I’ve always appreciated Calvin Johansson’s books on church music, Music and Ministry: A Biblical Counterpoint and Discipling Music Ministry: Twenty-First Century Directions.
I especially find helpful his emphasis upon accomplishing our God-given mission of making disciples through the music we choose to use in corporate worship. Johansson’s insights into the goal of Christian maturity necessitating the use of mature musical forms in worship is something from which I’ve benefited and often communicate to others both in the classroom and in churches where I speak.
Johansson has recently published a third book, Strengthening Music Ministry in the Evangelical Church (WestBow Press). In this new book, Johansson builds upon the principles in his other books, strongly emphasizing the importance of founding music ministry within the church upon the authoritative Word of God. When music in worship is crafted and performed based upon central biblical principles, Johansson argues, corporate worship will be God-centered and God-honoring. Further, this kind of biblically-founded music ministry will accomplish exactly the kinds of goals he emphasized in his other books, namely, the discipleship and maturity of believers.
I highly recommend you check out Calvin Johansson’s new book, Strengthening Music Ministry in the Evangelical Church.
About Scott Aniol
Scott Aniol is the founder and Executive Director of Religious Affections Ministries. He is director of doctoral worship studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he teaches courses in ministry, worship, hymnology, aesthetics, culture, and philosophy. He is the author of Worship in Song: A Biblical Approach to Music and Worship, Sound Worship: A Guide to Making Musical Choices in a Noisy World, and By the Waters of Babylon: Worship in a Post-Christian Culture, and speaks around the country in churches and conferences. He is an elder in his church in Fort Worth, TX where he resides with his wife and four children. Views posted here are his own and not necessarily those of his employer.
