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Religions
Special Issues
Performing and Performance in Contemporary Musical Worship
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Performing and Performance in Contemporary Musical Worship

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (19 January 2023) | Viewed by 11470

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Daniel Thornton

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Arts and Business, Alphacrucis College, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
Interests: music and worship in the context of the contemporary church; pentecostal worship; popular music studies; musicology; theomusicology; online music education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Music is a performing art, whether to an unknown virtual audience through a camera, strangers walking along the street, live concertgoers in a ticketed venue, or to a group of friends and family at home. However, in the context of Christian worship, the notion of musical performance is complicated. For example, the traditional focus of secular performance is on the artist or the musical work being performed, whereas the intended focus of Christian worship is God. Furthermore, values in performance (e.g., professionalism) potentially conflict with values espoused in worship (e.g., vulnerability). Additionally, in secular performance, personal relationships between the performer(s) and audience are not necessary. Worship, on the other hand, is predicated on a relationship with God and the body of Christ. Nevertheless, musical worship in contemporary contexts maintains many of the hallmarks of secular performance.

Notions of performance and performing appear sporadically in extant literature on contemporary worship, but not with any critically extended focus (with the exception of Silva Steuernagel’s dissertation (2018). This Special Issue provides the opportunity, through diverse disciplinary approaches, to examine the ways in which performing and/or performance relate to contemporary musical worship. Some examples of this include:

  • Ethnographic explorations of worshipers as (co-)performers.
  • Ethnomusicological work on worship teams' perceptions of performance.
  • Critical analyses of churches as worship and performance venues.
  • Theological frameworks for performing theology through worship.
  • Textual analyses of performance and anti-performance language in worship.
  • Comparative analyses between secular and sacred performances.
  • Performance studies analyses of worship services.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editors ([email protected]) or to the Religions editorial office ([email protected]). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors to ensure proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.

Dr. Daniel Thornton
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • contemporary worship
  • music
  • performance
  • performing

