Intelligibility vs. Immediacy

Fitting with today’s post on accessibility vs. immediacy, I stumbled across some statements from Terry Johnson’s The Worship of God: Reformed Concepts of Biblical Worship (Christian Focus, 2005). Speaking of contemporary Christian music, Johnson notes,

First, it often promotes itself as being a more intelligible form of music than traditional hymnody. What that really seems to mean is that contemporary Christian music is form [sic] of music to which there is immediate access. it does not take any reflection. It does not take any study. it does not take any effort. You can just immediately enter into this music.

…

Proponents of contemporary Christian music often seem to confuse intelligibility with a desire for immediate experience.

…

How intelligible is the Bible? It must be our standard of intelligibility.

First, it often promotes itself as being a more intelligible form of music than traditional hymnody. What that really seems to mean is that contemporary Christian music is form [sic] of music to which there is immediate access. it does not take any reflection. It does not take any study. it does not take any effort. You can just immediately enter into this music. . . .

Proponents of contemporary Christian music often seem to confuse intelligibility with a desire for immediate experience. . . .

How intelligible is the Bible? It must be our standard of intelligibility. (106)

© 2009, Scott Aniol. All rights reserved.

Scott Aniol

Scott Aniol holds a bachelor's degree in church music from Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC), a master's degree in musicology from Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, IL), and has studied theology at Central Baptist Theological Seminary (Plymouth, MN) and Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary. He was ordained to to the gospel ministry by First Baptist Church (Rockford, IL) in April of 2004. As the executive director of Religious Affections Ministries, Scott speaks on the subjects of music and worship at various churches and conferences. His most recent speaking engagements include the Preserving the Truth Conference, Central Seminary’s Foundations Conference, International Baptist College, and Bob Jones Seminary. Click here to read and/or listen to important talks from Scott Aniol. Curriculum vitae

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