Evangelizing with Western Christian Music When does evangelization through Western Christian music provide the exact opposite of evangelization among indigenous cultures? Robin P. Harris, James R. Krabill, and Vida Chenoweth provide arguments based on the concept that Christian missionaries cannot fully preach the gospel through the utilization of Western Christian scriptural songs. While all three individuals provide logical arguments, I, under the acquirement of my viewpoint on the unspoken power of music on individuals, disagree with their sentiments. First, we need to clearly constitute a definition of “universal” that makes it universal among all individuals. In the context of universal music, the music should be, according to Harris, “understood in their historical and cultural contexts to be interpreted correctly” (Krabill, 6). In this way, Christian missionaries can fully understand certain cultural implications on music that can, in effect, prevent the unwanted force of shoving the liturgy within the blaring sound of the organ, an instrument not familiar and, frankly, not preferred by indigenous societies beyond the Western groups. But what indicated that music defines a universal language initial to Harris’ viewpoint? Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a famous writer during the early nineteenth century, created this term and clearly inspired the Western musical society to adopt the term as poetical accuracy of what music represents. To this day, ask any individual if
A cultural value that is important and must be taken to account is Direct vs. Indirect. I say this because how you communicate with some will greatly affect how much they retain of listen to. In this matter, Drew has expressed that he feels Christians are aggressive and history has shown their moral compass lacks right vs wrong and good and bad. Knowing this I would want to work around being direct and indirect when communicating with him. I would never want to be to direct and push him away nor would I want to be so indirect that it seems as if I’m walking on egg shells. In the end, how I communicate to him will greatly impact if he listens or shuts me out.
In the antebellum South of the 1840s, there were three very popular genres of music: stage music, parlor music, and sacred music. Elements of all three of these genres are still emphasized in today’s music curriculum. Although these genres as Dusenbery knew them are no longer popular, they’ve slowly evolved into today’s music. Music theatre has replaced stage music, pop music has replaced parlor music, and sacred music has evolved into modern worship music. Although the average WVU students no longer dance to a fiddle on Friday nights, they do however flock to clubs where different music warrants similar social experiences. Perhaps the only true difference between music then and now is the prominence of religion. As more defining lines were drawn between church and state, the popularity of religious and sacred music greatly diminished. During Dusenbery’s time, religious music like Sacred Harp were incredibly popular in the south. It’s very likely that many students participated in Sacred Harp sings throughout their years at UNC. No religious music holds this level of importance in today’s music
From the beginning of times, music has played an important role in everyone’s life. At first, it started with drum-based and percussion instruments made out of what was available as rocks and sticks. Our ancestors proved that human beings have an innate need of music. Nowadays, no one teaches a baby to follow the beat of a song, he just naturally lets his body get involved with the rhythm. Since the prehistoric era to Christian times, several forms of music have developed leaving a trail to new genres of music. For Christianity, hymns and plainchants were the first forms of music considered as a worship to God. As time passed by, Christian music has evolved giving way to new and fresh sounds.
What does ethnomusicology mean when they say, "Music is universal, but it is not a universal language"?
1. Discuss the use of music in Catholic and Protestant worship practice, from the development of polyphony, through the music of J.S. Bach. In so doing, discuss the shift in responsibility for musical development from the Catholic Church to the Lutheran Church.
didn’t she want more out of her life? Or more precise a life after death? This gave her a means of
But Monroe preached that they were misunderstanding the song if they fooled themselves into thinking all creation would someday love them. What it really required was for them to love all creation” (78). Monroe used the hymns of his church as a means to spread his ideas of how people ought to live their lives. This pattern is also apparent with Inman. When he meets Swimmer, a Native American, he learns of a chant that could “kill the soul of an enemy” (20). Inman cannot accept this notion because “he had been taught by sermon and hymn to hold as truth that the soul of man never dies” (20). Charles Frazier believed in the power of hymn to influence what people believed about spirituality and the soul. This parallels the historical usage of hymns in church during the Civil War as well as in today’s church as a means to pass down culture. Hymn music also had the ability to strengthen the Church and to solidify the beliefs of the parishioners. There is a large disagreement over the influence of religious music over a person’s beliefs. The evangelical song leaders believed that religious music moved people with no faith to a life dedicated to praising God, but people from outside the church described religious music as “cheap and tawdry” (Squire 242). According to the United Evangelical Front religious music was a way to articulate God’s plan and extend the influence of religion outside of the church
According to one of the friars from Mission Soledad, Native Americans had “a fondness for every kind of music” (Geiger and Meighan 1976:135). This was not exclusive to this mission as many of the padres from the Geiger and Meighan reading said that the natives had an inclination toward music. This enthusiasm for music gave the padres an opportunity to use this to their advantage as the natives would be more willing to learn and adopt European music compared to other European ways. But even with this seemingly perfect opportunity, the padres faced many difficulties in simply teaching the natives even though all of them had studied music and sung in choirs prior to coming to the New World. They were simply “not professional musicians,” according to the padre from mission San Antonio (Geiger and Meighan 1976:135). Because of this lack of experience or proper training, many padres were less skilled at teaching and found
The article talked about how gospel and dance have been around since the 17th century in the western hemisphere. It gives information on how gospel and dance was pass down from generation to generation. It shows how slaves had faith to push on, because they would one day be free. The topics “gospel” and civil right movement in song and dance are broken down to give more detail where it all started from.
My grandfather was put in a unique position as a music teacher. Music according to him is a "universal language." Each generation and culture embraces music in reaction (and in
Music is an everyday occurrence for most people. In some way, shape and form, people listen to music. For Christians, specially those at bible college, this can be in chapel day to day. For others it may be in a car or even in the workplace, which can be the case for Christians also. Music for me is an everyday occurrence, not only in chapel but also in other places such as my dorm room and when I get ready for sports.
According to Michael Rose, “Music plays an integral role in the life of Native Americans. It is used for ceremonial purposes, recreation, expression, and healing.” Present societies have become blind and unable to understand the spiritual roles our lives play within and from our own existences. As we are to stay blind, we are never to understand the true beauty and meaning the Southern Plains American Indian’s music brings. As we listen, we can only hope of understanding the dynamics of the native people’s culture through its selected art
The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a changing culture By Will McRaney, Jr. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Academic, 2003, 268 pp., $19.99 paper.
This premise is predicated on the hypothesis that music plays an independent and important role within scripture itself; that is to be an elevated carrier for liturgy and prayer, the use of which is mandated by God for corporate worship. Both corporate worship and individual faith would suffer if music were removed. As an act of worshipping obedience, and a way of more readily understanding and relating to God, we will examine
Has one ever listened to any Christian music? Christian music is a widely popular genre of music which is sung all over the world in many languages. Many people listen to Christian music for entertainment, but it is mainly be used as a carrier for praise and worship. At church, people listen to Christian music to have their mind cleared of all troubles and have a time where they can focus on God. Christian music also sets the right atmosphere of worship in the room, or location where one may be listening. In dark places, it fills the air with worship. Christian music isn't just harmony in one's ear, but it carries messages, influences people, and leads people to God.