BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL UNDERPINNINGS

Document

Presented to the Doctor LeAnn Snow Flesher

From

American Baptist Seminary of the West

In partial compliance with the requirements of the course

DM6031 Critical Interpretation Proyect Development 1

Andrés Felipe Machado Sánchez

Th. M., Bogotá, Colombia - Pontificia Universidad Javeriana

23 November 2012
 TABLE OF CONTENT

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1

CHAPTER 1. THEOLOGICAL UNDERPINNINGS ........................................................... 2

1.1. CONTEXTUAL THEOLOGY. ………………………………………………………...3

1.2. TRANSCENDENTAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL METHOD..………………………....5

1.3. AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE…………………………………………………………...5

CHAPTER 2. BIBLICAL UNDERPINNINGS ..................................................................... 7

2.1. RELATIONSHIP OF SEPARATION PLACEMENT AND REST WITH WORSHIP IN

JOHN 4:24………………………………………………………………………………….10

2.1.1. Separation: it is related to the truth of God. …………………………………………..10

2.1.2. Placement: God is Spirit……………………………………………………………...11

2.1.3. Peace: Spiritual encounter with God…………………………………………………12

2.2. OTHER IMPORTANT BIBLICAL TEXTS…………………………………………..13

BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................... 15
 INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this paper is to expose the Biblical and theological foundations of the research

that will take place in the Doctor of Ministry Program.

When it comes to the theme of music that is interpreted in the meetings of the Christian

churches, there are great differences between the liturgical, traditional and historical churches

and the contemporary churches. Music varies considerably depending not only on the church

but also on the generation that gets involved in it. Differences can bring divisions and can

even generate acceptance and rejection depending on people's particular musical taste. In

order to be able to define the correct way of using music, it will be necessary to establish a

foundation that allows us to observe the central purpose of music in the church, that is to say,

worship. Worship is the common axis that every church possesses and Christian music

revolves around it, therefore, the problem between musical differences can have an outlet

when music is observed from the perspective of worship and not that of differences of styles

or musical rhythms. But to be able to speak of the foundations of worship, it will be necessary

to establish also the foundations that help us to better understand worship both from a biblical

and theological point of view.

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 BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL UNDERPINNINGS

The present paper will present the Biblical and theological foundations for the research that

is intended to develop on the theme of music as an instrument of expression of worship, and

the gaps that exist between the old and the new generations In relation to music in the church.

CHAPTER 1: THEOLOGICAL UNDERPINNINGS

The establishment of the problem of this research has been defined as follows: Scientific

analysis of the positive impact of the artistic musical manifestation for the new generation

could facilitate dialogue between the traditionalist and the new generation.

The theme of music and its relationship with worship and, in turn, the music used by

traditional generations and the new generations, is important for its direct relationship with

life in community, with the experience lived in worship, and even with evangelization.

When theology is perceived as irrelevant—it is indeed irrelevant. The issues about the music

and worship is relevant because of the importance that most of the Christian and even non-

Christian people gives to the music, not only on the church but on their daily life. “Many

times, a song can touch people in a way that cannot do a sermon, because in effect music and

singing have the power to potentiate the meaning of words. Music crosses intellectual

barriers and carries the message directly to the heart... Aristotle said: Music has the power to

form character”.1

1
Rick Warren, Una Iglesia con propósito, (Miami, Editorial Vida, 1998) pg 287-288.

2
1.1. CONTEXTUAL THEOLOGY.

Given that we are going to address the gap that exists in the musical styles of the traditional

generations and the new generations in the church, it is necessary to deal with the theme of

musical expression in Christian celebrations taking into account the anthropological process

of the religious experience, the foundations of worship that are contained in the tradition, the

meaning and value of music for the expression of human feelings and the relationship

between worship and culture, since the same music contains cultural elements, both in

traditional generations as in the new generations.

For that reason, the most appropriate theology for the project is contextual theology.

Contextual theology takes into account faith experience of the past (scripture/tradition) and

the present (individual & contemporary collective experience)

“Contextual theology is a way of doing theology that takes into account (or we could

say puts in a mutually dialogue) two realities. The first of this is the experience of the

past, recorded in Scripture and preserved and defended in the church’s tradition. The

second is the experience of the present or a particular context, wich consists of one or

more of at least four elements: personal or communal experience, “secular” or

“religious” culture, social location, and social change”. 2

2
Bevans, Stephen & Katalina Tahaafe-Williams, eds. Contextual Theology for the 21st Century. (Eugene:
Wipf & Stock, 2011) pg 9.

