Dohnavur Hymns

Dohnavur Hymns were those written in various books by the missionary Amy Carmichael* (1867-1951), who founded the Dohnavur Fellowship in India in 1901. In keeping with her ideas about the importance of assimilating the local culture for missionary work, Carmichael wrote hymns for the children of the mission to suit their particular circumstances. In order to be accessible, she frequently used ideas and images from nature; one hymn, ‘Sunset’, paints a picture of a sunset deepening into the dark night sky to develop a kind of Compline prayer giving thanks at the end of a day. Another, ‘Where Dwellest Thou?’ describes a magical encounter with God in the landscape of a lush wood, like the...