Kirjahaku

The contentious issue of congregational singing in the evangelical church in the United States is so intense that it has come to be known as the "music war." In this book, a biblical view of worship is brought together with modern scholarship in musical and cognitive studies, to provide a new, clearly-argued analysis of the problem and an unambiguous solution. The study leads to a perspective that will surprise most readers, a perspective which, if true, will be of great concern to all those who love the God of historic Christianity. A modest musical background is helpful but not at all necessary.

This book constitutes an analysis of the major aspects of congregational singing in the Western evangelical church, including song texts, music, and instrumental accompaniment. For each of these, standards are given by which to evaluate the suitability of individual songs and styles of accompaniment for use in worship. Examples are given showing the application of these standards to numerous existing songs, and suggested grades are assigned. The foundation for this study consists of definitions of worship and corporate worship and four principles which the author derives from John 4:24. Several familiar alternative conceptions of evangelical worship are examined. This book differs from the author's earlier work, "Volumes of Praise for a Vanishing God," in the breadth of topics discussed, the inclusion of full documentation and an extensive bibliography that provides starting points for further study. Also included in this volume is an abundance of endnotes dealing with related topics of interest.