3
So that we can call "contextual" theology, there needs to be a focus on experience, that is to

say, “It is the honoring or testing or critiquing of experience that makes theology

contextual”.3 In the same way, contextual theology has emphasized the importance of

tradition and of Scripture as the primary sources of experience in the evolution of history,

because tradition and writing are records of the experience that someone else has had in the

past. Similarly, we cannot delink our current experience of conversion with tradition and

scripture, because when we read these stories today they make us have an experience that

happens in our here and now, and that are inevitably linked to a culture and to a specific

situation we live in.

“This is why I strongly believe that even though Scripture and tradition are our great

sources for theology as well as for norms for theology's fidelity to the gospel, our

present experience, our context, needs to be regarded as equal to them both.”4

In this project it will be necessary to define the category experience both anthropological and

religious level, because all experience occurs in the field of human consciousness. Therefore,

if we want to talk about the religious experience mediated by an aesthetic-musical

experience, with the purpose of observing what happens in the phenomenon of community

worship through music, we must analyze that both experiences have something in Common

because it happens in human consciousness.

3
Ibid, Pg 9.
4
Ibid, pg, 10.

4
1.2. TRANSCENDENTAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL METHOD.

To define the religious experience category we will use the transcendental anthropological

method of Bernard Lonergan, who spoke about the operations of experiencing, understanding

and judging, evaluating and deciding, and acting and loving, which correspond to the four

differentiated levels of consciousness, evidencing the ability of the human being to self-

transcend.

Bernard Lonergan has defined religious experience as the experience of being in love with

God without conditions or reservations, thanks to conversion and repentance, although the

person who experiences it does not yet know the terms of that love. The result of this state

of being in love with God without conditions or reservations is expressed through the word,

which enables the formation of a religious community, and which in turn contains the

meanings and values that give meaning to the tradition. All this because in the music and in

the song is present the word, that expresses the content of the faith that has a given

community. The word has a meaning in its relation with the aesthetic-musical experience and

with the religious experience.

All this analysis that will be addressed will take into account the meaning of the word

community, since it is in the community where the experiences of the religious and aesthetic

musical experience occur, especially in the time of the worship by means of the music.

1.3. AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE

To define the category aesthetic experience we will use some concepts of Susanne Langer,

especially the theme about the analysis of music and singing from the point of view of human

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interiority and beauty, with the purpose of establishing a link between worship and musical

expression.

As for the aesthetic experience, we are interested to see how the music itself has a

significance, not only at the linguistic level, but also at the level of the perception of sounds.

This means that music can have a symbolic character and the ability to express human

feelings. Therefore, music has the capacity to express meanings that go far beyond mere

verbal expression, because musical expression can potentiate the meaning of words and

deepen the experience of God through worship.

When there is a symbiosis between music and words, the meaning of words is enriched and

therefore new manifestations of religious experience are evoked. Therefore, when a certain

style of music or song is used, new meanings are created from the word that is sung, and this

enables a better understanding of the meaning and value of what a certain community is

experiencing through its expression Musical artistic in community worship. For this reason,

when elements can be established that allow us to know the meaning and value of a certain

artistic musical expression, it is possible to determine whether this significance can be

interconnected with tradition and with the Scriptures, in such a way that enrich and deepen

the religious experience.

Both experiences, aesthetic-musical and religious, complement and enrich each other

producing new manifestations and expressions of the meaning of being in love with God

without conditions or reservations, within the Christian tradition, as they enrich the

experience of prayer and communion with God.

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The knowledge of the meaning of the musical aesthetic experience and the religious

experience will allow us to establish points of contact between the music of the new

generations and the traditional music of the old generations, and to determine if there is a

Connection with tradition and writing.

CHAPTER 2. BIBLICAL UNDERPINNINGS

The method that we will use for the interpretation of our biblical passage, related mainly to

the worship category, will be the SPR (separation, placement and rest). “The SPR method

has been developed by the Dr. Eun Suk Cho, who decided to study the Bible focused on the

canon following the teachings of his teacher Childs. The ideas for the SPR methodology

arose in order to study the dynamics presented by the biblical text from the Creation”.5 The

SPR method does not rest only on the Genesis accounts but on the development of the whole

Pentateuch, as Dr. Cho himself clarifies:

“The method SPR was first found in the Pentateuch within the context of the dynamic

inter-actions between the Creation and the Exodus, designated by a formula of C//E.”6

It can also be said that the“SPR is applicable with the dynamics of the Creation and the

Exodus in the equalization formula: SPRx + C//E = A. Here, we have x that may be identified

with anyone reading the Bible in his or her context. To sum, SPR is a theology that can be

5
Hector Hernán Molano Cortés, To teach SPR as a new reading of the book of Micah that encourages peace
in Colombia: case studies in the Reformed Theological Seminary and the suburb of Palmito, (Charleston, SC:
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 8, 2018), pg, 66.
6
Eun Suk Cho, SPRiNG the Bible 0: What is SPR? (Create Space Independent Publishing Platform,
2017), pg. 108.

