Bradley abstract

The faith and identity of Christian communities are formed and defined in large degree by musical forms and patterns. Music shapes and conveys theology, and is a point of engagement with broader culture. This is especially true in Free Church evangelicalism, where musical styles and have nearly replaced denominational distinctives as the demarcating lines among various groups. This essay argues that music and worship are “active theology.” Worship and its music should over time express the full range of Christian truth and form worshippers truthfully. The essay explores and catalogues principal influences and concerns pertaining to musical form, style, and content. Church musicians are encouraged to see themselves as shapers of contextual theology in their communities.