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Music and Worship
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How the Bible can be Relevant in all Languages and Cultures
Authors: Harriet Hill, Margaret Hill
Published by: Piquant
"Clear, simple and readable - very practical, fully supported with further reading ... exactly the kind of thing that is needed."
Chris Wright, Langham Partnership
A tried and tested resource that encourages meaningful Bible use in multi-lingual contexts through both written and oral media. [more...]
Advocacy for SE | Bible Reading | Churches | Music and Worship | Bible Study | Change Dynamics | Children and Youth | Drama | Bible Storying | Marketing and Distribution | Bible Preaching | Workshops | Meditation and Prayer | Research Tools | Trauma Healing | Memorising Scripture | HIV-AIDS | Bible Translation | Literacy | Language Issues | Culture and Contextualisation | Books
Communicating effectively to non-readers
Author: Rick Brown
Published by: International Journal of Frontier Missions (21.4 Winter 2004)
In seeking to free ourselves from the biases of a print-oriented culture, we need to consider, not only the kinds of media and discourse genre (e.g. narrative) that are most appropriate for oral cultures, but also the most effective ways to use those genres and media. What do non-readers like to see and hear? What do they enjoy listening to? Their choices will not necessarily be the same as those of print communicators. If the styles of presentation are ones which oral communicators prefer, then they will be more likely to listen, to understand, and to remember what they hear.
In this paper, Rick Brown argues that oral cultures have their own preferences for ways to communicate truth, and that these are often different from what print-oriented people prefer. In order to share the message most effectively, we need to find out what media and methods work best for them. In most cases this will include a multi-media approach with an emphasis on memorizing the Scriptures with the aid of high-quality recordings from skilled actors or voicers. [more...]
Link: Article on IJFM website
Author: Eunice Pike
...to ensure the Mazatecs understood a bit of doctrine, we needed to put it in a hymn.
The concept of “limited good” means there is only so much good (including knowledge and love) to go around, so someone’s advantage implies someone else’s disadvantage.
The Mazatecs of Mexico hold this belief. One result is that they are reluctant to teach people directly for fear they will lose their own knowledge, so all teaching is indirect. This article looks at how this affects the spread of Christianity, and the important role missionaries, hymns, gospel recordings and mother-tongue Scriptures have in spreading the gospel. It also outlines Scriptures that speak of God’s unlimited goodness and kindness. [more...]
Author: Mary E Saurman
"Learning takes place when the activity is (1) receptor-oriented, (2) context-oriented, (3) repetitive, and (4) participatory… Indigenous music embraces all four of these learning components. Not only are the words in the people’s spoken language, but the music is also in their traditional music system."
Research shows that music is an effective tool for memorisation. Mary Saurman describes what is needed for effective instruction and shows how music meets many of these requirements: it is receptor-orientated, uses repetition, is participatory, and has intrinsic motivation because it is a part of people’s culture. She offers examples of how music has enhanced literacy programs across the world. Finally she outlines several steps to incorporating music into a literacy program: consider music’s function in the community; ask questions of when it’s used; what it’s used for and who uses it; then consider which song categories and styles are appropriate for literacy; and finally begin to use it! [more...]
Author: Glenn Stallsmith
The changes necessary for worldview transformation can only be undertaken in culturally appropriate ways if the Christian community itself is in charge of the change process.
This article reports on a Worldview Scripture Use Workshop held in the Philippines which aimed to work out real-life problems found in the cultures of the participants. The workshop followed an approach of discovering rather than telling, in which participants evaluated their own culture in light of biblical truth. [more...]
 | Monday 20 August - Friday 14 September, 2012 The Wycliffe Centre, Horsleys Green, High Wycombe, UK Sponsor: European Training Programme |
This course comprises a number of short intensive modules, the availability of which varies from year to year depending on instructors. The modules that may be offered are:
- Research Methods for Performing Arts
- Applied Cultural Arts
- Audio Techniques for Field Workers
- Analysis of Music (Non-western)
'Arts' will encompass music (primarily songs or chants with communicative text); musical instruments; drama/ theatre; dance; and oral arts (story telling, poetics and proverbs). Visual arts (painting, sculpture) will also be discussed.
These modules are designed to help students with prior training/experience in an aspect of creative arts to develop a comprehensive approach to faith-based ministry using music and/or arts. They can be taken by anyone interested in using EthnoArts with any agency. [more...]
 | GIAL, Dallas, Texas, USA Sponsor: Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics |
Courses on ethnomusicology and arts include:
- Audio and Video Techniques for Fieldworkers
- Research Methods for Performing Arts
- Expressive Form Analysis
- Song Transcription and Analysis
- Applied Arts
Video: Sparking Creativity
"Because of these songs many are hearing the good news for the first time in their language... These songs, full of God's Word will not return void."
This video highlights the role of ethnomusicology in running Scripture song writing workshops. [more...]
Author: John D Wilson
Published by: PapuaWeb
"The occasion in Yali culture which became the natural opportunity for initial and continued transmission of Scripture — basically in the form of Bible stories — was in the evening hours which traditionally were given to nunung and dindil ale story telling. Here was a time when the community was used to gathering, and ready and eager to hear a new story."
This paper highlights some of the assumptions about Scripture that can limit or hinder its communication in an oral culture. The author examines orality (as opposed to non-literacy) with a view to demonstrating the capacity and capability of oral media (stories and songs) for the effective transmission of Scripture. [more...]
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
Sponsor: Liberty University, Music in World Cultures
Music In World Cultures (MIWC) developed the graduate program in ethnomusicology at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. This new degree—a Master of Arts in Worship Studies (Ethnomusicology)—is housed at Liberty’s Center for Worship
Ethnomusicology is the study of music, in particular worship, in the context of culture. This degree prepares musicians to serve as missionaries focused on establishing worship programs specific to the culture and people of a particular nation.
