I'm look for a really clear and somewhat neat definition for the term
"evangelical" in the U.S. Is there a source or scholar(s) who handles
the topic well and in historic context? Where do Christian people of
color fit into the rubric?
Thanks,
Birgitta Johnson, M.A., Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow in Ethnomusicology
Syracuse University
308 Bowne Hall
Syracuse, NY 13244
I've used the following sources to help define and problematize the term "evangelical."
Randall Balmer, Blessed Assurance: A History of Evangelicalism in America (Boston: Beacon, 1999) George Marsden, Understanding Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans, 1991)
Ever the tricky term! I second the sources Anna sent along--they will be very helpful. Anna already mentioned this one, but the most succinct definition I'm aware of is Larry Eskridge's on the Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals' website: http://isae.wheaton.edu/defining-evangelicalism/defining-the-term-in-... (Eskridge helpfully relates the term to fundamentalism & pentecostalism, though the relationships between these are certainly contested as well.)
The question about the application of the term to Christians of color is a good one, and complicated. Here are a few additional suggestions: * Michael O. Emerson & Christian Smith. *Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America* (2000)* ** Elaine Ecklund, *Korean American Evangelicals: New Models for Civic Life*(2006) * Soong-Chan Rah*, **The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity* (a personal and pastoral account, but still possibly helpful) (2010)
Hope these are helpful for your project!
Best regards, Monique Ingalls
On Sun, Jan 22, 2012 at 5:56 PM, Birgitta Johnson, PhD <
> I'm look for a really clear and somewhat neat definition for the term > "evangelical" in the U.S. Is there a source or scholar(s) who handles > the topic well and in historic context? Where do Christian people of > color fit into the rubric?
> Thanks,
> Birgitta Johnson, M.A., Ph.D. > Postdoctoral Fellow in Ethnomusicology > Syracuse University > 308 Bowne Hall > Syracuse, NY 13244
Along with my previous suggestions (Hatcher, Wacker, Bebbington, and Balmer), you should consider George Marsden. Eskridge is good as well. Just keep in mind that many of these differ slightly. And some (not mentioned in this list) believe that evangelicalism does not truly exist, as it has no *finalized* or *official* core statement, no central authority, which is part of its populist nature. Thus, since it does not exist, it is (according to some) merely conservative Protestantism.
There are evangelical manifestos, which may prove useful.
Shawn David Young, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Visual & Performing Arts Clayton State University
<monique.inga...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Birgitta and all,
> Ever the tricky term! I second the sources Anna sent along--they will be > very helpful. Anna already mentioned this one, but the most succinct > definition I'm aware of is Larry Eskridge's on the Institute for the Study > of American Evangelicals' website: > http://isae.wheaton.edu/defining-evangelicalism/defining-the-term-in-... > (Eskridge helpfully relates the term to fundamentalism & pentecostalism, > though the relationships between these are certainly contested as well.)
> The question about the application of the term to Christians of color is a > good one, and complicated. Here are a few additional suggestions: > * Michael O. Emerson & Christian Smith. Divided by Faith: Evangelical > Religion and the Problem of Race in America (2000) > * Elaine Ecklund, Korean American Evangelicals: New Models for Civic Life > (2006) > * Soong-Chan Rah, The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western > Cultural Captivity (a personal and pastoral account, but still possibly > helpful) (2010)
> Hope these are helpful for your project!
> Best regards, > Monique Ingalls
> On Sun, Jan 22, 2012 at 5:56 PM, Birgitta Johnson, PhD > <birgittamu...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi All,
>> I'm look for a really clear and somewhat neat definition for the term >> "evangelical" in the U.S. Is there a source or scholar(s) who handles >> the topic well and in historic context? Where do Christian people of >> color fit into the rubric?
>> Thanks,
>> Birgitta Johnson, M.A., Ph.D. >> Postdoctoral Fellow in Ethnomusicology >> Syracuse University >> 308 Bowne Hall >> Syracuse, NY 13244
-- Shawn David Young, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Visual & Performing Arts Clayton State University
Looking at the question of evangelical definition from another side, you might find useful these sources:
- William M. Shea, The Lion and the Lamb: Evangelicals and Catholics in America (Oxford, 2004) - from a Catholic perspective - The Evangelicals: What They Believe, Who They Are, Where They Are Changing, ed. David F. Wells and John D. Woodbridge (Nashville: Abington Press, 1975) - dated, but good for showing how Evangelical-Catholic relations were much more suspicious before they found themselves on the same side of the 1980s culture wars
My own research and performing experience has been in the so-called "mainline Protestant" world, which is a similarly slippery and contested label that no one agrees on a definition for. It seems to me that in practice "mainline" often means "not evangelical" and "evangelical" means "not mainline", but few think carefully about what substance these terms have in themselves without reference to a rejected alternative.
