Music and Ministry: A Biblical Counterpoint, Updated Edition

Johansson's book was recommended by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger's article "Sing Artistically for God." Cardinal Ratzinger seems to have drawn several fundamental ideas from Johansson's work, especially those drawn from the Bible. What is most interesting is that Johannson is a Southern Baptist, and shares a strong inclination toward biblical fundamenatlism. The funadmentalist approach, while not Cardinal Ratzinger's usual approach to the Scriptures, does appear in Ratzinger's articles on music. I also found Johannson's insights worth the read. Rev. Virgil C Funk President emeritus, National Association of Pastoral Musicians

Calvin Johansson does a commendable job of identifying the theological doctrines that have a bearing on how we view the relationship between music and congregational ministry. While I don't agree with all of his conclusions, he helped me to think of music in theological terms. The most beneficial part of the book for me, though, was more the development of this mindset than in the practical ways that it would be carried out in the church. I don't feel like the situation is quite as black and white as he makes it. I appreciate that Johansson takes the subject of music and ministry seriously, but some of his attacks on "bad" music are so brutal that he sounds almost like Calvin...er, John Calvin. For instance: "reducing art to the commercial level, to aesthetic insignificance, to sheer entertainment (religious or not) is to misuse, even profane, the creative gift," (p. 13), and "church music that does not clearly exhibit genuine creativity has no place in the church because it dishonors and demeans the imago Dei," (p. 31). I suppose I appreciate more what he says about the positive reasons we should have quality music in the Church than what he says to discredit (in theological terms, especially) Church music that is of a lower quality. I personally appreciate the classics and like to sing and hear quality music in church, but I don't know that using a lower quality of music (that nonetheless speaks, somehow, to the congregation) is tantamount toblasphemy. Another thing that I did appreciate about Johansson's book (before I get into the specific doctrines that he addresses) was his very approach of comparing theological doctrines to musical counterpoint. I think that is an appropriate approach to theology in general (as Johannson says, "Our finite minds understand God in dynamic paradoxes - in musical terms, a counterpoint," p. 7), and an especially useful analogy to make when discussing the theology behind church music. I have long felt that music helps me to connect with and understand God in new and deeper ways, but I had never thought much about how this happens, nor had I thought of musical counterpoint as a way of thinking about how all of the apparent paradoxes in theology can co-exist. The doctrines of creation and imago Dei are good starting points for a theological examination of why the arts should be included in Christian worship. The God who creates makes us in God's image, and thus we are called to mirror that very quality that brought us into existence by assisting in God's continual creation. I like that Johansson balances new art with the older art of our heritage ("It is implicit in creation that one cannot profitably discard tradition," p. 17). This, I think, is a proper understanding of the doctrine of creation - for anything worth creating should be able to stand the test of time, and God's continual creation generally adds to the creation that has existed before. I feel like there is a sl

Many books have been written on worship, but few of them go into biblical discussion of the actual music, and how and why it fits into worship. Johansen does a wonderful job of this. He goes through biblical doctrines, and shows how that should effect the manner, quality, and form Christian music should take. I only have one objection. He critiques pop music as being essentially uncreative, which I would have to agree. But I wonder if the limitations of pop music can give us an opportunity for creativity. It is in limitations we find creativity - write a murder mystery where someone is murdered with a knife, or write a story in which they are murdered with a knife but without using the blade. The limitation on the second example gives us more opportunity for creativity. Second while pop musicians are often very sub-standard, the people behind the scenes, the producers, engineers, studio musicians, are often highly skilled and creative. I think he might misunderstand all the creativity that goes into a recording project from the perspective of the producer. I often find classically trained musicians unable to engage in quality pop music because they don't understand that pop musics fineness is found in the gestalt in a different way than classical musicians. They play a lot of senseless clutter, and then belittle the pop musician for playing simply, though that simplicity adds to the gestalt while the classical clutter subtracts from it. It's not to far from jazz. Again let me restate that I agree with him, and thing ccm is the worst junk out there, I still think that we can creatively reshape pop music into something fine and wonderful as is worthy of GOD. I just haven't figured out how yet.

This magnificent little volume probes the challenges facing the church musician today, but does not do so in the all-too-familiar context of "traditional" versus "contemporary". Johansson calls church musicians to take an incarnational approach to the selection of music: the music should embody the faith professed by the church. Is God eternal? Then music should express eternal values, not just fads. (Lest you think that this is directed merely at contemporary composers, just remember all those of earlier times who fell into deserved oblivion.) Is spirituality more than emotions? Then a music program that focuses on eliciting an emotional response from the congregation is failing in its mission. Is spirituality more than an intellectual exercise? A music program that focuses on that is also failing. Johansson is aware that there is a constant tension inherent in music ministry. There is the desire to preserve the musical heritage we have received, but there is also the need to find new expressions, too. Bach was new once--and not terribly well regarded, either. There is the reality of dealing with a congregation where it is musically--being pastoral--while not abandoning the role of promoting musical growth--being prophgetic. This book has been a tremendous inspiration, to which I return over and over. It does not give simplistic answers, but poses a challenge to the church musician to live into the fullness of his or her ministry.