Christian music is This article needs cleanup. Please edit this article to conform to a higher standard of article quality. Music is a word whose accepted definitions vary with time, place and culture. It is said to be an art, a form of entertainment, and is also often defined by contrast with noise... music created by or adapted for the This article is about the religious people known as Christians. For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). The term Christian means belonging to Christ and is derived from the Greek noun Χριστός Khristós which means anointed one, which is itself a translation of... Christian This article is about the Christian buildings of worship. For other uses of the word, see Church (disambiguation). The Memorial Church at Stanford University. A church building is a building used in Christian worship. See also altar, altar rails, confessional, dome, nave, pew, pulpit, sanctuary, lych gate. Etymology The word... church.

There is virtually no record of the earliest music of the Christian church except a few The New Testament, sometimes called the Greek Scriptures, is the name given to the part of the Christian Bible that was written after the birth of Jesus. The term is a translation of the Latin Novum Testamentum, which translates the Greek Η Καινη Δια... New Testament fragments of what are probably See also hymn - a program to decrypt iTunes music files. A hymn is a song specifically written as a song of praise, adoration or prayer, typically addressed to God. A writer of hymns is known as a hymnist or hymnodist, and the process of singing a hymn is called hymnody... hymns. Some of these fragments are still sung as hymns today in the Orthodox Church, including "Awake, awake O sleeper" on the occasion of someone's Baptism is a water purification ritual practiced in certain religions such as Christianity, Mandaeanism, Sikhism, and some historic sects of Judaism. The word baptize derives from the Greek word βάπτειν (the infinitive; also listed as the 1st person singular present active indicative βα... baptism.

Being The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... Jewish, This article is about the figure known by both Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus Christ. For other usages, see Jesus (disambiguation). This 11th-century portrait is one of many images of Jesus in which a halo with a cross is used. Jesus of Nazareth (b. about 6–4 BC... Jesus and his disciples would most likely have sung the Psalms (Tehilim תהילים, in Hebrew) is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, and of the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. Because the book consists of songs or chants, a psalm can be used to mean any religious chant or poem of praise... psalms from Rote learning, is a learning technique which avoids grasping the inner complexities and inferences of the subject that is being learned. Rather, it focuses on memorizing the material so that it can be recalled by the learner exactly the way it was read or heard. The major practice involved in... memory. However, without a centralised The music industry is the industry that creates and performs music, both in the form of compositions and performances. The music industry is made up of: singers songwriters musicians Musicians Unions composers publishers Writers rights organizations like ASCAP and BMI record industry record producers record companies record labels record distributors... music industry, the repertoire of ordinary people was much greater than it is today, so they probably knew other songs too. Early Christians continued to sing the psalms much as they were sung in the A synagogue (from Greek συναγωγη, transliterated sunagoge, place of assembly literally meeting, assembly) is a Jewish house of prayer and study. The Hebrew term for synagogue is Beit Knesset (House of Assembly) or Beit Tefila (House of Prayer). There are usually separate rooms... synagogues in the first century.