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applied to all the contexts of the readers.”7 Precisely in this lies the importance of the SPR

method in biblical interpretation, because it can be applied to any context or culture. For that

reason, the method serves as a basis for defining the meaning of the worship category

regardless of the contexts of the readers, even if it is people who belong to the old or new

generations.

The SPR method show how can we found in the Scripture that God wants to separate, place

and give rest for us. The Worship happens when it is possible to separate people and bring

them to a place where they can worship and experience the rest of the presence of the Lord

according to His promises.

What does the method of separation, placement and rest have to do with the dialogue between

tradition and new generations about the type of music used for worship? We can say that the

hermeneutical method SPR can be taken as a reference to analyze the authenticity of

Christian worship. In the same way that we can see how separation, location and rest are

present from the Old Testament and in the dynamic between creation and exodus, we can say

that there can be no adoration without a previous separation, which corresponds to an initial

call to be part of the family of faith. Followed by this separation is given place to a placement,

which has to do with the identity that we receive as a result of the call of God, and with the

development of our Christian life through communion with one another in the church. And

finally, we get spiritual rest as a result of our knowledge and worship of God.

The worship then, is part of the process that develops in the SPR method, and is the place

where the expression occurs through singing and music in Christian services. The SPR

7
Ibid, pg, 109.

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method becomes a fundamental scheme for analyzing the authenticity of worship, since it

orients the relation of worship with the process of God of separation, placement and rest by

means of its revelation, from the dynamics between creation and Exodus, that is, between the

initial call and the knowledge of its revelation, to take us through his presence and wisdom

through our pilgrimage through this world. In other words, there can be no authentic

separation, placement and rest except through the action of God's revelation, in the same

way that authentic worship cannot exist if it is not interconnected with the revelation of God

through his word. For this reason, music as an expression of worship and praise to God must

be based on God's revelation, and especially with the process of separation, placement and

rest regardless of the musical style that is used to carry out this expression. This means that

it is not the musical style that determines the authenticity of the expression of worship, but

the relationship and interconnection of that expression with the location and rest separation

that the worshiper experiences.

The present project has its biblical foundation based on Jesus' definition of true worship in

the Gospel of John in the New Testament, especially in the call that Jesus makes us to

become worshipers in spirit and truth.

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:24

NIV

However, what does that statement have to do with the Exodus account? The concept of the

Exodus is related to the worship that occurs after the liberation from slavery. In the Exodus,

liberation corresponded to the freedom of oppression that Egypt exercised over the people of

Israel: “…The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go,

so that they may worship me in the wilderness…” Exodus 7:16 NIV. Now, in this time,

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liberation corresponds to the freedom that brings the truth of God, that is, the liberation that

occurs through born again through the revelation of the truth of God in the hearts of men.

Such spiritual deliverance occurs, as Jesus said, knowing the truth: Then you will know the

truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 NIV.

2.1. RELATIONSHIP OF SEPARATION PLACEMENT AND REST WITH

WORSHIP IN JOHN 4:24.

2.1.1. Separation: it is related to the truth of God

It is precisely the truth that produces a transformation in the life of the believer and this

transformation produces a distancing with the antivalues of the culture in which one lives.

For this reason, genuine adoration is part of the transformation produced by the revelation of

the word of God in the heart of man. Jesus said: “You are already clean because of the word

I have spoken to you”. Jhon 15:3 NIV. The transformation that Christian conversion produces

gives us a sense of exclusivity, that is, a sense of being separated by the truth that is Christ

himself.

Worship in truth is related to the content of faith, therefore, an authentic worshipper must be

deeply embraced in the revelation of God in Jesus Christ, and it is precisely that revelation

that inspires him to worship and express all that has lived inside. A worshiper expresses with

his words the meaning of what God has done in his life in a coherent and rational way,

because he now understands the meaning and value of his experience because he has received

the liberating truth of God through his word, and he is increasingly conscious and able to

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give a reason for what has happened in his life and in his reasoning after having believed and

experienced the love of God in his heart.

The truth of God then, has to do with the content of worship, specifically with the lyrics of

songs that are interpreted in Christian services and in general with the meaning and value of

music in the church. This means that in order to determine whether or not worship is

authentic, it must be rooted in the truth of God, which has been transmitted to us through the

biblical tradition. This tradition at the same time is a tradition that dialogues with the culture

in which it is transmitted, and for that reason, it happens that music for the church must be

connected with the truth and the biblical tradition at the same time that it is developed in the

middle of a determined culture that can undergo various changes in different generations.

