“The First Hymn” Documentary Showing

John Dickson, historian, author, and Wheaton College professor, who will introduce the film and share about its significance.

The First Hymn is a groundbreaking Australian-led documentary that revives Christianity’s oldest known hymn with musical notation, discovered on a fragment of papyrus in the ancient city of Oxyrhynchus. This 1,800-year-old song—long buried in the sands of Egypt—is brought back to life through modern worship, historical insight, and cinematic storytelling.

Featuring contributions from world-class scholars and theologians (John Dickson, Chris Tomlin and Ben Fielding), the film explores the role of worship music in shaping the identity and theology of the early church and its enduring resonance for today’s global church. There will be a Q&A with John Dickson following the showing.