A New Song for an Old World: Musical Thought in the Early Church

While the worship wars continue to rage in the church, many do not realize that conflict over church music goes back to the earliest Christians as they sought to live out the “new song” of their faith. In A New Song for an Old World Calvin Stapert challenges Christians to learn from the wisdom of the early church as they seek to explore appropriate music today.

Stapert draws parallels between the pagan cultures of the second and third centuries and our own multicultural realities, enabling readers to comprehend the musical ideas of early Christian thinkers, from Clement and Tertullian to John Chrysostom and Augustine. Stapert’s expert treatment of the attitudes of the early church toward psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs is ideal for scholars of early Christianity, church musicians, and all Christians looking to add an ancient yet relevant perspective to their worship today