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Faithful Learning #6
Music
Many Christian musicians enter college without a clear understanding of the discipline of music or how it might deepen their love for God and their commitment to Christian service. For students considering a major in music or wanting to increase their engagement with the discipline, Timothy Steele provides a Christian perspective and explores God's call to serve as musical agents of renewal in his world.
40 pages, Paperback
Published May 6, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 1, 2016
If you are interested in studying music philosophy, this book might help you make up your mind. Parts of it were too technical for my limited knowledge of music philosophy, but the bits I understood were interesting and made me wish to know more. It was encouraging to know that there are Christians out there who have thought through these courses of study with a desire to honor Christ.
I received this book free through Netgalley.
I received this book free through Netgalley.
December 20, 2018
Music makers are both professionals and "shower singers," but it is that former group, including the serious student, who need to consider afresh how to steward one of God's great gifts to human beings. In Music, Professor Timothy Stelle helps us understand such stewardship as more than "adding a few prayers before a performance or writing Soli Do Gloria on a score." (33).
The Faithful Learning series in general, and this booklet in particular, provide a distinctly Christian approach to the academic discipline of music. I was impressed with how much depth (history, theory, and approach) was squeezed into forty pages. While the average shower singer will feel this is TMI, budding musicians and especially students of music will discover it is a rich introduction "to the busy world of disciplined thinking about music and disciplined music making." (14-15)
Steele points us to Calvin who wrote,
Steele won't push an opinion on you, but working through these pages he will help you begin to answer those questions with a resounding, "Yes."
The Faithful Learning series in general, and this booklet in particular, provide a distinctly Christian approach to the academic discipline of music. I was impressed with how much depth (history, theory, and approach) was squeezed into forty pages. While the average shower singer will feel this is TMI, budding musicians and especially students of music will discover it is a rich introduction "to the busy world of disciplined thinking about music and disciplined music making." (14-15)
Steele points us to Calvin who wrote,
[Music] has a secret and almost incredible power to move our hearts in one way or another. Wherefore we must be the more diligent in ruling it in such a manner that it may be useful to us and in no way pernicious. Calvin, Geneva Psalter, 366Shower singer or serious musician, Steele helps the reader grapple with two important questions: (1) "Will my study of music help me love and serve God better?" (2) "Can my learning in the discipline of music help me to live more faithfully?"
Steele won't push an opinion on you, but working through these pages he will help you begin to answer those questions with a resounding, "Yes."
June 26, 2016
This is a booklet on a Christian worldview of the academic discipline of Chemistry that is part of the Faithful Learning Series published by Presbyterian and Reformed that provides an introductory look at various academic discipline from the perspective of the Christian worldview. This particular work looks at the subject of the study of music and it is the fourth book I have read in this series. Overall I am enjoying the series very much.
It is wonderful to see someone who is an expert on music write about music from a Christian point of view. The author’s own specialization is with historical musicology. At the beginning of the book the author Timothy Steele acknowledges that music can be used for evil but he also caution readers that music itself is a gift from God that can be used responsibly for good. Written largely for Christian majoring in music in mind, I found it helpful for a non-musical person such as myself. The author stated that his two main points is that the study of music can help one love and serve God better and also that the study of music can make one live more faithfully (7-8). Readers must be aware that the book discusses the study of music and not just enjoying or making music per se. Steele works towards a definition of musicology by defining and contrasting three ways music are practiced (performance, composition and musicology). For the bulk of the book the author discusses the theme of music which he identifies as order, meaning and function.
What follows is my commendation and constructive construction of the book:
• I thought the author made good observation of songs found in the Scriptures such as the first recorded word of Adam was a song celebrating marriage and how the structure of Lamech’s boast in Genesis 4:23-24 strongly suggests it is lyrical and therefore it is musical.
• It does give a brief survey to those not familiar with the technical aspect of musicology.
• I wished the book connected more with how music relate to faith. I felt what the author stated as the booklet’s purpose would leave the reader hungering for more of exploring that connection.
NOTE: This book was provided to me free by P&R Publishing and Net Galley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
It is wonderful to see someone who is an expert on music write about music from a Christian point of view. The author’s own specialization is with historical musicology. At the beginning of the book the author Timothy Steele acknowledges that music can be used for evil but he also caution readers that music itself is a gift from God that can be used responsibly for good. Written largely for Christian majoring in music in mind, I found it helpful for a non-musical person such as myself. The author stated that his two main points is that the study of music can help one love and serve God better and also that the study of music can make one live more faithfully (7-8). Readers must be aware that the book discusses the study of music and not just enjoying or making music per se. Steele works towards a definition of musicology by defining and contrasting three ways music are practiced (performance, composition and musicology). For the bulk of the book the author discusses the theme of music which he identifies as order, meaning and function.
What follows is my commendation and constructive construction of the book:
• I thought the author made good observation of songs found in the Scriptures such as the first recorded word of Adam was a song celebrating marriage and how the structure of Lamech’s boast in Genesis 4:23-24 strongly suggests it is lyrical and therefore it is musical.
• It does give a brief survey to those not familiar with the technical aspect of musicology.
• I wished the book connected more with how music relate to faith. I felt what the author stated as the booklet’s purpose would leave the reader hungering for more of exploring that connection.
NOTE: This book was provided to me free by P&R Publishing and Net Galley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews