SOLI DEO GLORIA

I recently discovered the latin term Soli Deo Gloria when reading  a  book by D A Carson.  Professor Carson states how he often adds this at the end of articles and letters.  Very observant readers will notice that SDG has started appearing after some of my posts too.


One of my favorite composers is Johann Sebastian Bach.    At the end of his cantatas and other religious works be would put the initials SDG. I had seen this and had always assumed that this was his monogram (despite this being nothing like JSB).

SDG on the rignt of one pf Bach's sheet music.

Another composer who also put SDG in scores was Handel.  This is what he put at the end of his famous piece, Messiah

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 So what does Soli Deo Gloria and its acronym SDG mean?

SOLI (lone or only)
Deo (God)
GLORIA (Glory),

or Glory to God Alone.It is a beautiful way of saying that what your intentions are is to bring glory to God through what you have put. Listen to Handels Messiah and that is clear. ForJS Bach, that meant that he put it after every religious piece he wrote.  He did not add it after other works.

This sola is one of the 5 solae of the protestant reformation as definedin the 20th Century. Here they are
Sola Fide - by faith alone - faith, not works, saves
Sola Scriptura - by scripture alone- scripture is the absolute authority
Sola Gratia - by grace alone - we are saved by divine grace and not by ourselves
Solus Christus - bt Christ alone - we are saved only throu Christ SOLI DEO GLORIA - Glory to God alone These two composers woud add this whenever a piece they composed was meant for praising God. Carson uses it for the same reason, and so will I!

Yours in Christ Dan SF SS SG SC ....SDG