Religion is the chief concern
Religion is the chief concern. John Fawcett* (1740-1817).
Written at Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, and first published in Hymns: adapted to the circumstances of Public Worship and Private Devotion (1782). It appeared in influential collections on both side of the Atlantic, such as John Rippon*’s Selection of Hymns (1787) and Benjamin Lloyd‘s Primitive Hymns, Spiritual Songs and Sacred Poems (1841):
Religion is the chief concern Of mortals here below;May I its great importance learn, Its sovereign virtues know!
More needful this, than glittering wealth, Or aught the world bestows;Not reputation, food, or health, Can give us such repose.
Religion should our thoughts engage, Amidst our...
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MLA style (see MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd Ed.)
. "Religion is the chief concern."
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Chicago style (see The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Ed.)
. "Religion is the chief concern."
The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press, accessed January 24, 2026,
http://www.hymnology.co.uk/r/religion-is-the-chief-concern.