10 Hymns We Should Stop Singing

4. Onward, Christian Soldiers.

This one hurts a little bit. I really, really like this hymn. Really. ST. GERTRUDE (the tune name always reminds me of the Hardy Boys’ aunt) is a rousing, fun, singeable tune. And some of the theological ideas are pretty sound, especially in the middle stanzas (“Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane / but the church of Jesus, constant will remain”). But this war declaration, which the singer proclaims ad nauseam to be led and shielded by the very cross of Jesus Christ, is a confusing and dangerous image in a context that has so easily conflated patriotism with Christ’s gospel. It’s still better than this one. And especially this one.