The Christian and Rock Music:

A Study of Biblical Principles of Music

 

 

 

Christian and Rock Music: A Study of Biblical Principles of Music  is written in a popular style by seven scholars of six different nationalities. With one exception, all the contributors are trained musicians with academic music degrees, and are passionately involved in enriching the worship experience of their congregations.

        

Contemporary Christian Music is fast replacing traditional music and instruments across denominational churches, including an increasing number of Seventh-day Adventist churches. In many churches today "praise bands" have replaced the choir, overheads have replaced the hymn books, synthesizers have replaced organs, and drums and guitars have taken their place in the repertoire of church music instrumentation.

 

These changes in church music are causing controversies and divisions in many congregations.  Some see the new "pop music" as the music of Babylon, while others as the prophetic "New Song" to reach and satisfy the baby-boomers' taste for rock music. Often the arguments generate more heat than light, reflecting personal taste or culture rather than a grasp of the biblical principles of music.

 

The Christian and Rock Music: A Study of Biblical Principles of Music offers a  balanced and biblical analysis of the use of Contemporary Christian Music for worship and evangelism.  The book has two major objectives. The first is to help people understand the true nature of the various styles of rock music popular today.  Special consideration is given to the problems arising from transforming rock music into a medium for Christian worship and evangelism. The second objective is to define those biblical principles that should guide Christians in making good musical choices.

 

The aim of this symposium is not to dismiss all contemporary music as "rock,"  because there are contemporary songs with music and words which are suitable for divine worship. Rather, the aim is to clarify how the music,  words, and the manner of singing should conform to the Biblical principle of worship music.

 

The Christian and Rock Music shows how clearly the Bible differentiates between the secular music used for social entertainment and the sacred music worthy of the worship of God. There are ample biblical and historical evidences indicating that music and instruments associated with social entertainment, were not allowed in worship service the Temple, synagogue, or early church. The reason is that such music would have tempted believers to turn their place of worship into a place of entertainment, as it happens in some churches today. To prevent this thing from happening, God's people in Bible times were taught to use only the sacred music suitable for divine worship. The authors of this book believe that the same principle applies to the church today.

 

The Bible teaches that church music is to be God-centered, not self-centered. The notion of praising the Lord for entertainment or amusement is foreign to the Bible. Percussion instruments which stimulate people physically through a loud and relentless beat are as inappropriate for  church music today as they were for the worship service in Bible times.

 

The biblical principles of music outlined in this book are especially relevant today, when the church and the home are being invaded by various forms of rock music which blatantly rejects the moral values and religious beliefs espoused by Christianity.  At a time when the distinction between sacred and secular music is blurred, and many are promoting modified versions of secular rock music for church use, it is important to remember the biblical summon to "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" (1 Chron 16:20; cf. Ps 29:2; 96:9).

 

The Christian and Rock Music is a most timely book for today. It clearly delineates the issues and provide biblical answers to the problems which have caused so many Christians to stumble. For concerned Christians, this book may well be a musical survival kit in our compromising society.

 

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF THE SEVEN CONTRIBUTORS

LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER

 

(1) Calvin M. Johansson, author of Chapter 9

"How Pop Music Entered the Church,"

and Chapter 10 "Pop Music and the Gospel."

 

Calvin A. Johansson, D. M. A.,  is a non-SDA Professor of Church Music at Evangel University and author of two major books, Music and Ministry: A Biblical Counterpoint and Discipling Music Ministry: Twenty-first Century Directions.  Prof. Johansson is a leading authority on church music and is frequently quoted by authors dealing with this subject. I feel greatly honored by his willingness to contribute two chapters to this book.

 

In Chapter 10, Prof. Johansson compares and contrasts the values of pop music with those of the Gospel in eight specific areas. He concludes that "Pop characteristics are antipathetic to gospel characteristics. It seems obvious that a music (pop) which is so unlike the thing it is supposed to represent (the gospel) is unable to embody the gospel in its medium of witness (music). Hence, pop is useless in spiritual endeavor. If it is used, it does the cause of Christ much harm by painting an untrue picture of what the Christian life is."

 

(2) Brian Neumann, author of Chapter 14,

"From Rock Music to the Rock of Ages"

        

Brian Neumann is a South African musician who spent 16 years of his life in the Rock-Pop industry before returning to the Seventh-day Adventist church.   He worked as a vocalist, guitarist, composer, and performer, both in Europe and South Africa.  During this time his band appeared with musicians such as Elton John, Janet Jackson, and the Communards.  As a musician Neumann had the opportunity of working in some of the best studios available in the recording industry.

 

Since his conversion, Neumann has done extensive research into the language of music, and its mental, physical, and spiritual effects. At present he performs and conducts music seminars across Africa, Europe, Canada, and the United States.

 

In Chapter 14, Neumann shares spiritual pilgrimage from rock music to the Rock of Ages.  You will be gripped by his painful story of addiction, self-destruction, and final redemption. You will also appreciate his practical advices on how to make good musical choices.

 

(3) Eurydice V. Osterman, author of Chapter 12,

"Rock Music and Culture" 

 

Eurydice V. Osterman, is a highly respected Afro-American musician, who serves as Professor of Music at Oakwood College. She has received awards for her compositions and recordings. She has composed music for the University of Alabama Symphony Orchestra, the General Conference Session of Seventh-day Adventists, and the London Chorale on BBC. Several of her articles have been featured in a textbook on music.  She is the author of the book What God Says About Music.

