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

John Frame and the Regulative Principle of Worship

John Frame and the Regulative Principle of Worship

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John Frame is among one of the most influential theologians to defend contemporary worship music and practice, particularly through his two popular books, Worship in Spirit and Truth and Contemoprary Worship Music. What many may not realize is that his philosophy expounded in these books emerges from a softening and redefinition of the governing doctrine of his… Continue Reading

Edwards, the imagination, music, and the sacraments

Edwards, the imagination, music, and the sacraments

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Jonathan Edwards has some fairly well-developed theories of art and aesthetics that can inform discussions of Christian aesthetics today. In particular, Edwards discussed the importance of the imagination, which he saw as a sign of the work of the Holy Spirit since it helps believers perceive spiritual reality. Here is a relevant passage from Experiencing God:… Continue Reading

A Plea to Teach Children Hymns

A Plea to Teach Children Hymns

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Evangelicals bemoan the fact that a “generation gap” exists between older and younger professing believers. But could it be that the older believers have actually created the problem? Two problems exist: Children and teenagers do not care for solid hymns or long sermons, and modern young people’s sacred music has been severely dumbed down. Which… Continue Reading

Where did all that pomp and circumstance come from?

Where did all that pomp and circumstance come from?

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Have you ever wondered how Christian liturgy developed from the simple meetings we see in the book of Acts to the smells and bells of Roman Catholicism? Here’s a brief snapshot of what happened: Stage 1: Word + Table Most scholars would agree that the earliest church services began as a natural extension of Jewish… Continue Reading

Was the Last Supper a Passover meal?

Was the Last Supper a Passover meal?

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It is probably safe to say that when most people think about the Last Supper, they naturally assume that it was an observance of the Passover feast. This makes sense since each of the synoptic gospels seem to indicate this. However, John’s gospel appears to contradict the timing apparent in the synoptics, so this is… Continue Reading

The Influence of Greek Thought on Martin Luther’s Aesthetics

The Influence of Greek Thought on Martin Luther’s Aesthetics

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When Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the door of the church at Wittenburg in 1517, he not only sparked a theological reformation in the Church, but he also led the way for reforms in the Church’s music. Luther’s primary objections were with the Roman Church’s theology, yet the church reforms he began had implications in… Continue Reading

Children and Family: A New Emphasis on this Site

Children and Family: A New Emphasis on this Site

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Conservative Christians desire to conserve something–namely, fully-orbed biblical Christianity. To conserve something implies passing it to the next generation. For this reason, Conservative Christians are committed to the holistic education of their children. This has always been an emphasis of Religious Affections Ministries, but starting tomorrow we’re going to make it a dedicated emphasis; you’ll… Continue Reading

Hebrew worship and the surrounding culture

Hebrew worship and the surrounding culture

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One of the more important aspects of studying the worship of Israel is to wrestle through the relationship between Israel’s worship culture and that of the nations surrounding it. There are no doubt some similarities, and it is important to explain those similarities for at least two reasons: First, many unbelievers attempt to disprove the… Continue Reading

Is there a biblical standard for judging beauty?

Is there a biblical standard for judging beauty?

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Imagine I tell my wife that I want to take her to a special place for our anniversary. We arrange for a babysitter for our children, we dress in our finest clothes, and we hop into our car to set off for our romantic “mystery” destination. Becky’s excitement soon turns to bewilderment as I pull… Continue Reading

A great worship conference you should attend

A great worship conference you should attend

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In October I have the privilege of speaking, along with Carl Trueman, T. David Gordon, Terry Johnson, Paul Jones, and others, at the Reformation Worship Conference in Powder Springs, GA. I have attended this conference a few times and have always found it to be enriching and stimulating. Seeing the beautiful sanctuary of Midway Presbyterian… Continue Reading

Is culture the same as race?

Is culture the same as race?

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The issue of culture is always of interest to those involved with worship for one obvious reason–the “cultural” aspects of worship, primarily music, poetry, and rhetoric, are what often cause the most controversy. Questions rising out of this include: Is musical style neutral? Are there some musical styles that are more fitting for worship than… Continue Reading

Aesthetic correspondence

Aesthetic correspondence

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Conservative evangelicals admirably repudiate emergent leaders who argue that both content and form must be contextualized; evangelicals insist that since God’s Word is inspired and inerrant, God’s truth transcends culture and must be preserved intact. But since even most conservative evangelicals consider culture as entirely neutral in itself and beauty as in the eye of… Continue Reading

The Lord is my . . . cattle-driver?

The Lord is my . . . cattle-driver?

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There is a lot of talk about contextualizing biblical truth these days. Of course, there is always a need for translation from language to language and context to context. What people mean when they say “contextualization” (as opposed to “translation”), however, is usually something deeper. Regardless of the term used, we need to recognize the… Continue Reading

Satisfaction of God’s Wrath in Christian Hymnody

Satisfaction of God’s Wrath in Christian Hymnody

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There has been quite a lot of noise in the blogosphere lately over a decision by the Presbyterian Church (USA) to reject Getty and Townend’s hymn, “In Christ Alone,” since they object to the language of penal substitutionary atonement and have failed to secure permission to change the line, “the wrath of God was satisfied.”… Continue Reading

Charismatic worship?

Charismatic worship?

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In the most recent issue of In the Nick of Time, Kevin Bauder warns against the dangers of even the recent, more mild forms of charismaticism. He points out that such beliefs affect a number of important doctrinal and practical matters. One of those areas is worship. In fact, I would suggest that it is in… Continue Reading

What is race?

What is race?

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There’s no question that the issue of race has been and continues to be a matter of severe debate in our country. I am convinced, however, that at least part of the problem is a lack of understanding of what race actually is (or even if it should be), and how it relates to other… Continue Reading

Why do we assume that music alone is immune from cultural decay?

Why do we assume that music alone is immune from cultural decay?

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That culture in America is decaying is no secret to conservative Christians. Recent events surrounding homosexual marriage has once again pushed this realization to the forefront for we who have high moral standards rooted in the Word of God. But marriage isn’t the only cultural issue under attack; conservative Christians recognize the slow (and ever… Continue Reading

Should we observe Independence Day in church?

Should we observe Independence Day in church?

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A music pastor once asked me the question, “How do you treat holidays like the 4th of July in your church?” Great question; here are some short thoughts: We can’t ignore that the 4th of July is the day of our country’s birth (especially when it falls on a Lord’s Day), but neither should we… Continue Reading