I’d like to highlight a few articles by Michael Horton, articles that were among the first to significantly shape my thinking on worship and music when I was in college. In particular, Horton confirmed some of the uneasiness I was already experiencing about what some might consider “traditional church music,” and he was the first to point me to Charles Finney as one of the turning points in the Church’s philosophy of worship and music.
In a required music philosophy class in college, I was required to write a 6-8 page music philosophy paper. Knowing that I was planning on devoting my life to worship and music ministry, I decided that I really needed to get a handle on issues related to music and worship. So I asked my professor (Paul Overly) if he would wave the page limit. He did, and I ended up writing a 35 page paper that set the philosophical direction for my future ministry.
I’m not sure how I stumbled across these articles form Michale Horton in my research, but they, along with The Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards and some writings by C. S. Lewis, really helped me think through these issues with the right categories and historical frameworks in mind.
Perhaps these articles will help you begin a journey into “radical” conservatism as well!
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.