Best wishes, Duncan
-- Duncan Vinson, PhD - educator and church musician Director of Music, First Congregational Church, Melrose, Massachusetts duncanvin...@gmail.com http://duncanvinson.blogspot.com
Of course “evangelical” essentially and traditionally, since the 16th-century Reformation, meant “centered in the good news of Jesus.” Today’s usage among many Christians, emanating from 18th- and 19th-century social movements, has mutated the term into sociological jargon which like any other such jargon has become hardly meaningful at all. Many “mainline” (established historic denominational) Protestant churches, and even some Roman Catholic parishes, consider themselves “evangelical” by their own definitions, some using the term in a manner more like the Reformation meaning and others more in the modern American sociological sense.
The National Association of Evangelicals (http://www.nae.net/church-and-faith-partners/what-is-an-evangelical) initially provide the following fairly acceptable definition: Evangelicals take the Bible seriously and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The site soon thereafter introduces the contemporary baggage the term has acquired in the attempt to suggest some aspects of theological unity among churches that identify themselves as evangelicals.
Herbert G. Geisler, Ph.D. Chair, Department of Music Director of Musical Activities Professor of Music Concordia University 1530 Concordia West Irvine, CA 92612-3203 949-214-3412
> Looking at the question of evangelical definition from another side, you might find useful these sources:
> - William M. Shea, The Lion and the Lamb: Evangelicals and Catholics in America (Oxford, 2004) - from a Catholic perspective > - The Evangelicals: What They Believe, Who They Are, Where They Are Changing, ed. David F. Wells and John D. Woodbridge (Nashville: Abington Press, 1975) - dated, but good for showing how Evangelical-Catholic relations were much more suspicious before they found themselves on the same side of the 1980s culture wars
> My own research and performing experience has been in the so-called "mainline Protestant" world, which is a similarly slippery and contested label that no one agrees on a definition for. It seems to me that in practice "mainline" often means "not evangelical" and "evangelical" means "not mainline", but few think carefully about what substance these terms have in themselves without reference to a rejected alternative.
> Best wishes, > Duncan
> -- > Duncan Vinson, PhD - educator and church musician > Director of Music, First Congregational Church, Melrose, Massachusetts > duncanvin...@gmail.com > http://duncanvinson.blogspot.com
What great questions and a nice resource list we're compiling here!
In addition to the resources already suggested (which have probably largely covered what you were going for!), I would also recommend historian John Turner's "Bill Bright and Campus Crusade for Christ: The Renewal of Evangelicalism in Postwar America." (UNC Press 2008) It provides a nice overview of changing definitions of evangelical, fundamental, and pentecostal and the cultural implications thereof.
Monique also modestly didn't list her own dissertation as having a nice discussion of the topic.
Following Duncan's introducing the related subject of mainline vs. evangelical...that distinction, although previously oddly theological (odd following Herb's pointing out that nearly all Christians are technically evangelical) has become more of a cultural marker of difference within white Christian circles. I cover that issue in a sub-chapter of my dissertation (which is currently waiting for administrative balls to get rolling for a defense). I've touched on this briefly in some publications, and the upcoming Oxford Handbook of World Christianities should have a number of relevant articles.
But, sorry, I've got nothing on evangelicals and Christian people of color that hasn't already been put forward here.
Good luck with your project, and please let us know when/where we can read it/listen to it!
> Looking at the question of evangelical definition from another side, you > might find useful these sources:
> - William M. Shea, The Lion and the Lamb: Evangelicals and Catholics in > America (Oxford, 2004) - from a Catholic perspective > - The Evangelicals: What They Believe, Who They Are, Where They Are > Changing, ed. David F. Wells and John D. Woodbridge (Nashville: Abington > Press, 1975) - dated, but good for showing how Evangelical-Catholic > relations were much more suspicious before they found themselves on the > same side of the 1980s culture wars
> My own research and performing experience has been in the so-called > "mainline Protestant" world, which is a similarly slippery and contested > label that no one agrees on a definition for. It seems to me that in > practice "mainline" often means "not evangelical" and "evangelical" means > "not mainline", but few think carefully about what substance these terms > have in themselves without reference to a rejected alternative.
> Best wishes, > Duncan
> -- > Duncan Vinson, PhD - educator and church musician > Director of Music, First Congregational Church, Melrose, Massachusetts > duncanvin...@gmail.com > http://duncanvinson.blogspot.com
-- Deborah Justice PhD Candidate, Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology Indiana University
I have a literature/personal research experience question for the list.
