Latin sentence from the Vulgate bible
Soli Deo gloria
is a
Latin
term for
Glory to
God
alone
. It has been used by artists like
Johann Sebastian Bach
,
George Frideric Handel
, and
Christoph Graupner
to signify that the work was produced for the sake of praising God. The phrase has become one of the
five solae
propounded to summarise the Reformers' basic beliefs during the
Protestant Reformation
.
As a greeting, it was used by monks in
Cistercian
and
Trappist
monastic orders in written communication.
[1]
As a doctrine, it means that everything is done for God's glory to the exclusion of mankind's self-glorification and pride. Christians are to be motivated and inspired by God's glory and not their own.
Meaning and related terms
[
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]
Soli Deo gloria
(abbreviated S. D. G.) is usually translated
glory to God alone
,
[2]
[3]
but some translate it
glory to the only God
.
[4]
A similar phrase is found in the
Vulgate
translation of the Bible: "
soli Deo honor et gloria
" in 1 Timothy 1:17.
[5]
The verse reads differently in Greek and English because of the additional adjective "wise":
?φθαρτ?, ?ορατ?, μ?ν?, σοφ? Θε?
?
aphtharto, aorato, mono, sopho Theo
?"to the immortal, invisible, unique, wise God."
Musical and literary usage
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]
The
Baroque
composer
Johann Sebastian Bach
wrote the initials "S. D. G." at the end of all his church compositions and also applied it to some, but not all, his secular works.
[2]
This dedication was at times also used by Bach's contemporary
George Frideric Handel
, e.g. in his
Te Deum
.
[6]
The 16th century
Spanish mystic
and poet
St. John of the Cross
used the similar phrase,
Soli Deo honor et gloria
, in his
Precautions and Counsels
.
[7]
In tribute to Bach, the term was also chosen by Sir
John Eliot Gardiner
as the name for his own record label after leaving
Archiv Produktion
, to continue and complete his Bach cantatas project.
Aaron Shust
's 2009 song "To God Alone (be the Glory)" was inspired by Bach's writing "S.D.G." at the bottom of his musical scores.
[8]
Protestant usage in the Five Solae
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]
Together with
sola fide
,
sola gratia
,
sola scriptura
and
solus Christus
, the phrase has become part of what is known as the
Five Solae
, a summary statement of central tenets of the Protestant Reformation.
[9]
Although these individual phrases have been used for centuries, it is not clear when they were first put together.
Other denominational views
[
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]
In
Eastern Orthodox
and
Roman Catholic
theology, the term
latria
is used for the form of adoration and glorification directed only to the
Holy Trinity
.
[10]
The term
dulia
is used for saints in general and hyperdulia (below latria, above dulia) for the
Virgin Mary
.
[11]
The definition of the three level hierarchy of
latria
,
hyperdulia
and
dulia
goes back to the
Second Council of Nicaea
in 787.
[12]
Mottos
[
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]
Soli Deo Honor et Gloria
is the motto of the
Worshipful Company of Leathersellers
, and appears on their gate at the entrance to St Helen's Place, City of London; the
Worshipful Company of Drapers
uses the same motto but in English as
Unto God only be honour and glory
.
Soli Deo gloria
is the motto of the
Brotherhood of Saint Gregory
, a Christian Community of friars of the
Episcopal Church
founded within the
Anglican Communion
in 1969; of
Wheaton Academy
, a high school located in West Chicago, Illinois, which was founded in 1853; of
Dallas Baptist University
, Dallas, Texas, founded in 1898; of
Concordia College (Moorhead, Minnesota)
; of
Luther College
, Decorah, Iowa; of
Dordt University
, Sioux Center, Iowa, founded in 1955; of the
American Guild of Organists
; of the
Christ Presbyterian Academy
in Nashville, Tennessee; of
Ursuline High School
, a Catholic high school located in Youngstown, Ohio which was founded in 1905; of
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
, located in
Pittsburgh
,
Pennsylvania
, and of the
Bishop's Stortford College
, a British
public school
founded in 1868 in
Bishop's Stortford
, Hertfordshire. It is also imprinted on the
South African 1 Rand coin
.
[13]
See also
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]
References
[
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]
- ^
P. Cyprian. Vennari, John (ed.).
"Father Cyprian Interviewed"
.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery
.
- ^
a
b
Butt, John (ed.).
The Cambridge Companion to Bach
.
Cambridge Companions to Music
. Cambridge University Press.
- ^
Stone, Jon R. (2005).
The Routledge Dictionary of Latin Quotations: The Illiterati's Guide to Latin Maxims, Mottoes, Proverbs and Sayings
(in Latin). Psychology Press.
ISBN
978-0-415-96908-6
.
- ^
"About the Ursulines"
.
Ursuline Sisters of Louisville
.
- ^
"1:17".
1 Timothy
. Retrieved
4 August
2012
.
- ^
Donald Burrows (2005).
Handel and the English Chapel Royal
. Oxford University Press. p. 103.
ISBN
978-0-19-816228-5
.
- ^
Benedict Groschel (2010).
I Am with You Always: A Study of the History and Meaning of Personal Devotion to Jesus Christ for Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians
. Ignatius Press. p. 166.
ISBN
978-1-58617-257-2
.
- ^
"To God Alone" with Aaron Shust ? GreatWorshipSongs
on
YouTube
- ^
Allen, R. Michael (2 September 2010).
Reformed Theology
. A&C Black. p. 77.
ISBN
978-0-567-03430-4
.
- ^
John F. O'Grady 2002
Catholic beliefs and traditions
ISBN
0-8091-4047-0
p. 145
- ^
Trigilio, John and Brighenti, Kenneth 2007
The Catholicism Answer Book
ISBN
1-4022-0806-5
p. 58
- ^
Philip Smith 2009
The History of the Christian Church
ISBN
1-150-72245-2
p. 288
- ^
"ZAR ? South African Rand"
.
travel.fyicenter.com
.
External links
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]