Rise of Hymnody
To understand the changes and developments in church music, we start with the ideas of Humanism, the Enlightenment, Romanticism, and Revivalism and what impact these movements had on what we sing. In addition to Gospel hymns, the role of the great 19th century hymn text translators and the publication of Hymns Ancient and Modern provide a context for the renewed interest in liturgy.
Quentin Faulkner writes:
The Enlightenment was at heart a denial of the mystical, spiritual dimension of existence. Leading thinkers were disposed to consider religion, especially Christian religion, as superstition, and in criticizing, indeed, ridiculing it they hastened the evaporation not only of superstition, but also of spirituality.
Here is a link to the fifth lesson.