Are only words efficacious?

 

Are only words efficacious?

 I have decided that early  2021 we should revisit the issue of what makes music effective.  Is it only words? Is it the spiritual condition of the musicer? Unlike the serious music philosopher who spends a lifetime studying the nature and value of every aspect of the music part of music, many Christian musicians, without any written scholarly basis, purport that only words are efficacious.  I have noticed that their writings do not consider, with scholarly philosophical basis, the nature and value of the formal properties of the music part of music. This seems strange and illogical since their main thesis is purported to be communication with the “seeker”.

 The denial that music is a language, or a meta-language does not solve the philosophical problems concerning communication and meaning. Although all serious Christian music philosophers are concerned with whether or not music is or in not a language, meta-language or has no language-like capabilities at all, the greatest concern is whether or not music communicates “message” and “meaning”.  The Bible evidence that music does communicate information, meaning and understanding should sober all Christian musicians.  The fact that the music part of music does communicate a message to all who perform and listen to it places the responsibility squarely on the musicer and what and how he or she musics rather than entirely on the words of songs.