Some Initial Considerations of Music and its Relationship to Christian Culture

This is an excellent article written by David Ledgerwood Chair of Department of Fine Arts at Maranatha Baptist Bible College. I encourage you to click the link above, print it, and prayerfully ponder this timely article.

He makes these eight propositions concerning music and cultural expression:

1. Every culture has aspects of its art that reflect sensuality, rebellion, and false worship.
2. Music both reflects and affects culture.
3. Musical meaning can be intrinsic, associative or both.
4. The meaning of music is strongest within its own culture, but there is a move to a "world culture" or "world music" that communicates throughout the world.
5. Cultural values can and should be evaluated upon biblical absolutes.
6. Musical styles within a culture are fluid; musical meaning is often contextual.
7. Since musical styles are fluid, churches that build their music programs on what is popular are shooting at a moving target.
8. Music can be very addicting.
   

His concluding paragraph asks some very poignant questions worthy of reflection by discerning believers today.

• Does music have a hold on you?
  
• Do you turn to it to soothe yourself, to help you escape from reality?
  
• Do you listen to music so that you don't have to listen to the voice of your conscience?
  
• Do you listen to it to help "put you in the mood" of something that is not right?
  
• Are we so far away from God as to believe that we can somehow offer our sensual worship to God and that He is obligated to accept it?