A great explanation of the power of poetry, especially in communicating truth in ways that cannot be any other way: Poetry communicates primarily through images and association contrived by words or sounds. A well-written poem can often express the wrongness of abortion or the cruelty of slavery more powerfully and more persuasively than an articulate… Continue Reading
The church did not simply draw up lists of crucial beliefs but actually canonized particular texts with particular shapes. The implication would seem to be that the particular form of the writings is constitutive of, rather than incidental to, the theological construal of the whole. -C. Kavin Rowe and Richard Hays, “What Is a Geological Commentary?” Pro Ecclesia… Continue Reading
This is good from Greg Wilbur: Too often music is thought about as if the notes are the form and the lyrics are the content. In actuality, the lyrics have form and content, the music has form and content, and the marriage of text and notes have another layer of form and content. For example,… Continue Reading
Those who call for ‘authenticity’, ‘realness’, and ‘sincerity’, are not always sure what they mean, if you press them for a definition. Some mean honesty, some others mean integrity, both of which are virtues the Bible commends and commands. But some of those calling for authenticity are really calling for a removal of formality from… Continue Reading
. . . [A pastor] can seek to use those forms that convey the truths of Christianity without trivializing, sentimentalizing, or otherwise falsifying them. He can seek forms that are consonant with Christian worship and affections by understanding those forms. For the sake of space, let’s restrict our examples to form within poetry. As he… Continue Reading
This is the final post in a series I’ve been writing over the past couple months in order to more thoroughly develop an idea I presented in By the Waters of Babylon, namely, that the aesthetic forms in our corporate worship should be regulated by the aesthetic forms of Scripture. In this series, I have argued… Continue Reading
Brett Williams shares a nice summary of John Witvliet’s presentation in the Biblical Worship Secteion of ETS (of which I am chair) on Kuyper’s philosophy of worship: Reflections from the Evangelical Theological Society, Part II | Theology Central Continue Reading
In By the Waters of Babylon, I make a brief statement about how the aesthetic forms of Scripture should guide and regulate worship forms today. In this series, I am attempting to flesh out that argument a bit more. Up to this point, I have argued that truth expressed in Scripture is not merely scientific fact… Continue Reading
I’d like to take a few posts over the next several weeks to respond to one criticism of something I wrote, but did not develop, in a very brief section in By the Waters of Babylon: Worship in a Post-Christian Culture, published last year by Kregel. In that book, I suggest that instead of our worship… Continue Reading
Last week I briefly summarized what I consider the first pillar of conservative Christianity–affirmation of transcendent truth, goodness, and beauty–and spent a bit of time on absolute beauty since it is the transcendental often overlooked. The purpose of explaining these principles is that I will later ask the question of whether these issues are important… Continue Reading
I read a post yesterday from a blog of a popular ministry that attempted to answer a question from a reader: “How important is the style of music a church sings?” The answer? “The style of music a church sings is relatively unimportant.” After making several simplistic points, the post concluded, “In short, what we… Continue Reading
There are many factors that have contributed to problems in worship today, but I believe one of the most significant is the fact that very few people today have any knowledge of how poetry and music work. The fact is that until fairly recently every educated person–especially pastors–would have had a basic understanding of poetry… Continue Reading
Kerry McGonigal makes a very good point that is true not only for preaching, but also for all forms of communicating biblical truth. A snippet: As expository preachers we may be passionately committed to saying what God said. And well we should. But are we also committed to saying what God said in a way… Continue Reading
I’m excited about this (and it may be worth contributing to) because it recognizes the importance of form even (or, perhaps, especially) in the presentation of God’s Word: http://blogs.bju.edu/schoolofreligion/2014/07/23/four-new-books-know/ Continue Reading
Finding the meaning in shouting preachers. I assume the best writers, speakers, musicians and artists try to find that golden balance where form and content merge, letting the audience forget the creator but be glued to the creation. In the end, one shining piece of work should stand on its own, appearing unique to itself,… Continue Reading
Dave Doran on gimmicking the gospel, particularly through celebrityism: Celebrity draws attention, and I suppose there is something to be gained by getting attention to an important message. As long as the method used to gain attention doesn’t obscure the message. Sometimes the practical outcome looks more like, “You should become a Christian because [insert… Continue Reading
An interesting post about how fonts shape their content. So many parallels with other art forms, including music, a point I’ve made many times before. Continue Reading
Michael Riley asks whether we should redeem limericks for the gospel. Continue Reading
Jeremy Walker at Reformation21 asks three very important questions relevant to the rap debate: In what ways can a Christian appreciate, enjoy and embrace either a form or genre of music in and of itself, or a particular instance of that form? To what extent is a certain form or genre an appropriate vehicle for… Continue Reading
Mark Ward highlights an excellent quote by James A. K. Smith. Continue Reading