7 Inspirational Hymns to Celebrate Reformation Day

While for many Americans, Oct. 31 is associated with Halloween, for many churches across the world, the date is meant to celebrate the birth of the Protestant Reformation.

Wednesday marks the 501^st anniversary of when Augustinian monk Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to a church door in Wittenberg, located in modern-day Germany, to protest the abuses in the Roman Catholic Church.

Over the centuries, several songs have been written that celebrate or at the least reflect key themes of the Reformation. Here are seven hymns to help one celebrate the Protestant holiday.

A Mighty Fortress is Our God

This one had to be on the list. Considered by many to be “Battle Hymn of the Reformation,” scholars believe Martin Luther wrote the song during the 1520s.

The earliest confirmed appearance of the song in a hymnal comes from 1533. Since then, it appeared in many others, having been translated into approximately 200 languages.

O Lord, Look Down from Heaven, Behold

Another one from the pen of Martin Luther, this hymn was originally published in the first Lutheran hymnal, titled the Achtliederbuch, in…