Contemporary Worship Music: A Biblical Defense [Paperback]

I found this book excellent! Frame is open and willing to learn from Christians of other traditions. His book is balanced. He advocates a mixture of both contemporary praise music and traditional hymns. Both have their strong points and both have their weaknesses and Frame tells you what they are in this book.

For charismatics and more conservatives, we need to learn from one another. And this book helps us learn from one another in a main issue that divides charismatics and conservatives. A great read, bound to challenge one's thinking. And a book of biblical balance - more of which is needed in Christianity today.

It became clear in reading this book there is a deeper more fundamental issue driving John Frame's discussion of the issues and controversy that surrounds CWM. At different points in the book he clearly states such is the case, and in the 2nd appendix at the end of the book, he specifically articulates that fundamental concern. In that appendix Frame calls for approaching issues from a basis in Biblical theology. This is to be in contrast with appeals to confessional systematic and historical theology that makes theological tradition equal to Scripture, and refuses to weigh those traditions against the Reformation principle of Sola Scriptura.

I confess to a certain sympathy with that principle, though I'm not ready to say that I would necessarily come to the same conclusions as Frame has regarding the issues of CWM. That sympathy comes from personally witnessing the systematic or historical theological approach used in preaching or teaching, and coming away with the feeling that my conscience was not carried in the way or to the degree I thought it should be if such indeed was the Word of God. My Evangelical friends will not have their conscience carried by my appeals to a confession they are not familiar with or do not agree with. Scripture alone is what will ultimately carry their conscience.

In browsing some of the reviews of this book found on the WWW, I find that Frame's critics tend to not meet him on the basis of Scripture, but on the basis of historical theology or tradition. At times I can not help but respond that Peter, James, John, and Paul I know, but who are these Westminster divines, however respected they be, to be my master when Jesus has told me otherwise (Matt. 23:8-11)? (And I DO respect them.) There is a tension between respecting Christ's past gifts of teachers to the church, and maintaining the principle of Sola Scriptura. Unfortunately in some areas of the Reformed community, confessional tradition has become equal to the Word of God. Maybe unintentionally so, but never the less so.

Regarding the symptomatic issue of CWM, John Frame does not say all CWM is appropriate for worship. He urges discernment in the use of CWM in the same way one evaluates the plethora of traditional hymns available. Nor does he argue for exclusion of all traditional hymns from worship. His position is that both kinds can be appropriate and both kinds should be used without the exclusion of one or the other.

There are a few issues regarding CWM I am still concerned about. I've been in worship services where CWM was a distinct distraction to edification, but I've also been in a service where CWM was used in a way that was edifying. The difference was in the clarity and predominance given to the hearing of the words.

In the edifying service the words were not over powered by the instrumental accompaniment; no loud pounding drums or screaming guitars and keyboard that obliterated the hearing of the singing of the words. I've also been in a few traditional services where the overpowering organ drowned out all edification of the singing of the traditional hymns. In both cases the principles of 1 Corinthians 14 regarding edification were violated.

Those who are for and those who are against CWM will profit from reading this book. More important, whatever conclusion you come to about CWM, more fundamentally you will be challenged to think through and to evaluate issues Biblically.