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Engaging Culture
Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music
Even fallen humans compose beautiful symphonies, music that touches emotions as nothing else can. Resounding Truth shows Christians how to uncover the Gospel message found in the many melodies that surround us. Theologian and musician Jeremy Begbie believes our divinely-inspired imagination reveals opportunity for sincere, heartfelt praise.
With practical examples, lucid explanations, and an accessible bibliography, this book will help music lovers discover how God's diversity shines through sound. Begbie helps readers see the Master of Song and experience the harmony of heavenly hope.
With practical examples, lucid explanations, and an accessible bibliography, this book will help music lovers discover how God's diversity shines through sound. Begbie helps readers see the Master of Song and experience the harmony of heavenly hope.
414 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2007
40 people are currently reading
350 people want to read
About the author
Jeremy S. Begbie
20 books33 followersDr Jeremy Begbie is Thomas A. Langford Distinguished Research Professor of Theology at Duke Divinity School, Duke University, where he directs Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts. His primary research interest is the correlation between theology and the arts, in particular the interplay between music and theology. he is also an Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Music at the University of Cambridge.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 26, 2020
This is not an easy read and should really be approach from an educational standpoint, at least as far as how you're trying to digest the information. Because that's the thing - this is information, and a lot of it. It's far too easy to zone out and not really take it in, but there is a lot that is so worth it here. The connections Begbie makes between music and faith are really quite impressive and may even be worth a more in-depth study to properly understand.
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"There have been cultures without counting, cultures without painting, cultures bereft of the wheel or written word, but never a culture without music." (quoting John D. Barrow)
"Indeed, we can be more positive: it is just because we are oriented to this particular God who desires things and people to flourish in their own integrity (including musical sounds) that we will long to give "room" to activities of making and hearing music. We can dare to go further: ultimately, it is only as we are reconciled by the Spirit to this God - a God who makes possible the flourishing of the world in all its particularity and diversity - that we will be able to honor the integrity of music properly."
"As Nicholas Cook expresses it, "Music doesn't just happen, it is what we make it, and what we make of it. People think through music, decide who they are through it, express themselves through it. ... It is less a 'something' than a way of knowing the world, a way of being ourselves.""
"Art reminds us that in fact the world always exceeds our grasp and perception."
"Before anything else, music pulls us into its own sound patterns, its enticing sonic games, its riffs and cadences, its polyphony and appoggiaturas. This is the secret of its power and the pleasure it affords."
"Musical sound patterns get related to a whole range of things that make up the context of our hearing them. Music makes very quick and very close friends with whatever happens to be around."
"..."belongs to the basic potential which the creator gave to his creatures and which they are oliged to advance and cultivate." (quoting Claus Westermann)
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of you Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col. 3:16-17)"
"We are like a chorus grouped around a conductor who allow their attention to be distracted by the audience. If, however, they were to turn toward their conductor, they would sing as they should and would really be with him. We are always around the One. If we were not, we would dissolve and cease to exist. Yet our gaze does not remain fixed upon the One. When we look at it, we then attain the end of our desires and find rest. Then it is that, all discord past, we dace an inspired dance around it." (quoting Plotinus)
"When turned into song, Psalms take on a quality that greatly strengthens communical prayer and praise; the texts are grasped with a heightened intensity, the conjunction of word and music linking mind and emotion in an especially potent way. ... Calvin's overarching practical interest, we should not forget, is in building up the church: through saying, "the hearts of all my be aroused and stimulated to make similar prayers and to render similar praises and thanks to God with a common love.""
"Why such a concentration on the Psalms? Because they are the words God gave us to praise him, and nothing can moderate music more effectively - nothing can better curb sin's power."
"Hart points to the way in which we are made to hear diversity as intrinsic to unity."
"Mozart heard the harmony of creation in which "the shadow is not darkness, deficiency is not defeat, sadness cannot become despair, trouble cannot degenerate into tragedy and infinite melancholy is not ultimately forced to claim undisputed sway." ... But Mozart heard even this negative only in and with the positive: in his music, creation praises God in its very limits, in its finitude, and in that way it demonstrates authentic praise."
"Messiaen speaks of the "insuperable obstacle" he faced: how to experience the truth of eternity while still being bound by the world's time. He came to believe that music could indeed offer a taste of life with God in this world's time and thus prepare us for eternity."
