Philosophy Of Music In Free Church Worship

Music in free worship is not bound to the text of worship itself, but appears here and there as separate, special, occasional, and incidental to the order of worship. This approach has led to a wide divergence or practice among churches. It is almost impossible to arrive at a single philosophy for the music of free worship; the range of practice is extremely wide-from the quasiliturgical, to denominational formalism, to populist evangelicalism and fundamentalism. Theological paradigms vary widely, as do governance systems, ranging from centralized authority to localized sovereignty. Emphases among worship, evangelism, and outreach likewise differ from church to church. And finally, aesthetic philosophies range all the way from blatant utilitarianism (music's worth lies in its effectiveness) to idealism (music's effectiveness is subject to its intrinsic worth), and back to the middle (when worth and function are properly integrated, the music will be appropriate). Nonetheless, there…