was not just a hymnist and a poet, but also a philosopher, a theologian, a thanotologist and a metaphysician. Thus, Crosby can be likened to great names like Milton, Darwin, Plato, Socrates, Marx and Freud.
Keywords: Religious communication, Poetic interpretation, Poetry, Hymn, Whither pilgrims, Allegory, Fanny Crosby.
Title: PSYCHO-RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATION: A POETIC INTERPRETATION OF THE HYMN, “WHITHER, PILGRIMS, ARE YOU GOING?” BY FANNY CROSBY (1820-1915)
Author: TIKUM MBAH AZONGA
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
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