"By imagination here I am speaking of the ability to perceive connections between things that are not spelled out, not immediately apparent on the surface, as well as between what we see now in the present and what we could or will see in the future. First and foremost, imagination of this sort should be applied to our reading of Scripture. We need to live inside the world of these texts and inhabit them so deeply that we begin to recognize links, lines of association, and webs of meaning that may not always be laid our explicitly or at any length but that nevertheless give Scripture its coherence, contours, and overall directions."
"Here we need only underline that the most basic response of the Christian toward music will be gratitude. This does not mean giving unqualified thanks for every bit of music we hear, but it will mean being thankful for the very possibility of music. It will mean regularly allowing a piece of music to stop us in our tracks and make us grateful that there is a world where music can occur, that there is a reality we call "matter" that oscillates and resonates, that there is sound, that there is rhythm built into the fabric of the world, that there is the miracle of the human body, which can receive and process sequences of tones. For from all this and through all this, the marvel of music if born. None of it had to come into being. But it has, for the glory of God and for our flourishing. Gaining a Christian mind on music means learning the glad habit of thanksgiving."
"...there is always hope if we live on more than one level. The God of Jewish and Christian faith moves not just in mysterious ways but in mysterious waves. This God invites people to live on more than one level; that is how God keeps them hoping, keeps them in his story."
"Paul urges his hearers to imagine a higher "wave," to have hope all the more, for more - for a final fulfillment of that first promise made to Abraham, when all the nations of the earth will be gathered into one multi-ethnic community of Jew and Gentile in the new creation. ... Tune into the upper waves of what God is doing, and you will see the grand multileveled sweep of God' purposes for both Jew and Gentile and get caught up in its life-changing momentum."
"What could be more apt than to speak of the Trinity as a three-note chord, a resonance of life; Father, Son, and Spirit mutually indwelling, without mutual exclusion, and yet without merger, each occupying the same space, "sounding through" one another, yet irreducibly distinct, reciprocally enhancing, and establishing one another as other?"
-----
"There have been cultures without counting, cultures without painting, cultures bereft of the wheel or written word, but never a culture without music." (quoting John D. Barrow)
"Indeed, we can be more positive: it is just because we are oriented to this particular God who desires things and people to flourish in their own integrity (including musical sounds) that we will long to give "room" to activities of making and hearing music. We can dare to go further: ultimately, it is only as we are reconciled by the Spirit to this God - a God who makes possible the flourishing of the world in all its particularity and diversity - that we will be able to honor the integrity of music properly."
"As Nicholas Cook expresses it, "Music doesn't just happen, it is what we make it, and what we make of it. People think through music, decide who they are through it, express themselves through it. ... It is less a 'something' than a way of knowing the world, a way of being ourselves.""
"Art reminds us that in fact the world always exceeds our grasp and perception."
"Before anything else, music pulls us into its own sound patterns, its enticing sonic games, its riffs and cadences, its polyphony and appoggiaturas. This is the secret of its power and the pleasure it affords."
"Musical sound patterns get related to a whole range of things that make up the context of our hearing them. Music makes very quick and very close friends with whatever happens to be around."
"..."belongs to the basic potential which the creator gave to his creatures and which they are oliged to advance and cultivate." (quoting Claus Westermann)
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of you Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col. 3:16-17)"
"We are like a chorus grouped around a conductor who allow their attention to be distracted by the audience. If, however, they were to turn toward their conductor, they would sing as they should and would really be with him. We are always around the One. If we were not, we would dissolve and cease to exist. Yet our gaze does not remain fixed upon the One. When we look at it, we then attain the end of our desires and find rest. Then it is that, all discord past, we dace an inspired dance around it." (quoting Plotinus)
"When turned into song, Psalms take on a quality that greatly strengthens communical prayer and praise; the texts are grasped with a heightened intensity, the conjunction of word and music linking mind and emotion in an especially potent way. ... Calvin's overarching practical interest, we should not forget, is in building up the church: through saying, "the hearts of all my be aroused and stimulated to make similar prayers and to render similar praises and thanks to God with a common love.""
"Why such a concentration on the Psalms? Because they are the words God gave us to praise him, and nothing can moderate music more effectively - nothing can better curb sin's power."
"Hart points to the way in which we are made to hear diversity as intrinsic to unity."
"Mozart heard the harmony of creation in which "the shadow is not darkness, deficiency is not defeat, sadness cannot become despair, trouble cannot degenerate into tragedy and infinite melancholy is not ultimately forced to claim undisputed sway." ... But Mozart heard even this negative only in and with the positive: in his music, creation praises God in its very limits, in its finitude, and in that way it demonstrates authentic praise."
