A lament for Pentecostal scholarship in contemporary congregational songs

Authors

  • Daniel Thornton Alphacrucis College

Abstract

Contemporary congregational songs (CCS) have long been associated with Pentecostal/charismatic churches.  Although such associations have been progressively changing, many of the key CCS production centres and songwriters are still representative of Pentecostal/charismatic contexts and paradigms.  Academic research in the field of contemporary congregational songs is still nascent, but even less developed among Pentecostal scholarship.  This article uses the etic/emic research frameworks to explore the idea of a lament for the lack of Pentecostal scholarship in CCS.  Particular focus is given to the extant research literature in and surrounding the CCS field and the relationship between researcher and the way they approach or conceive analysis and evaluations of CCS.  Finally, I propose some opportunities for emic Pentecostal researchers to pursue in order to enhance this burgeoning field in the face of its profound and ongoing influence in Christian musical worship.

Author Biography

Daniel Thornton, Alphacrucis College

Head of Department, Music and Creative Arts, Alphacrucis College

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Published

2015-05-22

How to Cite

Thornton, D. (2015). A lament for Pentecostal scholarship in contemporary congregational songs. Australasian Pentecostal Studies, 17. Retrieved from https://aps-journal.com/index.php/APS/article/view/9477

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Section

Articles