Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Theological Songwriting, Jake William Dimas

Senior Honors Theses

Music affects people deeply. Because of this, Christian songwriters have a responsibility to write songs that are theologically accurate. To provide a comparison to the experiment that took place for this paper, Chris Tomlin’s biography, songwriting influences, and music are presented and discussed. The experiment began with exclusively Christian songwriters being given an initial questionnaire. A song prompt was then given to each songwriter, and once returned, the songwriter was given a questionnaire. This step took place once again for the other prompt. The songs produced by the songwriters were then analyzed, being compared with one another and with the …

Experiential Truth In Contemporary Worship Environments: The Role Of Late Twentieth And Early Twenty-First Century Worship Music In The Spiritual Formation Of Millennials, Clifford Ernest Lambert Ii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Over the past forty years, the American Church has gone to great lengths to make corporate worship culturally attractive for the purpose of evangelizing the Millennial population. Their main emphasis in accomplishing this has been to shift their approach to culturally relevant modes of presentation.  The main components of this shift have included the style, presentation aesthetic, and lyrical content of corporate worship music.  However, immediately following these methodological shifts has been a disillusionment with the flaws of attractional ministry, leading many to a biblically compromised faith and the espousal of progressive theologies.  A distrust of authority paired with postmodern …

Law Library Blog (April 2021): Legal Beagle's Blog Archive, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Law Library Newsletters/Blog

No abstract provided.

Non-Traditional Means Of Worship, Courtney Ann Blanchard

Masters Theses

The purpose of worship is to praise the God of all and give Him thanks for all He has done. Based on the Old Testament and the New Testament, one thing is certain: God has always desired to have a relationship with His people. However, it was not until the death, resurrection, and ascension of God’s only Son that believers could worship God freely. Now, worship is unhindered. Jesus Christ broke every chain and has become the bridge-way for all God’s people to have a free relationship with Him. This research paper will uncover the biblical principles discovered in the …

Arvo Pärt: Sounding The Sacred [Toc], Peter Bouteneff, Jeffers Engelhardt, Robert Saler

Religion

Scholarly writing on the music of Arvo Pärt is situated primarily in the fields of musicology (analyzing Pärt’s signature “tintinnabuli” method), cultural and media studies (Pärt’s audience is uncannily broad within and beyond the contemporary classical world) and, more recently, in terms of theology/spirituality (Pärt is primarily a composer of sacred music). For the most part, this work is centered around the representational dimensions of Pärt’s music (including the trope of silence), writing and listening past the fact that its storied effects and affects are carried first and foremost as vibrations through air, impressing themselves on the human body. In …

Talk This Way: A Look At The Historical Conversation Between Hip-Hop And Christianity, Joshua Swanson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Christianity and Hip-Hop culture are often said to be at odds with one another. One is said to promote a lifestyle of righteousness and love, while the other is said to promote drugs, violence, and pride. As a result, the public has portrayed these two institutions as conflicting with no willingness to resolve their perceived differences. This paper will argue that there has always been a healthy conversation between Hip-Hop and Christianity since Hip-Hop’s inception. Using sources like Hip-Hop lyrics, theologians, historians, autobiographies, sermons, and articles that range from Ma$e to Tipper Gore, this paper will look at the conversation …

Music Next To Theology: The Impact And Influence Of Martin Luther's Reformation On Johann Sebastian Bach, James H. Ryan

Musical Offerings

The artistic figure and music of Johann Sebastian Bach looms large in the history of Western arts and culture. His influences were many, but one strong influence in his life's work was that of the Protestant Reformation and the theology of the Lutheran church. Through this research, it is evident that Bach strongly held to the doctrines and theology of the Lutheran church and that his employment in the Lutheran church was not merely a vocation for him, but an outward expression of his inward religious and theological conviction. This position is evidenced by the writings and teachings of Martin …

The Impact Of Lyric Choices On Spiritual Edification, Hanna Jane Byrd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Modern Christian worship music has gained influence within the evangelical community. The words of these songs, sung corporately, have the potential to influence the spiritual lives of church congregants, making it important for worship leaders and songwriters to identify the most beneficial lyrics. Despite numerous opinions about theological and personally relevant lyrics, little research has been conducted on the spiritual effects of lyric content within the lives of Christian believers. Diminutive scholarly inquiry has been limited to historical, theological or qualitative methodologies. Utilizing the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and the Spiritual Transcendence Index (STI), this quantitative quasi-experimental study …