 

In Chapter 12, Dr. Osterman challenges the prevailing assumption that rock music is a legitimate form of expression of African American heritage.  She shows that there is a significant differences between the two.  African American heritage music is predominantly melodic, while rock music is driven by a beat that overshadows and dominates all other musical elements. Heritage music preserves and fosters unity, while rock music creates division and influences rebellious attitudes toward moral values and a disrespect for authority. The roots of the rock beat are to be found not on the religious music of the African-American heritage, but on secular and often irreligious music known as 'Rhythm and Blues.' This music became the expression of those Blacks who strayed away from or rejected the Christian faith.

 

(4) Genter Preuss, author of Chapter 11,

"Christian Rock and Evangelism"

 

Genter Preuss is a German Adventist musician,  who for the past 15 years has served,  first as Chairman of the Music Department of the Adventist College and Theological Seminary at Collonges-sous-Salve in France (1985-1995), and currently as Music Director of the SDA Baden-Wuerttemberg Conference in Germany (1995-2000).

        

Preuss has been deeply involved in the Adventist rock scene in Germany, endeavoring to help young people overcome their addiction to rock music. He is currently working on his doctoral dissertation on reformed hymnody between 1700 and 1870 at the Sorbonne University, in Paris.

 

         Preuss commends the search for effective ways to reach secular-minded people with the Gospel, but questions the legitimacy of using rock music, partly because he has witnessed  the negative impact of rock music on Adventist youth in  Germany. He wrote: "Rock music in evangelism works on imagination, on thought associations, as any music. It  misrepresents the claims of the Gospel by encouraging worldly values. It makes people believe that they are all right, when in reality they desperately need a radical change in their lives-a conversion experience."

 

 

(5) Tore Sognefest, author of Chapter 8

"The Effects of Rock Music."

        

Tore Sognefest is a Norwegian, professional musician and pianist. During the 1980s he had his own rock band which was well-known in Norway.  He earned a Master's degree in music from the Academy of Music in Bergen, Norway, where he taught music for several years.

 

Sognefest has conducted experiments on the impact of rock music on students and has authored a popular book The Power of Music. He is a popular lecturer invited by different denominations to conduct music seminars. Currently he is serving as the Principal of a Seventh-day Adventist secondary school in Norway.

 

In Chapter 8,  Sognefest shows how the irregular, relentless, and loud beat of rock music places the human body under stress by increasing the pulse rate, blood pressure, and production of adrenalin, and by impairing the hearing quality of people. More importantly rock music does not just tickle the ear-it jams the brain like a freight train. The constant repetition, the incessant beat, and the avalanche of decibels makes rock music capable of blasting the emotions and the mind. By impairing the functioning of the mind, rock music makes it impossible to reflect on truth, honesty, integrity, and, above all, to offer a "rational [logike in Greek] worship" (Rom 12:1).

 

(6) Wolfgang H. M. Stefani, author of Chapter 13

"Music and Morality."

 

Wolfgang H. M. Stefani is an Australian musician, scholar, pastor. He has earned graduate degrees in music, and a Ph. D. in Religious Education from Andrews University in 1993. He has taught church music, hymnology, philosophy of music, and religious education at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

 

Stefani has served for 14 years as a church musician: organist, pianist, minister of music, church music coordinator, and choir director.  He has  presented over 60 seminars on music in the United States, Mexico, Japan, Australia, France, Britain, Poland, and Scandinavia. His doctoral dissertation deals with "The Concept of God and Sacred Music Style."

 

In Chapter 13 Stefani challenges those who defend the use of "Christian" rock music for worship and evangelism because they claim that music is void of moral qualities for either good or bad. Stefani shows that notion that music is neutral apart from its words  is discredited by Scripture, history, science, and common sense. Yet it still remains  a popular deception used to justify the acceptance in Christian homes and churches of the pop music that stimulates people physically rather than elevating them spiritually.

 

(7) Samuele Bacchiocchi, editor and author of the first seven chapters

 

No personal introduction is necessary, since I am well-known through the 15 books I have authored and my worldwide itinerant ministry. For the past 25 years I have served as a Professor of Theology at Andrews University.  My responsibility in  this project has been twofold: editor and author of the first seven chapters. It has been a real privilege for me to interact with leading musicians from different parts of the world.

 

The two major questions I have investigated are: (1) The nature of rock music, (2) The biblical principles of music.  On the nature of rock music,  I discovered that rock differs from all other forms of music because of its driving, loud, relentless beat which affects the mind, muscles, and hormone production.  Scientific studies have shown that the rock beat can alter the mind and cause several physical reactions, including sexual arousal. By stimulating the physical, sensual aspect of the human nature, rock music throws out of balance the order of the Christian life. It makes the gratification of the carnal nature more important than the cultivation of the spiritual aspect of our life.

 

On the biblical principles I found that music is to be God-centered, not self-centered. Entertainment music was not allowed in the Temple, synagogue, and early church, and is out of place in the church today.  According to the Bible, the music ministry is to be conducted by people who are trained musically, prepared spiritually, supported financially, and serve pastorally.

 

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