A Biblical Understanding of Musical Controversies

A study of church history reveals differing positions regarding appropriate text and suitable musical style. God created music for good purposes. However, because of man’s differing theological presuppositions and approach to biblical interpretation, the applications of appropriate music are varied. Throughout church history, music and its use in worship have been controversial.

Historic Musical Controversies

In the first century, Quintilian and Seneca “saw in the newfangled music signs of moral and artistic degeneration.”[1] The new melodic style of hymn singing “caused some church figures (most notably Athanasius) to outlaw the practice.”[2] Later in the third century, Augustine displayed concern with the music of his day since “he was prone to be moved more by the melody than the words of the scriptural texts that were sung,”[3] and because of this, he thought that it would be better to have the text read rather than sung.

During the Reformation, Christmas carols created discussion and writings among church leaders regarding their acceptance and use. John Calvin and the Puritans, including Cotton Mather and Oliver Cromwell, wrote against and banned Christmas carols from use in worship. The church leaders’ objections to the carols included their association with the Roman Catholic Church, paganism, secular festivals, and dance. From 1545 to 1563, during the Council of Trent, the Catholic church leaders sought to clean up musical abuses in worship. Music controversies continued in Western Christianity in the 1800s, with the renewed emphasis on evangelism and revival. For example, Asahel Nettleton referred to revivalism hymns as ‘the cheaper type of revival hymn’ and assembled Village Hymns, a compilation of texts, and Zion’s Harp, a collection of tunes, to be used together.[4] Eventually, hymns associated with revival became known as gospel hymns and were viewed, at the time, as “lighter, semi-sacred, and commercial.”[5]

Current Musical Controversies

The controversy continued over the use of Contemporary Worship Music (CWM). This genre originated in the late 1960s and incorporates contemporary/pop musical idioms, choruses, and simple texts emphasizing praise rather than doctrine. The introduction of this music has been “quite controversial … especially (with) those who deal with the theology of worship.”[6] Today, controversies continue in the modern church over the use of worship teams, popular musical expressions, and texts that are overly repetitious by authors who might be doctrinally unsound.

The Normative Principle and Musical Choice

The normative principle of worship holds that if Scripture does not forbid a specific activity, it is allowed since “all things are lawful” (1 Cor. 10:23). Martin Luther practiced and promoted this principle. He believed that only God’s prohibition is required in matters of worship. Without such prohibition, Luther believed God permits liturgical practices, including choral music and instruments, in public worship. Historically and currently, the Lutheran and Anglican churches have adopted the normative principle in their worship practices.

The Regulative Principle and Music

On the other hand, the regulative principle of worship holds to the belief that God specifies or implies in His Word how He will be worshipped (1 Cor. 14:40; 2 Tim. 3:15-17). Thus, it is a sin to worship God outside of Scripture. Calvin popularized and practiced the regulative principle by instructing that only unaccompanied Psalms should be sung in public worship. He also rejected choral and instrumental music, stemming from his view of New Testament worship and his desire not to emulate the practices of the Roman Church. Modern churches that have retained this view include the Church of Christ, the Mennonites, the Quakers, the Reformed Presbyterians, and the Primitive Baptists.

While the normative and regulative principles of worship have strengths and some biblical support, strict adherence to either principle can lead to extreme and even unbiblical practices. These extremes include the allowance of any music or the absence of all music.

Aesthetic Relativism and Music

Unbiblical practices stem from man’s faulty understanding and application of God’s truth. There is a prevalent idea, known as aesthetic relativism, that God can be worshipped in any way according to one’s liking, opinion, or emotion. In a musical sense, no single style is the correct style for worship, and allowance must be made for all musical expressions. This position assumes that God’s Word is silent regarding the morality of worship styles. Promoting this philosophy, Harold Best writes, “Art and especially music are morally relative and inherently incapable of articulating, for want of a better term, truth speech. They are essentially neutral in their ability to express belief, creed, moral and ethical exactitudes, or even worldview.”[7]