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 269 KiB  
Article
“I’ll Bring You More Than a Song”: Toward a Reassessment of Methodology in the Study of Contemporary Praise and Worship
by Jonathan M. Ottaway
Religions 2023, 14(5), 680; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14050680 - 19 May 2023
Viewed by 1966
Abstract
In the recent study of Contemporary Praise and Worship (CPW), many studies have focused on musical repertory, including its text, music, and performance, as the foundational text(s) for theoretical analysis. In particular, scholars have relied on lists of the most popular songs that [...] Read more.
In the recent study of Contemporary Praise and Worship (CPW), many studies have focused on musical repertory, including its text, music, and performance, as the foundational text(s) for theoretical analysis. In particular, scholars have relied on lists of the most popular songs that have been reported to Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI). This essay points out several critical weaknesses in the current overreliance on this methodology and instead contends for two underutilized methodologies—liturgical ethnography and liturgical history—that need to be developed in the scholarship. The essay argues that such a cultivation of methodology will enable the burgeoning scholarship on CPW to gain richer insight into the range of theological meaning expressed in CPW contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performing and Performance in Contemporary Musical Worship)
14 pages, 284 KiB  
Article
“This Is No Performance”: Exploring the Complicated Relationship between the Church and Contemporary Congregational Songs
by Daniel Thornton
Religions 2023, 14(5), 578; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14050578 - 26 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1894
Abstract
“Performing” and “performance” are potentially contentious words within the context of contemporary Christian worship. However, performative elements are explicit in the lyrics of contemporary congregational songs (CCS), and in video recordings of CCS, through the actions of those on stage and in the [...] Read more.
“Performing” and “performance” are potentially contentious words within the context of contemporary Christian worship. However, performative elements are explicit in the lyrics of contemporary congregational songs (CCS), and in video recordings of CCS, through the actions of those on stage and in the congregation, as well as in the broader context of staging, lighting, projection, production, and video editing. However, to date, there is only a handful of scholarly works that explore performing in contemporary worship or contemporary worship as performance and most of them are ethnomusicological. This paper seeks to address notions of performing and performance through a broader lens of the most-sung CCS globally, examined through the disciplinary fields of performance studies, musicology, media studies and theology. It involves a two-fold complementary textual analysis of the most-sung CCS lyrics and the most-watched ‘live worship’ videos of those songs on YouTube. In so doing, this study identifies how the Christian music industry at large officially portrays and languages performance in worship songs and also identifies how performative elements are enacted in the live worship videos released. These analyses are finally synthesized to identify how performing and performance are understood and actively portrayed to and by the contemporary church. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performing and Performance in Contemporary Musical Worship)
8 pages, 191 KiB  
Article
“A Fun and Funky Disco Pastiche”: David Crowder Confronts Evangelical Performance Anxiety
by Joshua Kalin Busman
Religions 2023, 14(4), 548; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14040548 - 19 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1370
Abstract
Within evangelical communities, “worship” and “performance” are often diametrically opposed, with the latter instantly evoking damning connotations of pretense or artifice. This leads many artists to utilize a strategy of disavowal to legitimize their music-making as worship—erasing the “performance” category in order to [...] Read more.
Within evangelical communities, “worship” and “performance” are often diametrically opposed, with the latter instantly evoking damning connotations of pretense or artifice. This leads many artists to utilize a strategy of disavowal to legitimize their music-making as worship—erasing the “performance” category in order to highlight the ultimate worshipful aim of their actions. David Crowder, especially during his lengthy tenure with the David Crowder*Band (DC*B), places performative elements front and center through calculated uses of sound in live performances and on recordings. My analysis in this essay will focus on the ways that David Crowder legitimates “performance” as its own distinct musical space, using a dialectical move to navigate the performance/worship problem by emphasizing its divide rather than simply trying to erase it. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performing and Performance in Contemporary Musical Worship)
19 pages, 379 KiB  
Article
Religious Singing in Kashubia: Tradition and Modernity
by Jan Perszon
Religions 2023, 14(2), 231; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14020231 - 8 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1777
Abstract
The article answers the question of how the custom of religious singing was created in Kashubia and constitutes an integral part of the worship of the Church and local piety/religiosity until modern times. Nowadays, musical worship is manifested both in family and rural [...] Read more.
The article answers the question of how the custom of religious singing was created in Kashubia and constitutes an integral part of the worship of the Church and local piety/religiosity until modern times. Nowadays, musical worship is manifested both in family and rural life (religious singing at home, May devotions, Rosary prayer services, vigil for the dead) as well as in ecclesial sphere (church services, Calvary celebrations, feasts, processions, and pilgrimages). It integrates local communities and simultaneously “broadens” their relationship with the sacred (God). It is important to present the process of selecting leaders of folk singing, as there is no institutional support in this matter such as music schools, organ courses or choirs. It can be assumed that, as was the case in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the family tradition plays a decisive role in leading and animating collective singing. The changes which are taking place in this respect now require further research and may be the result of the transformations in the field of folk religious singing in Kashubia, which are the consequence of the dynamic social transformation in this region. This study is based on ethnographic field research conducted by the author in 2016–2021 and the literature on the subject. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performing and Performance in Contemporary Musical Worship)

Other

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11 pages, 249 KiB  
Essay
A Typology of Ad-Libbing: Performing Authenticity in Contemporary Worship
by Shannan K. Baker
Religions 2023, 14(3), 337; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14030337 - 3 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2826
Abstract
Since 2010, the contemporary worship scene has changed. New prominent church bands have emerged and streaming services have made worship music more accessible. While solo worship artists such as Chris Tomlin and Tim Hughes primarily released studio albums in the 2000s, two new [...] Read more.
Since 2010, the contemporary worship scene has changed. New prominent church bands have emerged and streaming services have made worship music more accessible. While solo worship artists such as Chris Tomlin and Tim Hughes primarily released studio albums in the 2000s, two new prominent collectives, Bethel Music and Elevation Worship, followed Hillsong and Passion in releasing live albums. These live tracks have heavily influenced the local congregation. One example of this influence is the performance practice of singing ad-libs. This article will first define ad-libs within the contemporary worship context and examine how ad-libs provide authenticity to worship leaders. Then, it will explain how this performance practice moved from worship artists to local church vocalists. Finally, the article will conclude with a new typology for identifying and analyzing ad-libs in contemporary worship. Singing ad-libs in contemporary worship is an authenticating performance practice that has extended into the local church through the prominence of live recordings and therefore requires a typology for further research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performing and Performance in Contemporary Musical Worship)
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