Gloria in excelsis Deo

"Gloria in excelsis Deo" (Latin for "Glory to God in the highest") is a Christian hymn known also as the Greater Doxology (as distinguished from the "Minor Doxology" or Gloria Patri) and the Angelic Hymn^[1]^[2]/Hymn of the Angels.^[3] The name is often abbreviated to Gloria in Excelsis or simply Gloria.

Gloria VIII from the Roman Gradual

Gloria VIII

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The hymn begins with the words that the angels sang when announcing the birth of Christ to shepherds in Luke 2:14: Douay-Rheims (in Latin). Other verses were added very early, forming a doxology.^[4]

An article by David Flusser links the text of the verse in Luke with ancient Jewish liturgy.^[5]

^ Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford University Press 2005 ISBN 978-0-19-280290-3), article Gloria in Excelsis
^ "Encyclopædia Britannica". Britannica.com. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
^ ""Hymn of the Angels", North American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church".
^ Cite error: The named reference CE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ English translation of an article that originally appeared in Unser Vater: Juden und Christen im Gespräch über die Bibel: Festschrift für Otto Michel zum 60. Geburststag (ed. Otto Betz, Martin Hengel, and Peter Schmidt; Leiden: Brill, 1963), 129–152

[ODCC-1] Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford University Press 2005 ISBN 978-0-19-280290-3), article Gloria in Excelsis

[2] "Encyclopædia Britannica". Britannica.com. Retrieved 2012-03-11.

[3] ""Hymn of the Angels", North American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church".

[CE-4] Cite error: The named reference CE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[5] English translation of an article that originally appeared in Unser Vater: Juden und Christen im Gespräch über die Bibel: Festschrift für Otto Michel zum 60. Geburststag (ed. Otto Betz, Martin Hengel, and Peter Schmidt; Leiden: Brill, 1963), 129–152

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