Early Biblical references

The For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. Gospels are a genre of ancient literature concerning the life of Jesus. The word derives from the Old English word for Good News, a translation of the Greek word ευαγγελιον, euangelion... gospels of The Gospel of Matthew is one of the four Gospels of the New Testament. The gospels are traditionally printed with Matthew first, followed in order by Mark, Luke and John. Synopsis The book is divided into four parts: Containing the genealogy, the birth, and the infancy of Jesus (1; 2... Matthew (26:30) and The Gospel of Mark is the second in the most usual sequence of printing of the New Testament Gospels. The commonly accepted range of dates for the text in its existing form are ca. AD 65, the traditional date for the death of Peter, to ca. AD 80, a terminus... Mark (14:26) state that This article is about the figure known by both Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus Christ. For other usages, see Jesus (disambiguation). This 11th-century portrait is one of many images of Jesus in which a halo with a cross is used. Jesus of Nazareth (b. about 6–4 BC... Jesus sang a hymn with Alternate meaning: See Apostle (Mormonism) The Christian Apostles were Jewish men chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth (as indicated by the Greek word απόστολος apostolos= messenger), by Jesus to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles, across the... his disciples immediately before his betrayal. The apostle A 19th century picture of Paul of Tarsus Paul of Tarsus (originally Saul of Tarsus) or Saint Paul the Apostle (fl. 1st century AD) is considered by many Christians to be the most important disciple of Jesus, and next to Jesus the most important figure in the development of Christianity... Paul in the book of The Epistle to Ephesians is one of the books of the Bible in the New Testament, written by Paul at Rome about the same time as that to the Colossians, which in many points it resembles. Contents The Epistle to the Colossians is mainly polemical, designed to refute certain ideas... Ephesians (5:19) exhorted the church at Ephesus was one one of the great cities of the Ionian Greeks in Asia Minor, located in Lydia where the Cayster river flows into the Aegean Sea (in modern day Turkey). It was founded by colonists principally from Athens. The ruins of Ephesus are a major tourist attraction, especially to... Ephesus to speak to each other "in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord". In the book of The Epistle to the Colossians is a book of the Bible New Testament. It is a letter from Paul to the people of Colossae. It was written by Paul at Rome during his first imprisonment there (Acts 28:16, 30), probably in the spring of AD 57, or, as some... Colossians (3:16) he also encouraged the church at Colossae or Colosse, a city of Phrygia, on the Lycus, which is a tributary of the Maeander. It was about 12 miles above Laodicea, and near the great road from Ephesus to the Euphrates, and was consequently of some mercantile importance. In 396, during the Persian Wars, the Persian satrap... Colossae to teach and admonish each other with "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs".

Early Church history

Aside from hymns taken from the Bible itself, the earliest hymn still in use today is probably O Gladsome Light (Greek Φως 'Ιλαρον, Phôs Hilaron). In the fourth century, Basil (ca. 330 - January 1, 379), also called Basil the Great, was bishop of Caesarea, a leading churchman in the 4th century. The Eastern Orthodox Church considers him a saint and one of the Three Holy Hierarchs, together with Gregory Nazianzus and John Chrysostom. Basil, Gregory Nazianzus, and Basils... Basil the Great referred to it as already being a rather old hymn.

Some of the popularity of This article is about the theological doctrine of Arius. See Aryan, Aryan race for the ethnic concept. Arianism was a Christological view held by followers of Arius in the early Christian Church, claiming that Jesus Christ and God the Father were not of the same fundamental essence, seeing the Son... Arianism in the fourth century can be attributed to the catchy songs that the priest Arius (AD 256 - 336) was the founder of the Christian doctrine of Arianism. He was probably of Libyan, and Berber, descent. His fathers name is given as Ammonius. He was made presbyter of the district of Baucalis in Alexandria in 313. Early Life Arius was a pupil of Lucian... Arius composed in its support. The popularity of the songs helped increase the popularity of his teachings. Ephrem the Syrian was a prolific Syriac language hymn writer and theologian of the 4th century. He is venerated by Christians throughout the world, but especially among Syriac Christians, as a saint. Name Ephrem is also variously known as Ephraim (Hebrew and Greek), Ephraem (Latin), Aphrem and Afrem (both Syriac... Ephrem the Syrian composed a number of hymns later in the fourth century that supported what eventually came to be recognised as more orthodox doctrines.

Troparions and Kontakions are two early forms of hymns that became incorporated into the Church's worship.

At the conclusion of the The Fifth Ecumenical Council (the Second Council of Constantinople) was a Christian Ecumenical Council that was held in 553. It was called by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. In accordance with the imperial command, but without the assent of the Pope, the synod was opened on the May 5, 553... Fifth Ecumenical Council, Emperor Justin is reputed to have composed a hymn summarising the council's conclusion, Only begotten Son. That hymn was since incorporated into the Divine Liturgy of John Chrysostom and is still widely sung today.

