Scott Aniol

Scott Aniol is the founder and Executive Director of Religious Affections Ministries. He is Chair of the Worship Ministry Department 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.

Author Archives: Scott Aniol

Psalmody and Hymnody as appropriate unifiers

May 4th, 2016 | 0 Comments

This entry is part 7 of 8 in the series Worship and Doctrinal Distinctives You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been showing how particular issues related to worship theology and practice–namely, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the regulative principle–have historically and necessarily divided Christians into various denominations. It was not core doctrines such as the sufficiency of Scripture or justification by faith alone that divided Christians; for… Continue Reading

The regulative principle as an important doctrinal distinctive

April 27th, 2016 | 0 Comments

This entry is part 6 of 8 in the series Worship and Doctrinal Distinctives You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Over the past few weeks I have been showing how various aspects of worship theology and practice have necessarily divided orthodox Christians into separate denominations. I have shown, in particular, how views concerning the Lord’s Supper and baptism are significant doctrinal distinctives that prevent full ecclesiastic cooperation. In addition to differences over theology and practice… Continue Reading

Baptism as an important doctrinal distinctive

April 20th, 2016 | 0 Comments

This entry is part 5 of 8 in the series Worship and Doctrinal Distinctives You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Last week I showed how views concerning the Lord’s Supper constitute an important doctrinal distinctive that lead to the creation of various denominations during and after the Reformation. Views concerning baptism are no different. Unlike with the Lord’s Supper, Luther and Zwingli agreed on the matter of baptism at Marburg, but this ordinance has created… Continue Reading

The Lord’s Table as an important doctrinal distinctive

April 13th, 2016 | 0 Comments

This entry is part 4 of 8 in the series Worship and Doctrinal Distinctives You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Last week I began a series in which I will show the relationship between worship theology/practice and doctrinal distinctives. I plan to show how some aspects of worship necessarily divide, while other aspects preserve appropriate unity. I mentioned last week how in many respects, differences over worship theology lead to the division of denominations during… Continue Reading

Worship and doctrinal disctinctives

April 6th, 2016 | 0 Comments

This entry is part 3 of 8 in the series Worship and Doctrinal Distinctives You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

The watering down of doctrine in evangelicalism, evidenced perhaps most acutely in the minimizing of important denominational distinctives and the growth of the “Nones,” is problematic to be sure. The question is, what has caused this? Over the next several weeks I plan to show the role worship philosophy and practice has had in both… Continue Reading

Why music should be central in your homeschool

March 30th, 2016 | 0 Comments

My goal in this essay is to convince you that it is important that music be a part of your homeschool. My goal is to persuade you that music is essential to your children’s educational development. For you this may not be necessary — you recognize the benefits of music in the lives of your children. But perhaps you view music… Continue Reading

Today is why Christmas is on December 25

March 25th, 2016 | 0 Comments

Have you ever wondered Christians celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ on December 25? A common answer is that Emperor Constantine decided to celebrate Christmas on December 25 in order to consolidate his power with pagans who were accustomed to celebrating a winter pagan festival on that date. Thus he “Christianized” the pagan holiday. There… Continue Reading

On Associations

March 23rd, 2016 | 0 Comments

Whenever the question is asked whether associations matter in musical choices, people usually fall into one of two camps. First are those who strongly believe that associations matter. If a particular song is in any way associated with a raunchy lifestyle, errant theology, or questionable movement, then we must avoid using that song, whether or… Continue Reading

Do origins matter?

March 16th, 2016 | 0 Comments

One common argument used today in defense of using pop music styles for Christian purposes is that origins and associations don’t matter. Christians can redeem something that comes out of a sinful lifestyle and instead use it for good. I do agree that the sinful origins, roots, sources, or associations of something do not automatically… Continue Reading

The Culture of Humanity

March 9th, 2016 | 0 Comments

One of the cornerstones of arguments in favor of musical relativism is that musical interpretation is culturally conditioned and therefore subjective—one may not expect someone else with different cultural conditioning to interpret music the same way. So, the reason I interpret a particular musical form in a certain way is only because I have been culturally conditioned… Continue Reading

How Music Naturally Carries Meaning

March 2nd, 2016 | 0 Comments

It is important in any discussions about music to understand how music carries meaning naturally. I highly recommend Stephen Davies’ Musical Meaning and Expression, which clearly articulates where the most basic meaning does and does not lie: It is not a system of conventional symbols, like a language. It is not depictive, like representational paintings. It is… Continue Reading

What is Holy Music?

February 24th, 2016 | 0 Comments

I am often asked the question, “Can a particular style of music be sinful? How do you know?” I certainly have thoughts that answer that question, and I am happy to discuss it when I have a chance. However, I think it’s actually the wrong question to ask. Scripture never insists that we “prove” that… Continue Reading

Is music a neutral “thing”?

February 17th, 2016 | 0 Comments

One argument I regularly hear in defense of the notion that music is neutral is that it is just a “thing,” and “things” are neutral. A few thoughts in response: First, saying music is a “thing” is like saying tone of voice is a “thing.” They’re not; they are human communication, and human communication is… Continue Reading

Ashes, ashes, we all fall down

February 10th, 2016 | 0 Comments

In many Christian traditions today is Ash Wednesday, beginning the season of Lent. Over the past several years, there has been an increasing interest in Lent within evangelical churches. It has apparently now become “hip” to add to corporate worship elements from ancient liturgical practices. Children of the Reformation have traditionally rejected Lent. In fact, eating… Continue Reading

Biblical authority and musical communication

February 3rd, 2016 | 0 Comments

I am teaching right now in my philosophy class on meaning in music. When beginning any discussion like this, I always find that it is important to address how the authority of Scripture factors in. I begin with 1 Timothy 3:16-17: All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for… Continue Reading

Is there any room for preference?

January 27th, 2016 | 0 Comments

I have often argued (such as in Sound Worship) that it is the responsibility of Christians to change their tastes for beauty to match what is truly worthy of admiration. Since God is transcendent beauty, there do exist absolute standards of beauty that should govern our judgments of beauty. This does not meant that such standards are immediately apparent or that I… Continue Reading

There should always be new worship music

January 14th, 2016 | 0 Comments

Article 13 of our recent Conservative Christian Declaration says this: We affirm that twenty-first-century churches, like the churches of every age, must worship God in their own words, with their own voice. We add the qualification that these expressions must both embody ordinate affection and build on the tradition that represents it, while also answering to the twenty-first- century… Continue Reading

There hasn’t always been contemporary worship music

January 13th, 2016 | 0 Comments

I’ve heard it said many times, often by people I love and respect: “Christians have always used contemporary music in their worship.” Or, it might go something like this: “Using pop music today is no different than what Luther or Watts did in their day.” What’s the point behind statements like these? Their purpose is… Continue Reading

First 25 Hymns Now Available!

December 9th, 2015 | 0 Comments

I’m pleased to announce that the first 25 hymns of our free hymn resource are now available! Simply click “Hymnal” in the menu bar above. You may also direct others to this resource using the following URL: www.ClassicHymns.org Please Donate We provide these hymns free of charge, but they were not free to produce! It… Continue Reading

Why I believe gratitude is the most important worship affection

November 25th, 2015 | 0 Comments

The affections of our hearts are central to true worship. Yet while praise, joy, contrition, and love are all important affections for worship, I believe gratitude is the most important worship affection. Here’s why: All true spiritual affections of worship have an object, and their object is always God. This is why true spiritual affections are… Continue Reading