Think Worship Wars, think of Traditional and Contemporary worship musics. If you think Contemporary, what would you describe as "typical" instrumentation? How would your expectation of instrumentation change if you're thinking in Sunday service vs abstract Contemporary "ideal?" In a more baited question, are you expecting a guitarist or a keyboard player to be leading worship? Would this expectation change given a mainline vs. evangelical context? (yes, I know these [can] overlap)? Feel free to comment on various racial/ethnic settings (although my research focuses on mainline Protestants [~98% white]) Do we have any literature that points toward these expectations?
As for literature, one that comes to mind immediately is Donald Miller's Reinventing American Protestantism: Christianity in the New Millennium...but that might be a bit dated now.
As a former worship leader, I would say what was "typical" for us (at least what we sought, depending on availability) was drums, electric guitar, bass guitar, acoustic, keys (electric or acoustic) and *perhaps* horns, such as sax. But this seems to change with mainliners. As one who now affiliates more with mainline/liberal/progressive I find that historically, the better bands are part of conservative, evangelical congregations (as well as Pentecostal/Charismatic). There is a great lack of modern music in progressive churches, and hopefully that will change.
Shawn David Young, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Visual & Performing Arts Clayton State University ShawnYo...@mail.clayton.edu (678) 466-4758
On Sat, Jan 28, 2012 at 1:10 PM, Deborah Justice <drjus...@indiana.edu> wrote: > Hi everyone,
> I have a literature/personal research experience question for the list.
> Think Worship Wars, think of Traditional and Contemporary worship musics. If > you think Contemporary, what would you describe as "typical" > instrumentation? How would your expectation of instrumentation change if > you're thinking in Sunday service vs abstract Contemporary "ideal?" In a > more baited question, are you expecting a guitarist or a keyboard player to > be leading worship? Would this expectation change given a mainline vs. > evangelical context? (yes, I know these [can] overlap)? Feel free to comment > on various racial/ethnic settings (although my research focuses on mainline > Protestants [~98% white]) Do we have any literature that points toward these > expectations?
> Thanks very much,
> Deborah Justice > Indiana University
-- Shawn David Young, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Visual & Performing Arts Clayton State University
Actually I don't like the terms "contemporary" and "traditional", for reasons I don't want to get into right now.
But following the usual usage, the church where I work has both "traditional" music (choir and organ) and "contemporary" (praise band). I suppose we have "blended worship," but no one uses this term. This church is a Congregational (UCC) church, suburban, mostly white, vibrant by New England standards but small to a Southerner or Midwesterner. The praise band is primarily thought of as a ministry for teenage members. It participates in the service once a month.
Eventually, I would like the praise band to function as worship leader on the weeks that it performs. At present, however, it only performs the introit, anthem, etc. and the choir still leads the hymns. For example, tomorrow the praise band is playing "Come, Now Is the Time to Worship" as introit and "Forever" as anthem.
Our instrumentation: 1-2 guitars, bass, drums, 1-2 electric keyboards, alto sax, 4 singers who sometimes play hand percussion. I am not sure if this is "typical", but it works for us. I get up from the organ bench and play either bass or keyboard, depending on what is needed. But one of the guitarists (father of two teenagers in the congregation) is really the leader of the praise band, and I am careful to play a supporting role without taking over.
I think the main differences between our setup and that of the evangelical churches I have visited are that 1) the band is in the back of the sanctuary on the choir risers, and 2) we don't have projection screens.
Best wishes, Duncan
On Sat, Jan 28, 2012 at 1:10 PM, Deborah Justice <drjus...@indiana.edu>wrote:
> I have a literature/personal research experience question for the list.
> Think Worship Wars, think of Traditional and Contemporary worship musics. > If you think Contemporary, what would you describe as "typical" > instrumentation? How would your expectation of instrumentation change if > you're thinking in Sunday service vs abstract Contemporary "ideal?" In a > more baited question, are you expecting a guitarist or a keyboard player to > be leading worship? Would this expectation change given a mainline vs. > evangelical context? (yes, I know these [can] overlap)? Feel free to > comment on various racial/ethnic settings (although my research focuses on > mainline Protestants [~98% white]) Do we have any literature that points > toward these expectations?
