THE ENDLESS SONG
MUSIC AND WORSHIP IN THE CHURCH
BY: KENNETH W. OSBECK
CHAPTER 7
THE SONG RESTORED:
THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear…
-Psalm 46:1, 2
The Renaissance – Reformation Period (Pages 68-69)
The Reformation occurred simultaneously with the Renaissance, and extended from A.D> 1400 to 1600. The word “renaissance” literally means “rebirth.” This was an awakening and flowering of culture, the arts, and learning such as the world had never before experienced.
The philosophy of the Renaissance was a kind of religious humanism – a spirit of individualism, self-confidence, and optimism. They also taught that a person should use his intellect and energies to make himself the master of his environment.
Outstanding artists of the Renaissance were: Leonardo da Vinci of Italy; Michelangelo of Italy; Raphael of Italy; Titian, Italian/Venetian; Albrecht Durer of Germany; Jon Van Eyck of Belgium; El Greco of Spain.
These artists wanted to use the visual arts to depict beauty for its own sake, not merely as teaching aids for the church. In many of these countries, the concern was not only for a rebirth of culture and the arts, but also the need for a reformed church. This concern resulted in the 16th century Protestant Reformation Movement.
Martin Luther (1483-1546) – [Pages 69-70]
Perhaps the most important day in Protestant history was October 31, 1517. On that date a concerned Augustinian monk, Martin Luther, made his way to the doors of the Cathedral of Wittenberg, Germany and posted his famous 95 theses (complaints) against the teachings and
practices of the medieval Roman Church. In 1520, Pope Leo X issued a Papal Bull condemning the 95 Theses, and Luther burned it. During the years 1521-34, Luther translated the entire Bible into the German language. In 1524, he published the first protestant hymnal, which contained eight hymns, four of them by Luther.
Basic Tenets of Evangelical Protestantism (Page 70)
The Protestant Reformation movement was built on three main tenets:
1. The re-establishment of the Scriptures as sole and ultimate authority for all Christian doctrine and practice.
2. Clarifying the means of salvation. The reformers taught that persons are made right with God through a personal response of faith to Christ’s finished word, justification by faith alone, and not through the seven sacraments of the church or by one’s good works.
3. The restoration of congregational singing. Church leaders had decreed that if laymen were not to interpret the Scriptures for themselves, then they also were not to sing the songs of the church. The praises of the lay people became the musical foundation for Protestant worship. In addition, the reformers believed that every Christian, regardless of his vocation, is called to be a personal representative for God.
“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
The primary vehicle for popularizing the Reformation was the hymn by Martin Luther referred to earlier, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”
It is a paraphrase of Luther’s favorite psalm, the 46th. Luther saw congregational singing as one of the best ways to achieve his spiritual purposes.
Martin Luther encouraged congregational singing (thus restoring the church’s true song), and he followed Roman Catholic tradition by using the choir in the church service.
Luther had a high regard for the ministry of music. He wrote:
“Next to the preaching of the Scriptures, I afford music the highest place in the church. I want the Word of God to dwell in the hearts of believers by means of songs.
There is a root-like unity of music and theology. Music is wrapped and locked in theology. l
I would allow no man to preach or teach God’s people who do not realize the power and use of sacred music.
John Calvin (1509-1564) [Page 72]
He banned all choral music in the church. He removed the stained glass windows, statues, and icons in the St. Peter’s church building. The pulpit and Bible were moved to the forefront of the chancel, symbolizing that the reading and preaching of the Scripture were the focal points of worship, not the altar.
The Anglican Church in England taught that worship was to be congregational, not sacerdotal.
Other Concerned Groups:
Though the Separatist Movement contributed to the cause of Christ, the actions of the more radical factions within this movement will always be a dark blight on church history. Because of the fervent reaction of this group to any semblance of a liturgical church, ancient cathedrals were demolished, stained glass windows broken, artistic ornaments torn down, libraries ransacked, and church organs were destroyed.
16th Century Catholicism (Pages 73-74)
One of the primary missions of the Catholic church during the early 16th century was the completion of two magnificent structures within the Vatican City, St. Peter’s Church and the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel, the private chapel of the Pope late called the “exquisite jewel of the Renaissance,” was completed in 1481.
Michelangelo painted on the ceiling of this lovely structure nine panels representing the chief events in the story of man’s redemption, including the popular “The Creation of Man-Adam.”