2.1.2. Placement: God is Spirit.

Worship is produced thanks to the dynamic state of being in love with God without conditions

or reservations. This state brings us to the very presence of God, where we express all our

need, our praise and worship and all our gratitude.

The placement according to the story of Jesus with the Samaritan woman is no longer subject

to any geographical location, nor to any temple because now Jesus reveals to us that true

worship is done in spirit, therefore the place is not physical but spiritual, and corresponds to

the spiritual encounter with God.

"Genuine worship does not consist in going to a certain place, nor in carrying out a

certain ritual or a certain liturgy, nor in offering certain gifts. The true worship is

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 when the spirit, the invisible and immortal portion of the person, meets God and

speaks with the one who is invisible and immortal”.8

2.1.3. Peace: Spiritual encounter with God.

That spiritual encounter with God leads us to a place that produces peace in two senses: inner

peace and peace in the dynamics of relationships, and all this occurs in the state of worship

and in the act of worship. When we refer to the state of worship we are referring to the

dynamic that transforms our whole being and relationships, that is, to the community life that

emerges from the dynamic state of being in love with God without conditions or reservations;

When we refer to the act of worship we refer to the specific actions by which we express our

worship. One of these acts of worship occurs in the Christian liturgy, specifically when we

sing, when we interpret an instrument, when we make a reading of the word of God, when

through language we express thanksgiving to God or when we speak to someone else of our

renewing experience with God. When we express our worship to God through song and

music, we can experience the peace of God through the spiritual action of God in the heart

of the worshiper. A person who adores through singing and music can deepen their

relationship with God because music and singing as a means of expression, has the ability to

potentiate the meaning of words. Music itself has a meaning and singing helps to strengthen

the meaning of what is sung and for that reason is intimately connected with the revelation

of God. With this in mind we can establish a point of contact for worship regardless of the

musical rhythms that both new and old generations can use in the liturgy of the church.

8
William Barklay, Comentario al Nuevo Testamento Volumen 5. Juan I, (Clie 2012,) pg. 70.

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2.2. OTHER IMPORTANT BIBLICAL TEXTS

This research will be focused especially on the New Testament, and specifically on the

dialogue of Jesus with the Samaritan woman, since it corresponds to the beginning of the

worship in the era of grace. It is evident that in the OT the instrumental music for the

adoration in the temple is much more present, nevertheless we can find several passages that

explicitly make reference to the neo-testamentary song.

Jesus himself participated in the song with his disciples just before being captured:

“And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives” Matthew

26:30. (KJV)

This means that the music, in this case the song acapella, was present in the adoration that

Jesus himself had raised to God.

We also find an exhortation from the apostle Paul concerning the worship that a Christian

must raise when he says:

“speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and

make music from your heart to the Lord” Ephesians 5:19 (NIV)

In this passage we find that within the liturgical culture of the early church was singing

psalms, hymns and spiritual chants. Therefore, it can be said that music was present in the

church in the form of congregational singing and even individual singing as part of the

spirituality to be developed.

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Other important texts to affirm the centrality of worship we find in the Book of Revelation,

where we can see that the consummation of everything happens in a place full of

thanksgivings and praises by means of singing.

“And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open

its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons

from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a

kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign[a] on the earth.” Then I

looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands,

and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living

creatures and the elders”. Rev. 5:9-11.

“and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb: Great and marvelous

are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations.

Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy.

All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been

revealed”. Rev. 15:3-4.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Andrés Felipe Machado Sanchez, “Significado Y Valor De La Expresión Musical, En La

Celebración Cristiana De La Fe, A Partir De Su Relación Con La Experiencia Religiosa”
(Th, Mg diss., Pontificia Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá)

Bernard Lonergan, Método en Teología, (Salamanca: Sígueme, 1988)

Bevans, Stephen & Katalina Tahaafe-Williams, eds. Contextual Theology for the 21st
Century. (Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2011)

Eun Suk Cho, SPRiNG the Bible 0: What is SPR? (Create Space Independent Publishing
Platform, 2017)

Hector Hernán Molano Cortés, To teach SPR as a new reading of the book of Micah that
encourages peace in Colombia: case studies in the Reformed Theological Seminary and the
suburb of Palmito, (Charleston, SC: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 8, 2018)

Rick Warren, Una Iglesia con propósito, (Miami, Editorial Vida, 1998)

William Barklay, Comentario al Nuevo Testamento Volumen 5. Juan I, (Barcelona, Clie

2012)

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