Charismatic Theology and Music

The Modern Charismatic Revival began in the 1950s, influencing and ultimately leading to the rise of the Jesus Movement in the 1960s and 1970s. With its highly emotional worship style, this movement popularized Charismatic Theology by appealing primarily to young people looking for a spiritual experience. Perhaps the essence of Charismatic theology is the belief that, in worship, individuals should manifest a physical response resulting in dance-like movements and emotional expressions. By using CWM and its music companies (Maranatha, Word, and Integrity, etc.), the Charismatics are “credited with turning the tide in contemporary evangelical worship by bringing… rock (music) into organized corporate worship.”[8] This eventually led to the “worship awakening” of the twenty-first century. It is marked by drastic changes in evangelical church worship from traditional hymns to pop-infused worship entertainment, from sermons to multi-media presentations, and from doctrine to emotionalism. Donald Hustad writes, “I am convinced it (CWM) is a dead-end street for church music.”[9]

Sovereign Grace and the Gettys

In response, the Gettys and Bob Kauflin of Sovereign Grace Music have countered “the worship awakening” movement with their reformation of worship. Keith Getty comments that many modern worship songs focus on this earth, display cultural relevance, and de-Christianize God’s people.[10] The Gettys and Sovereign Grace musicians seek to write theocentric, timeless, and singable hymns instead of these modern worship songs.[11] Keith and Kristyn Getty have written well-known hymns such as “In Christ Alone” and “The Power of the Cross” while Bob Kauflin has written “O Great God” and “How Great.” The Gettys and Sovereign Grace Music write their music in a blended traditional and contemporary style to make their worship music output accessible to all kinds of churches.[12] Perhaps churches worldwide, regardless of denominational lines, sing these hymns due to their eclecticism and greater theological depth. However, some churches and individuals are cautious about adopting these hymns. The caution refers to matters of association, doctrine, and musical style.

The Root of Musical Controversy

Musical controversy in worship has existed throughout church history and continues today. At the root of this controversy are divergent understandings of biblical worship. These include controversies over using musical instruments, choirs, and certain hymns in worship. Further, different views on the nature of worship result in diverse musical choices and methodologies. This includes musical sound (1 Cor. 14:7-17). The Bible is timeless and unchanging. While it speaks to all in every culture, God chose not to specify acceptable musical styles. This truth should encourage believers to commit to a comprehensive study of the biblical theology of music and its implications in worship.

We will develop these ideas in future posts.

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Erik Hanson holds a DMin. in Preaching and Leadership and serves as Assistant Pastor at Stanfordville Baptist Church in Hallstead, PA.

Photo by Alexander Londoño on Unsplash

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[1] Calvin R. Stapert, A New Song for an Old World: Musical Thought in the Early Church (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2007), 137.

[2] Geoffrey Wainwright and Karen B. Westerfield Tucker, eds, The Oxford History of Christian Worship (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006), 775.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Paul Westermeyer, Te Deum: The Church and Music (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 1998), 264-267.

[5] Ibid., 265.

[6] John M. Frame, Contemporary Worship Music: A Biblical Defense (Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1997), 1.

[7] Harold Best, Music Through The Eyes of Faith (San Francisco, CA: HarperOne, 1993), 42.

[8] Randall Stephens, The Devil’s Music: How Christians Inspired, Condemned, and Embrace Rock ‘n’ Roll (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2018), 246.

[9] Donald P. Hustad, True Worship: Reclaiming the Wonder and Majesty (Wheaton, IL: Hope Publishing Company, 1998), 178.

[10] Leah MarieAnn Klett, “Keith Getty: Modern worship mov’t is ‘utterly dangerous,’ causing ‘de-Christianizing of God’s people,’” accessed September 2, 2022.

[11] Bob Kauflin, “Where Do Sovereign Grace Songs Come From?” accessed September 3, 2022.

[12] Joan Huyser-Honig, “Keith Getty on Writing Hymns for the Church Universal,” accessed April 22, 2025.