Metrical Psalm-Singing and Emotion in Scottish Protestant Affective Piety, 1560–1650

Abstract

ABSTRACT Psalm-singing was an emotional experience for early modern Scottish Protestants. This article explores the affective dimension of this practice. It identifies the experiences Scots had when they sang the metrical psalms, investigates why psalm-singing stimulated these emotional episodes, and situates the activity's role within the broader framework of Scottish Protestant introspective piety. The paper initially argues that many Scottish Protestants enjoyed psalm-singing. Particularly, listening to and singing the words and melodies of the psalms stimulated desired emotional experiences. The article's second part establishes that some Scottish Protestants approached psalm-singing as a form of prayer. Consequently, psalm-singing expressed lyrically and melodically the emotions – the speech of the soul to God in prayer – of the singer. The paper concludes that because psalm-singing evoked and expressed religious emotions, it constituted a core practice in Scottish Protestant piety.