questions about books

[Sheri Torgrimson]

Hi again - in my searching I've found several positions - problem is
that you often can't look inside the book and see what the level is
(popular, academic etc). If anyone has read any of these and can
recommend (or recommend against), I'd appreciate comments (before I
spend a small fortune on books that are really useless.)
Thanks!

Sheri

Protestant Worship Music: Its History and Practice, Charles L.
Etherington

Christian Music: A Global History, Tim Dowley

How Sweet the Sound: Music in the Spiritual Lives of Americans - David
W. Stowe;

The Message in the Music: Studying Contemporary Praise and Worship -
Brian D Walrath

America's Worship Wars - Terry W. York;

Contemporary Worship Music: A Biblical Defense - John M. Frame

Music Through the Eyes of Faith - Harold Best;

Te Deum the Church and Music - Paul Westermeyer;

The Singing Thing:A Case for Congregational Song/G5510 - John L. Bell

[Shawn Young]

I highly recommend Stowe's book.

Shawn Young

--
Shawn David Young, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Visual & Performing Arts
Clayton State University

http://a-s.clayton.edu/vpa/Faculty/Young.htm

http://www.interfolio.com/portfolio/ShawnYoung
http://experts.patheos.com/expert/shawndavidyoung/
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/shawn-young/13/777/763

[amh....@btinternet.com]

Sheri, I would recommend Paul Westermeyer's book highly as an academically reliable and thorough overview.  I love John Bell's 'The Singing Thing' as a funny, passionately argued case for enabling congregational song, but it makes no pretence to be academic.  I'm supposed to be reviewing Tim Dowley's book but have only glanced at it so far - very general, and probably a bit superficial for your purposes.

 

Do you know Pete Ward's 'Selling Worship: How what we sing has changed the church' (Paternoster, 2005)?  It includes some comparison of the recent history of Christian song in the US and the UK, particularly looking at subject matter, marketing, the recording industry etc.

 

Anne Harrison

(Durham, UK)

[Anna Nekola]

I will also second the recommendation for Westermeyer as a great general resource.

One very useful resource that summarizes key theological and practical approaches to worship is The Complete Library of Christian Worship, Vol. 2 Twenty Centuries of Christian Worship, edited by Robert E. Webber.  It contains many short entries by a variety of authors, and topics are specific and grounded in historical context (via chapter such as "Protestant Post-Reformation Worship" and "Movements of Worship Renewal in the Twentieth Century).  If you're looking for a one-volume reference work that gives you detailed info on lots of topics, this is a great resource.
http://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Centuries-Christian-Worship-Robert/dp/1565631862/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332786553&sr=8-1

I found the Terry York and John Frame to be more interesting as a primary sources that argue for particular interpretations of worship practices and the worship wars.

Best wishes!
-Anna

---

From: "amh....@btinternet.com" <amh....@btinternet.com>
To: Sheri Torgrimson <sha...@gmail.com>
Cc: Sacred/Religious Music SIG <srm...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 12:41 PM
Subject: Re: [SRM-SIG] questions about books

[Deborah Justice]

Hi everyone,

I've got a copy of _Protestant Worship Music: Its History and Practice_
by Charles L. Etherington. It's a bit dated, and gives a UK perspective
on things. He basically starts with the early church and works up
through to "today," which for him is 1962. For the more historical
parts, it's an interesting read, but when he gets up to dealing with
(then) current practices, the tone switches away from historian to him
writing as a practicing church organist with specific bias and agenda.

So, if you're looking for up-to-date subject matter, this obviously
doesn't fit the bill. However, if you're looking for a historical
example dealing with issues that have continued on to the present day,
this could be a really helpful resource.

Just as a general thought (and sorry if this sounds a bit obvious), but
Interlibrary loaning the books would give you a chance to have a look
at them before you buy them... O:-) I am really enjoying everyone
vetting them on this thread though - great lit suggestions!

Best,
Deborah

Quoting Anna Nekola <annan...@yahoo.com>:

--
Deborah Justice
PhD Candidate, Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology
Indiana University