The Father of English Hymnody

"To see the dull indifference, the negligent and thoughtless air that sits upon the faces of a whole assembly, while the psalm is upon their lips, might even tempt a charitable observer to suspect the fervency of their inward religion."

Isaac Watts said these words solemnly to his father after realizing that longed to see the New Testament truth of Christ explicitly sung about in churches. His father then challenged Watts to write something better if he didn't like what they sung in churches. Watts longed to hear exuberant joy in the voices of the congregation. This was the inspiration behind the hymn "Joy to the World," written soon after Watts expressed his concerns to his father. Watt's took on his father's challenge, and so his career as the Father of English hymnody began.