> Thanks very much,
> Deborah Justice > Indiana University
-- Duncan Vinson, PhD - educator and church musician Director of Music, First Congregational Church, Melrose, Massachusetts duncanvin...@gmail.com http://duncanvinson.blogspot.com
One mistake some mainline churches make is to assume that the "contemporary" service is for the youth. Then any attempt comes off as "forced." Whereas in some of the mega churches, the modern rock band is enjoyed by the adults in the main service...and these bands are often quite professional. Think Phil Collins meets Creed.
On Sat, Jan 28, 2012 at 6:32 PM, Duncan Vinson <duncanvin...@gmail.com> wrote: > Actually I don't like the terms "contemporary" and "traditional", for > reasons I don't want to get into right now.
> But following the usual usage, the church where I work has both > "traditional" music (choir and organ) and "contemporary" (praise band). I > suppose we have "blended worship," but no one uses this term. This church is > a Congregational (UCC) church, suburban, mostly white, vibrant by New > England standards but small to a Southerner or Midwesterner. The praise band > is primarily thought of as a ministry for teenage members. It participates > in the service once a month.
> Eventually, I would like the praise band to function as worship leader on > the weeks that it performs. At present, however, it only performs the > introit, anthem, etc. and the choir still leads the hymns. For example, > tomorrow the praise band is playing "Come, Now Is the Time to Worship" as > introit and "Forever" as anthem.
> Our instrumentation: 1-2 guitars, bass, drums, 1-2 electric keyboards, alto > sax, 4 singers who sometimes play hand percussion. I am not sure if this is > "typical", but it works for us. I get up from the organ bench and play > either bass or keyboard, depending on what is needed. But one of the > guitarists (father of two teenagers in the congregation) is really the > leader of the praise band, and I am careful to play a supporting role > without taking over.
> I think the main differences between our setup and that of the evangelical > churches I have visited are that 1) the band is in the back of the sanctuary > on the choir risers, and 2) we don't have projection screens.
> Best wishes, > Duncan
> On Sat, Jan 28, 2012 at 1:10 PM, Deborah Justice <drjus...@indiana.edu> > wrote:
>> Hi everyone,
>> I have a literature/personal research experience question for the list.
>> Think Worship Wars, think of Traditional and Contemporary worship musics. >> If you think Contemporary, what would you describe as "typical" >> instrumentation? How would your expectation of instrumentation change if >> you're thinking in Sunday service vs abstract Contemporary "ideal?" In a >> more baited question, are you expecting a guitarist or a keyboard player to >> be leading worship? Would this expectation change given a mainline vs. >> evangelical context? (yes, I know these [can] overlap)? Feel free to comment >> on various racial/ethnic settings (although my research focuses on mainline >> Protestants [~98% white]) Do we have any literature that points toward these >> expectations?
>> Thanks very much,
>> Deborah Justice >> Indiana University
> -- > Duncan Vinson, PhD - educator and church musician > Director of Music, First Congregational Church, Melrose, Massachusetts > duncanvin...@gmail.com > http://duncanvinson.blogspot.com
-- Shawn David Young, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Visual & Performing Arts Clayton State University
One source that might provide some help on this question is Stephen Ellingson's *The Megachurch and the Mainline: Remaking Religious Tradition in the Twenty-first Century* (2007). It does contain some descriptions of contemporary worship in US mainline Protestant churches, though maybe not in the instrumental detail you're looking for here...
Best regards, Monique * ** * On Sat, Jan 28, 2012 at 6:10 PM, Deborah Justice <drjus...@indiana.edu>wrote:
> I have a literature/personal research experience question for the list.
> Think Worship Wars, think of Traditional and Contemporary worship musics. > If you think Contemporary, what would you describe as "typical" > instrumentation? How would your expectation of instrumentation change if > you're thinking in Sunday service vs abstract Contemporary "ideal?" In a > more baited question, are you expecting a guitarist or a keyboard player to > be leading worship? Would this expectation change given a mainline vs. > evangelical context? (yes, I know these [can] overlap)? Feel free to > comment on various racial/ethnic settings (although my research focuses on > mainline Protestants [~98% white]) Do we have any literature that points > toward these expectations?
I second Monique's suggestion and would add one example that I think both summarized and further popularized the popular discourse on trad vs. contemporary instrumentation:
Michael S. Hamilton, "The Triumph of Praise Songs: How Guitars Beat Out the Organ in the Worship Wars," Christianity Today 43:8 (12 July 1999).
You're probably are already familiar with this article but I think it plays into furthering expectations, etc., especially because of its wide readership in CT.
Also, a few of Chuck Kraft's columns from _Worship Leader_ in 1993 specifically discuss the "organ vs. guitar" divide in worship (his words, not mine). I'm not sure of exactly when the "organ" gets set against the "guitar" in the discourse of the worship wars but these columns seem to indicate that this wording is a common assumption among contemporary worship advocates by 1993, a year after the founding of _Worship Leader_ magazine.
