Earlier this summer I read Leah Schade’s book Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide, then interviewed her for my current book project. Preaching in the Purple Zone was also one of my “reads of the week” on the Called podcast, and it’s the only book I’ve ever mega sticky-noted TWICE (a …
Church acoustics reflect what a congregation believes are important sounds. Church acoustics also reveal what church leaders think the Hears of the Word should hear. That’s one reason Protestant Reformers changed their church buildings—they wanted to hear different sounds, like a sermon. And today, a church that uses a contemporary worship style will design a …
What’s So Important About Church Acoustics? An Infographic Read More »
This is part of a series about my research on fundamentalist Christian music. Read the others here: Can Hymns Be Prayers?, Musical Form in Piano Hymn Arrangements, and Should Church Services Include Classical Music? Many fundamentalists talk about solo singing in a church service as a kind of preaching. But even though fundamentalist women are not …
The Right Kind of Music: Why May Women Sing If They May Not Preach? Read More »
This post is part of a series on the National Congregations Study, a sociological study of religious congregations in America. Check out my summary of the study’s main findings, the growing informality of worship services, the surprises and highlights of the study, and what it tells us about the power of small groups and choirs. Want …
National Congregations Study: How Does Your Worship Service Compare? Read More »