Early Church Hymns
The hymnody of the early church was naturally an extension of Hebrew hymnody.1 Therefore, we can expect the hymnody of the early church to have the… Read More »Early Church Hymns
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.
Hymnody in the Judeo-Christian Tradition
The Beginning The first mention of music in the Bible is in Genesis 4. Verses 17—22 list Cain’s descendants, and specifically those who began the… Read More »Hymnody in the Judeo-Christian Tradition
Do you benefit from resources here? Here's how you can receive even more.
This week we are rolling out a new partnership program that I think will provide mutual benefit to you and Religious Affections Ministries. For as… Read More »Do you benefit from resources here? Here's how you can receive even more.
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Even if you are a regular reader of this site, you may not know about our free monthly eNewsletter. Whenever I speak in a church,… Read More »Subscribe to our Free eNewsletter
The Cultivation of Form
On the wall in my study I have three portraits. All three are portraits of theologians who were also heavily involved with music. They are… Read More »The Cultivation of Form
The Importance of Music Ministry in Missions
In Titus 1:5, Paul explains that the reason he sent Titus to Crete was to “straighten out” the churches. The churches themselves had already been… Read More »The Importance of Music Ministry in Missions
Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns
I don’t have time to do a full-fledged review of this new book by T. David Gordon (author of Why Johnny Can’t Preach), but I… Read More »Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns
Musical Form in Christian Hymnody
Musical form shapes content in very similar ways to poetic form, yet it is a bit more abstract and thus considerably more difficult to readily… Read More »Musical Form in Christian Hymnody
A Brazilian tribesman talks about culture, worship, and the gospel
I mentioned in my report on our Brazil trip that I had the opportunity to sit down with a man who grew up in a… Read More »A Brazilian tribesman talks about culture, worship, and the gospel
Poetic Meter in Christian Hymnody
The next level of form is poetic meter and rhyme scheme. A poetic meter is basically how many syllables are in each line of the… Read More »Poetic Meter in Christian Hymnody
Word and Phrase Choice in Christian Hymnody
Word/Phrase Choice There are several different ways that content can be shaped within a hymn. The first is simply with what words are chosen to… Read More »Word and Phrase Choice in Christian Hymnody
The Anatomy of a Hymn
For many people a hymn is nothing more than some truth made pretty. But such an understanding would be like viewing a person as a… Read More »The Anatomy of a Hymn
The Purpose and Power of Christian Hymnody
Last time we observed the fact that we sing because the Bible commands us to sing. But let’s get a little bit deeper than simply… Read More »The Purpose and Power of Christian Hymnody
How do you treat Independence Day in your Church?
A music pastor recently asked me the question, “How do you treat holidays like the 4th of July in your church?” Great question; here are… Read More »How do you treat Independence Day in your Church?
The Biblical Mandate to Sing
When Christians discuss worship, they often focus on one primary element of worship above others—music. The church’s songs are without question the most controversial aspect… Read More »The Biblical Mandate to Sing
Godly men are sometimes wrong
The Bible encourages Christians to look for and respect godly examples. Hebrews 11 includes a list of faithful saints whom believers should imitate (Hebrews 6:12).… Read More »Godly men are sometimes wrong
How Can We Conserve Biblical Worship? Full Series
I have received several e-mails asking if parts or all custom writing paper of this series may be used in church newsletters, bulletin inserts, etc.… Read More »How Can We Conserve Biblical Worship? Full Series
How Can We Conserve Biblical Worship? Part 6
How can we conserve biblical worship? We can conserve biblical worship by regulating our worship by God’s Word, by learning to distinguish between ordinate affection… Read More »How Can We Conserve Biblical Worship? Part 6
How Can We Conserve Biblical Worship? Part 5
Conservative Christians will be committed to transmitting these worship forms to future generations. This leads to my final point of discussion. If our goal as… Read More »How Can We Conserve Biblical Worship? Part 5
Sound Worship Digital Edition now available for free!
I am pleased to announce that the PDF version of Sound Worship: A Guide to Making Musical Choices in a Noisy World is now available to… Read More »Sound Worship Digital Edition now available for free!