A Musical Reformation: Martin Luther’S Influence On Sacred Music, Lydia Sarver

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Martin Luther stands at the focal point of the Protestant Reformation, and while history glorifies him as a groundbreaking theologian, little attention is given to his liturgical reformation. Studies that do observe Luther’s hymns, generally focus on Luther’s appreciation for music as a tool to promote the message of the Reformation in the vernacular, thereby neglecting Luther’s systematic understanding of music and its impact on future compositions. Therefore, this article defends Martin Luther’s significant influence on the development of sacred music and his impact on future composers, culminating in the work of J.S. Bach. It first chronologically surveys the history …

The Material Of The Servant: Theology And Hermeneutics In Handel’S Samson, Sara E. Eckerson

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

George Frideric Handel’s Samson oratorio (HWV 57, 1743) has posed critical difficulty for scholars because of its libretto. The librettist, Newburgh Hamilton, is often accused of making a poor adaption of John Milton’s Samson Agonistes (1671). One of the main points of criticism centers on how Hamilton removed much of Samson’s deliberation from the source text. In this article, however, it will be argued that the way ideas and commentary pass through different voices (namely, from Samson and Micah to the Chorus of Israelites) contributes to the unique interpretation the oratorio puts forward of the Samson narrative. The method to …

Ministry Through Musical Performance: Establishing Biblical, Historical, And Pedagogical (Educational) Precedent For The Christian Performing Artist, Lindsey Graham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As a performing artist, the author suggests in an “American Idol” culture, Christian artists have largely lost their identity as worshipers with a ministry of the Gospel through music. The Christian performing artist has the responsibility to commit to spiritual maturity and personal growth. This thesis project proposes the artist is a communicator of the Gospel through music and seeks to substantiate the Christian performing artist through biblical, historical, and educational rationale and precedent. Biblical rationale of the Christian performing artist is considered in Old Testament and New Testament principle and precedent. Historical rationale and precedent is established through the …

Job: An Oratorio For Voices And Chamber Ensemble, Kevin Gibson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Job is a dramatic oratorio consisting of twelve individual movements, with an approximate duration of twenty minutes. It is a summarization of the plot and prose contained in the biblical book of Job (English Standard Version). The events of the oratorio depict Job, a devoted and prosperous man, being tested to the limits of his faith by acts of God, who was incited first by Satan. Throughout the oratorio, the philosophical and theological elements of humanity versus divinity are represented musically by intervallic relationships. Job is written for seven principle vocalists and a narrator, accompanied by an instrumental ensemble consisting …

Music Next To Theology: The Impact And Influence Of Martin Luther's Reformation On Johann Sebastian Bach, James Ryan

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The artistic figure and music of Johann Sebastian Bach looms large in the history of Western arts and culture. His influences were many, but one strong influence in his life’s work was that of the Protestant Reformation and the theology of the Lutheran church. Through this research, it is evident that Bach strongly held to the doctrines and theology of the Lutheran church and that his employment in the Lutheran church was not merely a vocation for him, but an outward expression of his inward religious and theological conviction. This position is evidenced by the writings and teachings of Martin …

Musical Worship As A Pentecostal Sacrament: Toward A Soteriological Liturgy, Richard I. Griggs

Selected Honors Theses

This paper seeks to articulate a Pentecostal theology of worship within the framework of sacramental spirituality, asserting that music as a form of worship is a Pentecostal sacrament. After offering a literature review on the topic, the paper articulates Pentecostal sacraments as essentially participatory, transformative, and communally unifying physical actions which facilitate meaningful participation in the story of God through kinesthetic catechesis, dialectic temporality, and mutual epiclesis. It then explores the ways in which music aligns with this sacramental nature and function, recognizing music as a Pentecostal sacrament of the felt presence of the divine. Next, support for this assertion …

Relational Power, Music, And Identity: The Emotional Efficacy Of Congregational Song, Nathan Myrick

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

Relational Power, Music, and Identity: The Emotional Efficacy of Congregational Song

The power of congregational song to unify (or divide) people along various lines is well documented. Yet, how this process of uniting or dividing is accomplished has proven necessarily difficult to document. This paper examines the complex and polyvalent factors that contribute to the meaningfulness of congregational music making, seeking to offer a synthetic, conceptual framework with which to engage this often murky milieu.