(Deborah--let me know if you'd be interested in these and I can send you PDFs since I'm guessing German libraries might not have _Worship Leader_ in their collections. But if I'm wrong, I'd be interested to know!!)
>________________________________ > From: Deborah Justice <drjus...@indiana.edu> >To: Sacred/Religious Music SIG <SRM-SIG@googlegroups.com> >Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2012 1:10 PM >Subject: Re: [SRM-SIG] Defining "evangelical"
>Hi everyone,
>I have a literature/personal research experience question for the list.
>Think Worship Wars, think of Traditional and Contemporary worship musics. If you think Contemporary, what would you describe as "typical" instrumentation? How would your expectation of instrumentation change if you're thinking in Sunday service vs abstract Contemporary "ideal?" In a more baited question, are you expecting a guitarist or a keyboard player to be leading worship? Would this expectation change given a mainline vs. evangelical context? (yes, I know these [can] overlap)? Feel free to comment on various racial/ethnic settings (although my research focuses on mainline Protestants [~98% white]) Do we have any literature that points toward these expectations?
I too would find PDF's of these articles very useful if they are available. I have a couple of students doing dissertations in this subject area.
Kind Regards
Paul
Dr Paul Carr Head of The Music Academy Room CA409 Cardiff School of Cultural & Creative Industries The Atrium 86 - 88 Adam Street Cardiff CF24 2FN Tel. 01443 668617 Mob. 07824623572 http://paulcarrmusings.wordpress.com/
From: srm-sig@googlegroups.com [mailto:srm-sig@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Anna Nekola Sent: 29 January 2012 20:10 To: Deborah Justice; Sacred/Religious Music SIG Subject: Re: [SRM-SIG] Defining "evangelical"
Hi everyone,
I second Monique's suggestion and would add one example that I think both summarized and further popularized the popular discourse on trad vs. contemporary instrumentation:
Michael S. Hamilton, "The Triumph of Praise Songs: How Guitars Beat Out the Organ in the Worship Wars," Christianity Today 43:8 (12 July 1999).
You're probably are already familiar with this article but I think it plays into furthering expectations, etc., especially because of its wide readership in CT.
Also, a few of Chuck Kraft's columns from _Worship Leader_ in 1993 specifically discuss the "organ vs. guitar" divide in worship (his words, not mine). I'm not sure of exactly when the "organ" gets set against the "guitar" in the discourse of the worship wars but these columns seem to indicate that this wording is a common assumption among contemporary worship advocates by 1993, a year after the founding of _Worship Leader_ magazine.
(Deborah--let me know if you'd be interested in these and I can send you PDFs since I'm guessing German libraries might not have _Worship Leader_ in their collections. But if I'm wrong, I'd be interested to know!!)
Hope this helps!
-Anna ________________________________ From: Deborah Justice <drjus...@indiana.edu> To: Sacred/Religious Music SIG <SRM-SIG@googlegroups.com> Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2012 1:10 PM Subject: Re: [SRM-SIG] Defining "evangelical"
Hi everyone,
I have a literature/personal research experience question for the list.
Think Worship Wars, think of Traditional and Contemporary worship musics. If you think Contemporary, what would you describe as "typical" instrumentation? How would your expectation of instrumentation change if you're thinking in Sunday service vs abstract Contemporary "ideal?" In a more baited question, are you expecting a guitarist or a keyboard player to be leading worship? Would this expectation change given a mainline vs. evangelical context? (yes, I know these [can] overlap)? Feel free to comment on various racial/ethnic settings (although my research focuses on mainline Protestants [~98% white]) Do we have any literature that points toward these expectations?
I know that the category labels Contemporary and Traditional are problematic and assume various meanings/connotations with relation to various ethnic groups/scenes/etc. However, as this discussion has teased out, these terms are just beginning to be the subject of critical unpacking within ethnomusicology. The Worship Wars and Contemporary-Traditional are by no means applicable to all Christianity around the world (or even within North America). However, this doesn't mean that we should/get to avoid dealing with them. Addressing these categories in terms of white mainline worship is, in my opinion, just as important as addressing them in the context of a hegemonically-corrective counter-narrative. If we don't talk about their applications in various contexts, we'll never get anywhere. So, thanks very much for the helpful suggestions in positioning these musics alongside all others as the legitimate objects of ethnographic study.
Best, Deborah Justice
-- Deborah Justice PhD Candidate, Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology Indiana University
