Keeping Religious Musicing Christian—part 1

Keeping Religious Musicing Christian—part 1

             Most Christian musicians would consider that sacred music is in fact an art form.  Donald Hodges stated that Leo Tolstoy believed that great art had two qualifiers.  “It must be Christian art that (a) expresses a union of man to God and to on another, or (b) expresses universal feelings of common life accessible to all.”  Hodges quoting Leo Tolstoy in A Concise Survey of Music Philosophy by Donald Hodges, p. 153.  When I recently read Tolstoy’s beliefs about great art I began to think about the fact that religious music used in the context of Christian worship must be Christian in the completeness of its nature.  Also, its value as an acceptable art form to be used in the context of Christian worship should be judged by how well it “expresses a union of man with God”.

              Before we continue this discussion, I want to make it completely clear that I do not believe that high quality art music is the doorway to the kingdom of God or that the ultimate purpose of worship is about great art music or any music genre for that matter.  Furthermore, some simple, straight forward, uncomplicated, and even somewhat predictable sacred music is sometimes the best vehicle of praise and worship at a particular moment in the public worship service.  Never-the-less sacred music is an art from, and for that reason alone, its nature, meaning and value should be partially understood in that light. It should be pointed out that it is believed by Jewish music historians that musicians in ancient Israel did not think of sacred music as an art form but rather a means of becoming closer to JHVH. 

Thought for the Day

Although sacred music is an art form, perhaps conservative Christian worship leaders should concentrate on a  return to the ancient concept of it a means of becoming closer to JHVH.