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In Christ There is No East or West

In Christ there is no East or West

The hymn reflects Lutheran theology of baptismal unity and the priesthood of all believers, emphasizing that the Gospel dissolves human divisions and creates one family in Christ. It expresses the Lutheran understanding that justification by faith transcends all earthly boundaries and qualifications.

History & Background

Written by John Oxenham in 1908, this hymn emphasizes Christian unity across geographical, cultural, and social boundaries. It has become a standard ecumenical and social justice hymn in Lutheran and other Protestant hymnals since its composition.

Many hymnals contain William A. Dunkerley’s “In Christ There Scripture References Is No East or West,” a hymn text written in 1908 by Dunkerley st. 1= Isa. 49:12 under the pseudonym ofJohn Oxenham. However, it is ironic Luke 13:29 that this text about the worldwide church has been considered Acts 17:26 by many in the twentieth century to have an exclusively male Col. 3:11 emphasis. Consequently, various recent hymnal editors have Gal. 3:28 altered the text. Michael A. Perry concluded that st. 2 = 2 Cor. 5:18-19 the revision needed to be so radical that an entirely new text would be a better choice. Thus Perry kept only Dunkerley’s opening line and wrote a new text on the same theme. Perry’s text was published in Hymns for Today’s Church in 1982. Based on New Testament passages such as Galatians 3:28 and 1 John 4:7-12, this text describes certain ideal characteristics of the church: its comprehensiveness (st. 1), unity (st. 2,5), love (st. 3), and holiness (st. 4), ideals for which we must continually work and pray. Perry says of his text, ‘The spirit of reconciliation was invoked from the Pauline Epistles, and the spirit of fellowship from the Johanine.”

Hymnal Appearances

  • Baptist Hymnal — 395
  • Chalice Hymnal — 687
  • Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 649
  • Gather 4th Edition — 905
  • Glory to God — 317
  • The Hymnal 1982 — 529
  • Lutheran Book of Worship — 359
  • Lutheran Service Book — 653
  • Lift Up Your Hearts — 693
  • Lutheran Worship — 374
  • New Century Hymnal — 394
  • Psalter Hymnal — 540
  • Trinity Hymnal — 439
  • United Methodist Hymnal — 548
  • Voices Together — 818

Liturgical Use

For Worldwide Communion, All Nations Sunday, All Saints Day, and other church festivals such as Pentecost; splendid for ecumenical services.

Bulletin Note

Written by English hymnodist John Oxenham in 1908, this text boldly proclaims baptismal equality across racial and social divisions—a prophetic witness to Gospel unity that resonates afresh in every generation.

Preaching Connection

This hymn embodies the Gospel's power to demolish the Law's capacity to separate and condemn, proclaiming that justification by faith in Christ alone dissolves every boundary of ethnicity, class, and geography.

Catechism & Confessional Connections

Themes

Christian unity Breaking down barriers Universal church Race and ethnicity in Christ Love and fellowship

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