Did Luther use tunes from love songs?
It is irresponsible to claim that Luther used tunes from secular loves songs for his hymns and compare it to today’s situation. If there is… Read More »Did Luther use tunes from love songs?
folk culture
Cultivated, Commercial, and Communal Music
Church music in nineteenth century America can be summarized very simply with one word: reform. In many ways, the influential writers and composers of the nineteenth century… Read More »Cultivated, Commercial, and Communal Music
The importance of distinguishing between folk and pop culture
Recognition of a difference between folk and pop music may perhaps seem inconsequential, but for a composer like Ralph Vaughan Williams the distinction was at… Read More »The importance of distinguishing between folk and pop culture
The superiority of folk culture to pop culture
The motivations behind Vaughan Williams’s use of folk idioms in his music also clearly demonstrates the distinction between folk and pop music in his thinking.… Read More »The superiority of folk culture to pop culture
Defining pop culture
Unfortunately, according to Cecil Sharp and Vaughan Williams, folk music as an art is largely dead, and this provides the first evidence of a distinction… Read More »Defining pop culture
Multiculturalism and Contextualization
In a recent interview, mission leader C. Douglas McConnell was asked to name the greatest challenge facing the global evangelical missions movement today. He responded,… Read More »Multiculturalism and Contextualization
Distinguishing high culture from folk culture
A primary goal of Vaughan Williams was, of course, to compose art music. His many hours finding and indexing folk tunes resulted in the use… Read More »Distinguishing high culture from folk culture
Vaughan William’s interest in English folk songs
An interest in English folk songs emerged in England toward the end of the nineteenth century. By 1898 the Folk Song Society was founded, and… Read More »Vaughan William’s interest in English folk songs
Distinguishing High, Folk, and Pop Culture
A common error exists frequently in contemporary discussions of the use of folk idioms as a compositional element in art music. Many authors today equate… Read More »Distinguishing High, Folk, and Pop Culture
The Enlightenment and Christian Hymnody
This far in our journey we have witnessed an almost unbroken stream of Judeo-Christian tradition. From King David to Lutheran composer Johann Crüger (1598-1662) we… Read More »The Enlightenment and Christian Hymnody
Reformation Hymns
When Martin Luther (1483—1546) sparked a Reformation of the Church by nailing his Ninety-Five Theses to the Church door at Wittenberg in 1517, he challenged… Read More »Reformation Hymns
How Christian Were the Middle Ages?
Editor’s note: This article is posted partially in response to discussion of Scott Aniol’s post on medieval hymnody. I have suggested elsewhere that the civilization… Read More »How Christian Were the Middle Ages?
Medieval Hymns
When Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in 313 with the Edict of Milan, and Christianity soon became the religion of the entire empire, the cultural conditions… Read More »Medieval Hymns
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
The Watts Controversy
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 Watts Controversy
A potential danger in writing hymns in an age of mass media
There seem to be a lot of hymns being written today, and a lot of them are really pretty good. One of the reasons for… Read More »A potential danger in writing hymns in an age of mass media
What music should be used when planting indigenous churches in . . . the United States of America?
It seems as if several themes have been reoccurring on this site, Paleoevangelical, and a few other places over the last few weeks. These themes… Read More »What music should be used when planting indigenous churches in . . . the United States of America?
Contents of Worship in Song by Scott Aniol
Pre-order for 30% off | Book Website SECTION ONE: LAYING THE FOUNDATION Chapter One: Biblical Authority in Matters of Faith and Practice Many Christians insist… Read More »Contents of Worship in Song by Scott Aniol
Book Review: God's Word, the Final Word on Worship and Music, A Biblical Study
Kurtz, Dean. God’s Word, the Final Word on Worship and Music, A Biblical Study. Self-published, 2008. 364 pp. $15.59. Purchase: Amazon ISBNs: 1606473239 / 978-1606473238… Read More »Book Review: God's Word, the Final Word on Worship and Music, A Biblical Study
When Cultures Collide
I’ve taken pains on this site to explain the differences between high culture, folk culture, and pop culture. Last night my wife and I witnessed… Read More »When Cultures Collide