The magisterial Protestant Reformers held to the doctrine of sola Scriptura, the belief that Scripture alone, as the Word of God, is the only source sufficient to guide the Church in all matters of Christian faith and practice. Standing on the authority of God’s Word, these men held to a unity or cohesion of truth as revealed through Scripture (special revelation) and Creation (general revelation). Such understanding of truth is essential to the Christian worldview, which was instrumental in the establishment of Western society and culture. Central to this worldview are two aspects of God’s being—that He is both transcendent (far above us; infinite in majesty) and immanent (near us, sustaining Creation). Until the later part of the eighteenth century, the Church employed this understanding as one of the foremost patrons of the arts in Western society. However, due to radical shifts in worldview, the Church no longer takes such a vital role in the formation of culture; and contemporary values diminish the arts as an autonomous vehicle of expression. Yet, there is hope for a revitalization of the arts. Join Shawn Eaton as he teaches how God’s truth may inspire the Church anew in crafting music for corporate worship—that we may reclaim the Christian worldview as the keystone of Christian culture.
Please use this link to download Dr. Eaton’s article, “Worldview and Music in God-Centered Worship: Reclaiming the Keystone of Christian Culture.”
Recommended Reading
Aniol, Scott. Worship in Song: A Biblical Approach to Music and Worship. Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 2009. See especially chapter 4, entitled, “Affections—The Missing Link,” and chapter 6, “What Does the Music Mean?”
Bauder, Kevin T. et al., A Conservative Christian Declaration. Religious Affections Ministries, 2014.
Begbie, Jeremy S. Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007.
Colson, Charles and Pearcy, Nancy. How Now Shall We Live? Carol Stream: Tyndale, 1999. See especially chapter 42, entitled, “Soli Deo Gloria,” and chapter 44, “Does the Devil Have All the Good Music?”
Eskew, Harry and McElrath, Hugh T. Sing with Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Hymnology. Nashville: Church Street Press, 1995.
Hiebert, Paul G. “The Flaw of the Excluded Middle,” Missiology: An International Review 10 (January 1982).
Hoffecker, W. Andrew. Revolutions in Worldview: Understanding the Flow of Western Thought. Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2007.
Pearcey, Nancy Saving Leonardo: A Call to Resist the Secular Assault on Mind, Morals, and Meaning. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2010. See especially chapter 2, “Truth and Tyranny.”
Ryken, Philip Graham. Art for God’s Sake: A Call to Recover the Arts. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2006.
Schaeffer, Francis A. Escape from Reason: A Penetrating Analysis of Trends in Modern Thought. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1968.
Sproul, R. C. Battle for Our Minds, Ligonier Ministries, 1994, compact disc.
Sproul, R.C. Study Guide, Battle for Our Minds: Worlds in Collision. Park Lake Mary, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2010.
Sproul, R.C. The Holiness of God. 25th Anniversary ed. Sanford, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2010. See especially chapter 11, entitled, “Holy Space and Holy Time.
Tozer, A.W. Knowledge of the Holy. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1961.