Employing interdisciplinary research techniques drawn from sociology, ritual studies, and ethnomusicology, I construct a conceptual framework with which to understand the profoundly formative power of …

The Kodály Method And The Levels Of Biblical Learning: Teaching Theology And Hymns To Children, Kimberley Attaway

Honors Theses

Hymns have played a vital role in the church by reflecting the theology and worship practices of its congregation. This paper explores the Kodály Method and the Levels of Biblical Learning and their respective sequences for teaching music and theology, as well as how they could be effectively combined with hymns to educate children in the church. In doing this, children are provided with a strong foundation of theology and music while preserving an important aspect of the Southern Baptist heritage.

The Historical Impact Of Philosophical Naturalism On American Aesthetic Education: Bennett Reimer’S Philosophy Of Music Education As Aesthetic Education, Jeremy Edwin Scarbrough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Philosophical naturalism is the view that all of reality reduces to natural explanation. The resulting so-called fact-value split biases language against universal, objective values—where empirical observation is said to determine truth, while values are reduced to private emoting or socio-cultural human construction. This research questioned the definition of aesthetic value as determined by the music education as aesthetic education (MEAE) movement in the United States, and the justification of aesthetic education as a universally applicable and comprehensive approach to a course in general music/music appreciation. As the MEAE movement seems to have been largely defined by Bennett Reimer, his philosophy …

He Started The Whole World Singing A Song, Brian R. Cates

B.A. in Music Senior Capstone Projects

Throughout history, people from a variety of backgrounds have commented on the relationship between music and language. Several say that music transcends language; some refer to music as being another language; others believe music actually speaks. In spite of a diversity of responses, there is still a collective sense that music and language are intriguingly related—a profound, intuitive awareness of some type of bonding agent between the two. Music has also been perceived throughout history to possess meaning and power, both on a grand, cosmic level and an anthropic, human level. For the Greek philosopher Plato, music acted as something …

New Leaves On Old Trees: A Synthesis Of Early American Music Through Contemporary Composition, Leslie A. Robinson

Selected Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the hymnody and choral music of 17th, 18th, and early 19th century Protestant communities in America with the goal of creating a historically informed composition that articulates musical and theological ideas of the past with a fresh voice. It will emphasize unique characteristics of the musical communities and connections between the communities. It will also focus on two relationships within individual communities: the association between the community’s music and its texts, and the connection between its theology and musical identity. The thesis and composition should reveal an understanding of early American musical …

The Message In Our Music : What Popular Congregational Songs Say About Our Beliefs, Neal W. Woodruff, Mark A. Frisius

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Work – Music

Congregational singing is a source of basic theological instruction, both reflecting and shaping what we believe. It is crucial, therefore, that we say what we believe when we sing. In this study, the authors focused on the songs most accessed by users of the Christian Copyright Licensing, Inc. (CCLI) service between 2006-2012. Twenty songs were identified as having received significant usage during this time period.

The results of this study found that a representative sampling of the lyrics of the most popular congregational songs did not sufficiently express foundational concepts of the Christian faith. Although individual congregations may have a …

Sing To The Lord A New Song: John Calvin And The Spiritual Discipline Of Metrical Psalmody, Brandon J. Bellanti

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the way that psalmody - specifically metrical psalmody - serves as a sort of spiritual discipline. In other words, this essay seeks to demonstrate how the singing of psalms can be a tool to aid in spiritual growth. Much of the research for this essay focuses on the theological writings of the Protestant reformer John Calvin, as well as the way in which he incorporated metrical psalmody into his liturgical framework. The research also comprises primary writings from Aristotle, Plato, Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Basil, and Saint Augustine - all of whom …

Discipling Worship Leadership: Biblical And Theological Rationale For Discipling Worship Leaders, Byron Spradlin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current worship literature reveals very little guidance to assist Protestant church leaders in training, discipling or mentoring congregational worship leadership. Therefore, this thesis project researched and presents a basic rationale for developing worship leadership discipling curricula strategically targeting the needs related to discipling and training artistic Christians who are called to worship leadership in the local church.

Franz Liszt: The Sonata In B Minor As Spiritual Autobiography, Jonathan David Keener

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Many composers, particularly in the 19th century, have attempted to write “autobiographical” music. Although Franz Liszt never explicitly mentioned that any of his works were autobiographical, the facts we have about his life and the symbolism within his Sonata in B Minor suggest that this piece may serve this purpose, either intentionally or subconsciously. Liszt, having strong ties to the Catholic Church, may have also consciously or unconsciously incorporated religious symbolism into the work. Works that exerted influence on the formal structure and the possible extra-musical meaning of the Sonata in B Minor include Charles-Valentine Alkan’s Grande Sonate, Robert …