The Worship Nerds

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Gerardo MartÍ (Davidson College). Dr. MartÍ discusses with us the surprising role that race and ethnicity among worship leaders plays in shaping worshipping communities. Our conversation explores diverse hiring practices, the impact of church growth logic on contemporary worship, and way sociology can help us unmask the questionable influence of contemporary worship on global Christianity today.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Lester Ruth (Duke University) and Dr. Lim Swee Hong (University of Toronto), co-authors of the recent book A History of Contemporary Praise & Worship: Understanding the Ideas that Reshaped the Protestant Church (Baker Academic, 2021). Drs. Ruth and Lim walk us through their new book and describe how two distinct theologies of worship (including music) have reshaped protestant worship in the second half of the 20th century. Our conversation explores the historical trends, theological commitments, and biblical revelations that undergird the way Christian communities worldwide now worship.

In this bonus episode, we talk with two researchers working on a new project related to the changes in the "life curves" of recent top songs: how fast they rise on the charts, stay there, and ultimately fade out of use. We discuss the data and what it might mean for worship leaders who steward the song repertoires -- and consequently the faith -- of local congregations. Search for the recent article in Christian Today (https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/december/worship-music-lifespan-shrinking-faster-study-tanner-ccli.html) and larger article coming from Worship Leader Magazine in early 2022. 

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Melanie Ross, liturgical theologian and author of the recent book Evangelical Worship: An American Mosaic (Oxford University Press, 2021). Dr. Ross reflects on how a commitment to corporate worship sits at the heart of evangelical communities negotiating their multiple identities. Our conversation explores the diversity of worship practices across evangelical churches and how the work of one revered scholar has overshadowed a deeper scholarly look at evangelical worship in the U.S. 

In this episode, we enjoy a conversation with Dr. Emily Snider Andrews, professor of music and worship at Samford University. We discuss her work on sacramental theology and the worship of Bethel Church in Redding, CA. Our conversation addresses how sacramental theology can help us understand music as a means for encountering God and how the label "Renewalist" identifies worship theologies across ecclesial boundaries. 

We talk Hillsong history, theology, and music with insider and scholar Dr. Tanya Riches. Dr. Riches is a former songwriter and worship leader at Hillsong Church and now serves as senior lecturer and masters program director at Hillsong College in Sydney, Australia. The basis of our conversation is her recent co-edited volume (with Tom Wagner) The Hillsong Movement Examined: You Call me Out Upon the Waters (Charis, 2017). We talk about the gifts and challenges of studying megachurch communities, worship identity, and cultivating a scholarly community that can sustain a dialogue with the community members themselves. Dr. Riches sets a generous table—have a listen!

In this episode, we enjoy a wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Joshua Busman. Dr. Busman is a musicologist and professor at the University of North Carolina - Pembroke. We discuss how worship leaders navigate the use of worship technologies (eg. 'band-in-a-box'), the role of authenticity, and how to manage congregational expectations. Our conversation also ventures into the multiple meanings and functions of song lyrics--what do they do and what are they for, anyway?

In this conversation, we speak with Rev. Dr. Glenn Packiam, pastor of New Life Church Downtown in Colorado Springs, CO. He’s the author of Worship and the World to Come: Exploring Christian Hope in Contemporary Worship (IVP Academic, 2020). Dr. Packiam talks about how congregations experience Christian hope through singing in congregational worship—and how theologians might begin to understand that more deeply.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Monique Ingalls, church music scholar and author of the recent book Singing the Congregation: How Contemporary Worship Music forms Evangelical Community. Dr. Ingalls reflects on how five recent sites for contemporary worship music are shaping the church, its musical practices, and ultimately, its communal identity. We explore the usefulness of the term "evangelical" and how ethnographic research methods are useful for both scholars and local church leaders.