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Tomlin, Fielding and Dickson Present ‘The First Hymn’

Tomlin, Fielding and Dickson Present ‘The First Hymn’

Last updated on: March 24, 2026 at 9:00 pm by DeWayne Hamby

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Tomlin, Fielding and Dickson Present ‘The First Hymn’ 2026-03-24T21:00:28-04:00 DeWayne Hamby

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The earliest known Christian hymn, preserved on a scrap of papyrus barely the size of two handspans, is getting its modern debut in theaters this week.

‘The First Hymn’ image courtesy of Fathom Entertainment

“The First Hymn,” a feature-length documentary from Fathom Entertainment, opens nationwide March 24 and 26 in about 800 cinemas. Hosted by historian, author and “Undeceptions” podcast host John Dickson, the film traces the discovery of the 200s A.D. manuscript — complete with lyrics and musical notation — and follows its revival as both a historically accurate performance and a contemporary worship song.

The project began a decade ago when Dickson was researching ancient manuscripts at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

“I had the crazy idea 10 years ago, when I was researching ancient manuscripts in Oxford University in the UK, and one of these ancient manuscripts from the 200s AD, so nearly 1800 years ago, is the oldest Christian hymn with musical notation,” Dickson said in a recent interview. “This piece of paper, which is quite tiny. It’s like 2 handspans long, is not only got lyrics on it. It’s got the musical notation above the lyrics. So it’s the first one we know actually how to sing. And as I’m looking at this manuscript, I thought, why has no one brought this back to life and given it back to the world?”

That question led Dickson to pitch a movie. He shared the idea with Australian songwriter Ben Fielding, who brought in GRAMMY Award-winning artist Chris Tomlin. Together, the three ensured the new composition honored the original Greek text, theology and intent while making it accessible to today’s worship audiences. The resulting track appears on Tomlin’s most recent album and was recorded at Dark Horse Studios.

The documentary blends two genres. It functions first as a history film, taking viewers from the deserts of Egypt to the libraries of Oxford and other sites where the hymn’s story unfolded. Then it shifts into a music documentary, offering an inside look at the songwriting, recording and performance process that brought the ancient piece to life.

Dickson described the original melody as far from the solemn Gregorian chant style that developed centuries later.

“The original melody, written on this ancient piece of papyri, was, according to the musical analysis of the historians involved, a pop song,” he said. “It isn’t written in sort of Gregorian chant style. That’s much, much later. This is written in the style of singing that you would have heard in the ancient Greek theatre on stage, or in a tavern.”

To give audiences an authentic taste of that sound, the filmmakers enlisted the Wheaton College Concert Choir to perform the hymn in its original Greek with the reconstructed ancient melody. Viewers hear exactly how early Christians might have sung it in the third century.

Yet the film’s creators felt the ancient believers’ choice to set sacred words to popular music of their day called for a similar approach today.

“Because these ancient Christians clearly put it in a popular style in their era, we felt we would honour them best not by making this a crusty old hymn, but turning it into a modern contemporary song,” Dickson said. “And that’s exactly what Chris and Ben have done.”

The approach echoes a pattern familiar to church history. Many revered hymns of later centuries — “Amazing Grace,” “How Great Thou Art” — were originally set to popular tunes of their time, Dickson noted.

“They were kind of pop tunes when they were written,” he said. “They weren’t written in the sort of style you would have got in a monastery. It’s just that over time, now we think of them as classic.”

The hymn’s message itself is striking. Written well before the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. and the formal definition of the Trinity under Emperor Constantine, it praises the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and declares the Lord “the only giver of all good gifts.”

“It actually praises the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And then calls the Lord, the only giver of all good gifts, amen, amen,” Dickson said. “So it’s like this gorgeous, positive, confident, joyful praise of the Trinity. Even though the song we know was written before the Council of Nicea, before Emperor Constantine, before the Trinity was formalized, in other words, this song existed and was sung by Christians.”

Dickson said he was moved to tears the first time he saw the finished film, which had already screened successfully in Australian theaters.

“It’s everything that I’d hoped for and more,” he said. “The thought that it’s now coming to America is just so exciting.”

The modern version by Tomlin and Fielding is already streaming on platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. A motion picture soundtack released just before the theatrical run includes both the contemporary recording and the ancient Greek performance by the Wheaton choir.

Dickson, who has a background in contemporary music, reflected on why sacred music holds such power in Christian life.

“I think it’s two things,” he said. “The poetry allows us to say things that are at the extremes of communication, instead of the precision of a systematic theology textbook. You can say things, like in the Psalms, but also in Christian songs, you can say things in really risky expressive ways. But then the musical undergirding of good lyrics gives us the appropriate emotional response to ideas. We are just humans who are moved by melody. And I think it’s absolutely appropriate to be moved by a melody that lifts your heart to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

“The First Hymn” arrives in theaters March 24 and 26 through Fathom Entertainment. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.

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