The Early Hymnody of the Apostolic Pentecostal Movement

Abstract First generation Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostals, like their Trinitarian counterparts, were skeptical of formal creeds and systematic theology. Nevertheless, such sentiments did not prevent pioneers of the Apostolic Pentecostal movement in the United States from developing a theologically laden hymnody in response to its distinct God-narrative. To make this case I will survey the earliest Apostolic Pentecostal collection of songs found in The Bridegroom Songs hymnal published by the first legally recognized Apostolic Pentecostal organization in the United States, the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW). Using the hymnal I will review the early hymnody and reflect on how the earliest practitioners used song to express their re-visioned construal of christology, pneumatology, soteriology, and eschatology. The study will close with a discussion of the implications for the PAW abandoning their distinct hymnody in favor of generic praise songs