"Messiaen speaks of the "insuperable obstacle" he faced: how to experience the truth of eternity while still being bound by the world's time. He came to believe that music could indeed offer a taste of life with God in this world's time and thus prepare us for eternity."
"By imagination here I am speaking of the ability to perceive connections between things that are not spelled out, not immediately apparent on the surface, as well as between what we see now in the present and what we could or will see in the future. First and foremost, imagination of this sort should be applied to our reading of Scripture. We need to live inside the world of these texts and inhabit them so deeply that we begin to recognize links, lines of association, and webs of meaning that may not always be laid our explicitly or at any length but that nevertheless give Scripture its coherence, contours, and overall directions."
"Here we need only underline that the most basic response of the Christian toward music will be gratitude. This does not mean giving unqualified thanks for every bit of music we hear, but it will mean being thankful for the very possibility of music. It will mean regularly allowing a piece of music to stop us in our tracks and make us grateful that there is a world where music can occur, that there is a reality we call "matter" that oscillates and resonates, that there is sound, that there is rhythm built into the fabric of the world, that there is the miracle of the human body, which can receive and process sequences of tones. For from all this and through all this, the marvel of music if born. None of it had to come into being. But it has, for the glory of God and for our flourishing. Gaining a Christian mind on music means learning the glad habit of thanksgiving."
"...there is always hope if we live on more than one level. The God of Jewish and Christian faith moves not just in mysterious ways but in mysterious waves. This God invites people to live on more than one level; that is how God keeps them hoping, keeps them in his story."
"Paul urges his hearers to imagine a higher "wave," to have hope all the more, for more - for a final fulfillment of that first promise made to Abraham, when all the nations of the earth will be gathered into one multi-ethnic community of Jew and Gentile in the new creation. ... Tune into the upper waves of what God is doing, and you will see the grand multileveled sweep of God' purposes for both Jew and Gentile and get caught up in its life-changing momentum."
"What could be more apt than to speak of the Trinity as a three-note chord, a resonance of life; Father, Son, and Spirit mutually indwelling, without mutual exclusion, and yet without merger, each occupying the same space, "sounding through" one another, yet irreducibly distinct, reciprocally enhancing, and establishing one another as other?"
January 25, 2020
I expected something a bit different, though I'm not sure I can quite articulate what I expected. The book was full of thought provoking ideas and beautiful insights and well worth the read.
January 27, 2021
Resounding Truth is a fantastic history and appreciation of music and its relationship with God. This focus on wisdom in the world of music reconfigures how we fix our categories and transforms how we view so many other topics. We can see the creation: time, matter, and space with new eyes through music. Jeremy demonstrates this through careful explorations of the relationship between order and chaos, harmony, dissonance, and so forth.
Begbie ultimately proffers a strong and affirmative view of music, renewing our minds by bringing us back to the Bible.
Early church fathers, figures throughout the middle ages, and many secularists today, each underappreciate the beauty and intricacies of this gift from God. They often focus inordinately on the voice and less sensual elements, mistakenly prohibiting instruments and the more affective styles, or degenerate into the crass.
This is not the story of the Bible however- Old or New Testament- and God did not merely make a concession just for the Old Testament that we might revel in the joys of harp, and lyre, and cymbals.
Music in myriad forms- plain song, instrumental music, etc- belongs as much to the New Testament and finds fulfilment in Christ. He came to fulfil the law, not abolish it.
We see this truth in the Coptic liturgy, which contains the sweet alluring sounds of cymbals and triangles at the heart of her worship. In some ways, an audible equivalent to incense.
We also see this holy goodness in some of the great composers, covered in this excellent book. Their Christian faith profoundly affected how, what, and why they composed. When most of us think of music, we fail to consider its integral nature and its relationship to our worldview. Resounding Truth serves as a vital reminder. Mangalwadi's book on the Bible is similarly helpful, in striking a fascinating contrast between Bach and Nirvana.
The 'religious' scepticism towards music, especially in its more sensual forms, can have its place by ensuring we don't make an idol of music, but it is not the whole picture, as Jeremy ably demonstrates. When rightly ordered, music; including instrumental, sensual music, can play its part in worshipping God and acknowledging the goodness of what He has made. This is part of the Gospel.
Some of what we hear in modern, largely secularist, music can remain and be recalibrated.
Jeremy reminds us that music, like time, matter, and space generally is part of God's good creation and belongs to the coming kingdom in transfigured form.
