The liturgical present tense

A striking feature of the hymns sung by Christians on Christmas and Easter is that they are often in the present tense even though the events sung about occurred long ago. This chapter explores the significance of what it calls “the liturgical present tense.” The view, common among liturgical theologians, that on the high holy days, events central to the biblical narrative that happened in the distant past are reactualized, is discussed at some length, the conclusion being that the view is false. The chapter then introduces and explains the concept of what it calls “the as-if trope.” A boy talks to his dog as if it were a personal friend, etc. The chapter suggests that when Christians use the present tense in singing about Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection, they are using a version of the as-if trope. It closes with a discussion of why they do this.