/A theology of music; Or, whether some is more pleasing to God than others

q: does music have an inherent theology? not lyrics, but style/genre/sound
thesis: there is not one style/genre/sound of music that is more glorifying to God than others, except for that which is individually limited by one’s conscience.
t0: definitions
music, worship, conscience, holiness
t1: association with worldliness or evil
q: what characteristics are often associated with “wordliness”? (“fundamentalist” cultural assoc.) -> pop, rock, hip-hop, rap, jazz, electronic, country(?) - accusations: hedonism, superficiality, lust, violence NOT classical, folk, movie soundtracks, classical renditions of pop/rock - “typically”: happiness, joy, comfort, ease-of-listening, peace/calm

sample genre: metal - common association and use: darkness, despair, demons, aggression, violence, grotesque, existential, brooding - my associations (Christian bands like WATG): tension, awe, excitement, finality, - common components (though not necessary): - loud - fast, driving rhythm - complex - intense - dissonance/distortion - harsh/dramatic vocals - harmonic minor -> are any of these components sinful or less glorifying to God? -> if no, then why would the whole not be? could these same elements be used to explicitly glorify God?
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  -> what is the danger?
      - you let the music crush you
      - you desire certain sinful emotions as a satisfaction apart from God, rather than bringing you near Him
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even with this example, though, metal can’t be adequately confined; i.e. “drone” metal tends to use heavy riffs with spacious reverb that is much slower -> so then should it be excluded on a song rather than genre basis? may be a better application for things like classical

-> q: is association universal or individual? -> both? certain genres are chosen for certain reasons, to express ideas. we obv intuit this; see movie soundtracks -> in a movie soundtrack: parts of the story may contain confusion/anger, and the music expresses those emotions well \-> listening to music itself for pleasure, is there a difference in listening disassociated from a narrative?
- q: what about extreme examples like harsh noise, black metal, …?
  - atypical examples: experimental classical with surrealist/harsh/unusual elements (George Crumb)
  -> should you know the artist’s intent? if the intent is demonic and anti-God, should you stay away from it? - maybe the individual songs itself, yes, even if lyricless; but the genre, not necessarily; see meat offered to idols -> clarity in meaning b/w words and music; subjectivity in difference
q: why do we associate them with worldliness?
q: is association irredeemable, or at best unwise?
q: what if i decided to create a “worldly” kind of music, like metal, as a Christian? would I be in sin?

(prob hardest q)

t2: the inherent properties of music
q: is it right to say that some music “sounds” evil/unholy?
q: what properties of music do we tend to associate with those types of sounds? i.e. why are genres chosen?
q: what emotions do they evoke? is it sinful that they evoke those types of emotions?
- q: if i am walking through the store and a song is playing that makes me feel angry, have i sinned? or is it the intentional seeking of that emotion? -> the heart is what matters; are you satisfying a longing in your heart with something to replace God’s satisfaction and comfort?
q: if we make the assumption that music genres are not universally sinful, what about for the individual? -> let’s say a style of music bring back memories that evoke lustful thoughts. then that would be wrong for the individual, because it tempts him to sin by that association
t3: music is not a special, reserved category under God’s creation compared to others of life’s enjoyments
q: what does the Bible say about music and its uses?
q: how are we to enjoy any type of music? what is unique about music in its expression and universality?
q: does this differ in any special way from others of life’s enjoyments? i.e. why do we not say some sports are more “holy” than others?
conclusion
q: what does it mean to be free in your conscience? how is that empowering to the Christian to live for God’s glory?
q: why not just “stick with Christian music and you’ll be fine”?