The Shift

"Perhaps the hymns more than any other medium of worship reflect the shift from theocentricsm to anthropocentrism. the Baptist hymnals published between 1784 and 1807 were notably theocentric giving God the leading role in the drama of worship and salvation.

"Later hymnals, especially those published in the nineteenth century, were characteristically anthropocenteic, with a tendency to define the drama of salvation more in terms of human response rather than divine initiative."

T. R. McKibbens, Jr.
"Our Baptist Heritage In Worship"
Review and Expositor 80 (1983)