Time, sensuality, creativity, 'nature' etc will not be demolished but redeemed in Christ. He makes all things new.
This is the scriptural picture and Begbie paints it beautifully with this wise book.
This symphony of sublime meditations plays nicely with Michael Martin's excellent writings, which describe the transfiguration of the cosmos. These are the great promises of the true and living God.
Begbie ultimately proffers a strong and affirmative view of music, renewing our minds by bringing us back to the Bible.
Early church fathers, figures throughout the middle ages, and many secularists today, each underappreciate the beauty and intricacies of this gift from God. They often focus inordinately on the voice and less sensual elements, mistakenly prohibiting instruments and the more affective styles, or degenerate into the crass.
This is not the story of the Bible however- Old or New Testament- and God did not merely make a concession just for the Old Testament that we might revel in the joys of harp, and lyre, and cymbals.
Music in myriad forms- plain song, instrumental music, etc- belongs as much to the New Testament and finds fulfilment in Christ. He came to fulfil the law, not abolish it.
We see this truth in the Coptic liturgy, which contains the sweet alluring sounds of cymbals and triangles at the heart of her worship. In some ways, an audible equivalent to incense.
We also see this holy goodness in some of the great composers, covered in this excellent book. Their Christian faith profoundly affected how, what, and why they composed. When most of us think of music, we fail to consider its integral nature and its relationship to our worldview. Resounding Truth serves as a vital reminder. Mangalwadi's book on the Bible is similarly helpful, in striking a fascinating contrast between Bach and Nirvana.
The 'religious' scepticism towards music, especially in its more sensual forms, can have its place by ensuring we don't make an idol of music, but it is not the whole picture, as Jeremy ably demonstrates. When rightly ordered, music; including instrumental, sensual music, can play its part in worshipping God and acknowledging the goodness of what He has made. This is part of the Gospel.
Some of what we hear in modern, largely secularist, music can remain and be recalibrated.
Jeremy reminds us that music, like time, matter, and space generally is part of God's good creation and belongs to the coming kingdom in transfigured form.
Time, sensuality, creativity, 'nature' etc will not be demolished but redeemed in Christ. He makes all things new.
This is the scriptural picture and Begbie paints it beautifully with this wise book.
This symphony of sublime meditations plays nicely with Michael Martin's excellent writings, which describe the transfiguration of the cosmos. These are the great promises of the true and living God.
September 19, 2021
I loved this book, as it was about two subjects that I care a lot about and am greatly interested in: music and theology. The two overlap together more than I first thought and I have Jeremy Begbie to thank for helping me see that.
It’s a very scholarly book, meticulously researched and referenced, and I found it a bit tough going; at times it can feel quite dry. However as a starting point in exploring the place of music in the world in the context of Christian faith, I can’t imagine a much better book. I’ll definitely come back to this time and again as a brilliant reference for all things music and theology.
I should add it is also more than a textbook. There are chapters and passages that really inspire in the way Begbie draws out profound truths and insights about music’s power and place in the world. I loved how he writes about the role of the Holy Spirit in bringing the future into the present, and how music can be a worshipful reflection of God’s ongoing creative work through the Holy Spirit.
It’s a very scholarly book, meticulously researched and referenced, and I found it a bit tough going; at times it can feel quite dry. However as a starting point in exploring the place of music in the world in the context of Christian faith, I can’t imagine a much better book. I’ll definitely come back to this time and again as a brilliant reference for all things music and theology.
I should add it is also more than a textbook. There are chapters and passages that really inspire in the way Begbie draws out profound truths and insights about music’s power and place in the world. I loved how he writes about the role of the Holy Spirit in bringing the future into the present, and how music can be a worshipful reflection of God’s ongoing creative work through the Holy Spirit.
April 18, 2020
This book requires its reader to be 'fluent' in Scripture/theology and music. It is a struggle for this musically obtuse reader, but it is well worth the effort. However, it also reminds this reader of watching the movie A Bridge Too Far -- taking near 3 hours before hearing those words spoken. To fully appreciate it, this reader may need to re-read, but probably not for a long, long time. Advice: Read chapter 11 first, then read the whole book (including chapter 11).
November 20, 2019
A wonderful well-rounded book on the theology of music, that demonstrates originality and rigorous research. The author's imaginative engagement includes discussion of Scripture, music history (comments by theological giants on music as well as theologically-minded musicians), and contemporary culture.
November 21, 2018
The way this author writes about music is fascinating and inspiring. The last chapter was especially interesting, talking about the amazing singular (and mystic) properties of music. Lots of wonderful quotes from all sorts of sources and many different musical examples cited. Great book.
