ABSTRACT
Christianity, given the illiteracy of adherents in earlier centuries, communicated
theology through music (Fischer, 2005) and art. In 20th-century America, spirited
congregational singing was a vital element in Protestant worship. The gospel
song, Old Time Religion, gained popularity because of a snappy tune and lyrics
promising that “the old-time religion” would moderate the dying process:
Frye (2011) insists that “humans everywhere are interested in religion . . . because
they all die, and are afraid of oblivion” (p. 39). As he was dying, Lipsenthal
(2011), a physician, observed that the fear of dying is “the most basic fear all
humans share” (p. 1). Spong (2009) identifies religion as a means to diminish the
fear of death “which accompanies our knowledge of mortality” (p. 98). Thus,
many Christians believe in an afterlife “not because we are convinced that [the
promises] are true, but because we have a deep need for them to be true” (p. 120).
Aries (1981) describes a “tamed death” facilitated by clergy through the rituals
of the church to influence the dying process and prepare for death.
