Learn about: the Old Hispanic Chant, methods for analyzing music we can’t hear, and what we can learn from medieval processions. Here’s the Big Why: “I think these artifacts that we have – these musical and liturgical artifacts – are as valuable as a Gothic cathedral. And in a way even more valuable, because a …
Old Hispanic Chant with Emma Hornby, on Music and the Church Ep. 42 Read More »
Music and faith, music and belief – what’s the difference, and how can music illuminate our lived experiences of faith?
Hymnals and screens often get a knee-jerk response. Supposedly, either hymnals are for old fogeys or people staying true to the faith. And either screens are for people who hate hymns or people who want to use current tools in the church. But if we get past the surface arguments, we can explore what the …
Hymns: In Hymnals? On Screens? (Paperless?!) on Music and the Church Ep. 40 Read More »
We work harder than you think, calling doesn’t always look conventional, and other things your church leaders wish you knew. Throughout the past year of interviews, I asked people extra questions and this one drew the most passionate response by far: “What do you wish people knew about your job?”
“The great thing about a chord – you’re already dealing with something people enjoy. You’re not telling people God is a problem to be solved – you’re saying that the Trinity is a reality to be enjoyed.” – Jeremy Begbie I knew our conversation would be theologically rich—Dr. Jeremy Begbie IS a theologian, after all—but …
This month’s episode of Music and the Church features a conversation with Dr. J. J. Wright. J. J. directs the University of Notre Dame Folk Choir, one of America’s most influential Catholic music ensembles. He is a Grammy Award winning jazz musician, composer of O Emmanuel, an album which debuted at the top of the …
An Interview with J. J. Wright, Director of the University of Notre Dame Folk Choir Read More »
How did American Christians go from hating rock ‘n’ roll to embracing contemporary worship music? One reason is Pentecostalism’s influence. On Music and the Church, we’ve explored how important Pentecostalism was in making the change, and how influential it continues to be on contemporary worship. (Check out this episode if you’re curious.) But Pentecostalism also …
The Devil’s Music, an Interview with Author Randall J. Stephens Read More »
We believe that people all people are made in the image of God. Full stop. So, when we are talking about how to make our churches more inclusive, we aren’t talking about welcoming people even though they have disabilities (or even though they are children, as we talked about in last month’s episode). The goal …
Children and the church. Children in the church. It’s complicated, especially with music in the mix. Join Anita Smallin and me as we discuss how to welcome our littlest sisters and brothers in worship services.
Join Monique M. Ingalls, Muriel Swijghuisen Reigersberg, and Zoe C. Sherinian in a conversation about their new edited collection: Making Congregational Music Local in Christian Communities Worldwide.