August 1, 2024
A wise and learned account of music both theoretically and historically, concluding with a meditation on music's "distinctive powers" as they relate to Christian faith and life. The first book to read on the subject.
February 5, 2019
Begbie is thoughtful, imaginative, and uncompromising as a musicologist and theologian. Strongly recommend.
June 26, 2019
lacked Biblical exegesis
August 28, 2021
Rare and thorough treatment of music both sympathetic to and biblically/historically informed. Must read for all involved in leading worship.
March 11, 2024
Helpful but very technical.
May 16, 2015
This is a very ambitious work from Professor Begbie and very broad in the topics it covers. The sections on historical theology and highlights of various Christian musicians from the past are strong. It was fun to see that I side more with Luther than Calvin when it comes to music (maybe the only area of theology where that would be the case). My frustration comes from the fact that most of the time Dr. Begbie is asking questions (many good ones) rather than giving answers. Like a lot of modern theology there are lots of "suggestions", "maybes", "possibilities", and "opportunities for further investigation" through the use of "imagination". I'd like less hedging and some more practical answers. I was very disappointed to get to the conclusion and find, "read my next book where I make application of the ideas presented." I'm not sure I trust the foundation enough to invest in the rest of the structure or in more musical terms, the opening exposition and development of his themes leave me too unsettled to wait for the recapitulation of his theo-philosophical sonata.
June 23, 2013
For a long while, finding some good Christian thinking on music was difficult. It seemed like most books out there were written by people trying to find hard and fast rules for what was good music and what was bad. (e.g. Syncopated beat = bad, regular beat = good).
Jeremy Begbie's book builds a much more interesting argument - what music might tell us about the God who made the world and the ways in which music can communicate.
Begbie is a keen musician himself and it shows, in a book that combines chapters looking at theologians talking about music and musicians talking about theology.
All in all, a fantastic reminder about the spiritual element of this thing called music which fills all of our lives to one degree or another.
I should add that it might be a bit difficult in some places if you are new to music.
Jeremy Begbie's book builds a much more interesting argument - what music might tell us about the God who made the world and the ways in which music can communicate.
Begbie is a keen musician himself and it shows, in a book that combines chapters looking at theologians talking about music and musicians talking about theology.
All in all, a fantastic reminder about the spiritual element of this thing called music which fills all of our lives to one degree or another.
I should add that it might be a bit difficult in some places if you are new to music.
January 16, 2009
This is the most thought-provoking book I have read on the subject of "what Christians should think about music". Although suitable for anyone with an interest in faith and the arts, it should be especially exciting for musicians. Finally, a book that rises above Christian squabbles about church music and gives musicians something to chew on. The author takes music as a physical part of God's created order and seeks to understand how Christ's sovereignty over creation affects the way we hear and shape the world of sound. The writing has academic integrity in its treatment of history, theology, and music theory.
When's the last time you heard someone explain the Trinity in terms of a harmonic triad? If your eyes light up at that, you might like this book.
When's the last time you heard someone explain the Trinity in terms of a harmonic triad? If your eyes light up at that, you might like this book.
June 29, 2013
Well, it took forever, but I finally finished. It was worth it. I encourage any and all of my musician colleagues to read this book.It explores how music re-sounds the message of the gospel. It's a lot of theology and a lot of musicology. The author discusses Luther, Calvin and Zwingli. He probes Schleiermacher, Barth and Bonhoffer. And he explores the music of Saint-Saens and James MacMillan. He couches a theology of music in the church within a larger theology of creation: the nature of God as Creator, the nature of God's creation and how music can participate in that ongoing theological expression. Heady stuff, but well worth it.
May 21, 2014
Great thoughts on the theology of music. Piqued my interest in quite a few composers I had not listened to before. Begbie said he originally planned to include thoughts on how to evaluate music, and the absence of such a section is indeed felt.
January 30, 2012
Very helpful overview of how to think about music.
January 26, 2013
This is a great work consisting of a careful reflection on the interface between theology and music.
March 30, 2013
Probably would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't had to read it and write a 12 page paper on it for school.
September 13, 2013
Very deep and profound. An excellent interdisciplinary piece on music, theology and nature.
Read
July 30, 2011A welcome contribution, but I did find it hard-going at times.
October 10, 2012
I liked the comparison of slurred phrases near the end.
August 6, 2014
This was very good, a mix of theological and musical reflections.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews