What is the Word of God in the mouth of each and every person at the beginning of the sixteenth century?

This article adopts the point of view of a liturgical practitioner at the dawn of the reformations, his field of expertise, his doubts, and his view on of the major schism that was taking place at that time.

Indeed, the training of future Reformers, particularly when they continued in collective institutions after their preceptorship of the early years, included preparation for liturgy and the sacraments. A detailed look at this deep familiarity with the liturgy reveals the extent to which the Reformers’ project provided an extraordinary impetus for radical new ideas. By re-examining the place of the psalter in monastic practice, and in the light of the painful abandonments and renunciations that were necessary to achieve the new ideal of a singing congregation, we can better clarify and qualify the reactions and enthusiasm of the time.

The history of music also teaches us that, in certain regions and at certain times (as it has been documented since the thirteenth century), the congregation actually took part in certain parts of the worship and singing. The birth of the great spiritual collections such as carols, spiritual songs, and hymns in general in the sixteenth century is based on a clear awareness of the singing of Scripture, as opposed to, and then in addition to, the singing of pious poetry. These last two aspects are then put into perspective with our current practices.