Teaching God Concepts in the Music Classroom part 2

Teaching God Concepts in the Music Classroom part 2  

A disturbing fact is that some Christian musicians are beginning to squeeze God out of private music education and all philosophical basis of music.  They squeeze God out of philosophical basis because they believe that God is only God in of matters of grace and not nature. Music is a created thing and therefore it should be categorized as being part of the natural world.  Without even knowing it, some Christian music educators who have accepted the notion of Thomas Aquinas that mankind is only fallen in matters of grace and that he, therefore, does not need help in matters that pertain to natural phenomenon.  Under this faulty belief that music is amoral, music becomes autonomous and slips out from under the Lordship if Christ.  As Francis Schaeffer often taught, when nature becomes autonomous it eats up grace and the result is devastating to Christian philosophy.

I contend that it is also devastating to the music philosophy of those where are educated in Christian schools by music instructors who teach with this faulty notion.  This philosophy also will have a serious effect on church music of the future when those who receive higher music education in Christian colleges and universities enter the world of work.

Certainly Christian music educators should walk “circumspectly” by constantly being aware of any humanistic autonomous music philosophical basis that would even hint at the thought that music is amoral.  If it is amoral then church music doesn’t matter.  If church music doesn’t matter, then it is not an effective form of worship.  Therefore, it is not capable of being efficacious.  James 5:16b says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” I believe that the effectual fervent musicing of a righteous man or woman has the potential to also be very effective.  The reason that I believe that music has the potential to be so efficacious it that, just like prayer, a Christian should present sacred music to God as an offering for his glory.  Therefore, music educators should teach that sacred music is a means of grace to the believer just like prayer.