Images of a Hymnal: Criteria for selecting songs derived from constructed meaning of a hymnal

The focus when composing, evaluating or studying a hymn-book, usually lies on the hymns it contains and/or the criteria used for their incorporation. In this article we will add another point of view to the study of hymnals, seeking to show that the desired end result of the editorial work contributes to the evaluation of a particular song. We will argue that images of the hymnal as they were evoked in the meetings of its editorial board when discussing a song, became a criterion for incorporation, summarized in the question of whether the song met the desired meaning of the hymnal.