Gregorian chant

Main article: Gregorian chant is also known as plainchant or plainsong, and is a form of monophonic, unaccompanied singing, which was developed in the Catholic church, mainly during the period 800-1000. It takes its name from Pope St. Gregory the Great. This music was traditionally sung by monks or other male... Gregorian chant

Around the (7th century — 8th century — 9th century — other centuries) Events The Iberian peninsula is taken by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost 8 centuries of Muslim presence there. Sometime this century, Beowulf is probably composed. Borobodur, the famous Indonesian Buddhist structure, begins... 8th to ( 9th century - 10th century - 11th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. Events The beginning of the Medieval Warm Period Viking groups settle in northern France - Norse become Normans Foundation of Cluny, first... 10th centuries, Gregorian chant, a form of Monophonic can mean: In music, see: Texture (music). In recorded audio, a recording with only one channel. Compare: stereophonic, quadrophonic. In synthesizers, capable of only sounding one voice, or note, at a time. Compare: polyphonic. Also related, see: ring tones. This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which... monophonic, unaccompanied singing, developed in the The Roman Catholic Church believes its founding was based on Jesus appointment of Saint Peter as the primary church leader, later Bishop of Rome. The Roman Catholic Church is the largest religious denomination of Christianity with over one billion members. It maintains the claim that it is both organisationally and... Catholic church. Chant is used by the participants in the Mass, not the congregants.

Hymns

Main article: See also hymn - a program to decrypt iTunes music files. A hymn is a song specifically written as a song of praise, adoration or prayer, typically addressed to God. A writer of hymns is known as a hymnist or hymnodist, and the process of singing a hymn is called hymnody... Hymn

The tradition of Christian hymns in the The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. It is the third most common first language (native speakers), with around 402 million people in 2002. English has lingua franca status in many parts of the world, due to the military, economic, scientific, political and cultural influence... English language is closely tied to Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. It generally refers to those that separated from the Roman Catholic Church in the Reformation of the 16th century, their offshoots, and those that share similar doctrines or ideologies. It is commonly considered one of the three major branches of Christianity... Protestantism. Protestant hymns can range from the Reformation organ pieces of For other people named Bach and other meanings of the word, see Bach (disambiguation). Johann Sebastian Bach, 1748 portrait by Elias Gottlob Haussmann Johann Sebastian Bach (March 21, 1685 (O.S.) – July 28, 1750 (N.S.)) was a German composer and organist of the Baroque period, and is universally... J. S. Bach to the American folk hymns found in The Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that took root in the Southern region of the United States. It is part of the larger tradition of shape note music. The music and its notation The name of the tradition comes from the title of the shape note... Sacred Harp. For other people named Martin Luther see: Martin Luther (disambiguation), or here for Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther (originally Martin Luder or Martinus Luther) (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German theologian of the Christian religion and an Augustinian monk whose teachings inspired the Protestant Reformation... Martin Luther composed a number of hymns in the 16th century, reportedly borrowing some of their melodies from popular tavern drinking songs of that period. Another famous hymn composer is Charles Wesley (1707 - 1788) was a leader of the Methodist movement, the younger brother of John Wesley. Charles Wesley is chiefly remembered for the many hymns he wrote. Like his brother, he was born in Epworth, Lincolnshire, England, where their father was rector. He was educated at Christ Church College... Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley John Wesley was an 18th century preacher and the founder of the Methodist denomination of Protestant Christianity. He was born at Epworth, England (23 miles north-west of Lincoln) June 28, 1703, and died in London March 2, 1791. Youth The Wesleys were of ancient Saxon lineage, the... John Wesley. Some hymns, particularly This page is about carols in general; for the short story by Charles Dickens, see A Christmas Carol. Singing carols: John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together A Christmas carol is a carol (song or hymn) whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas, or the winter season in... Christmas carols, are widely embraced by various denominations while many hymns are restricted to certain religious traditions. In some cases this is due to doctrinal differences reflected in the words of the song but in many cases it is the result of tradition and the use of denominationally-produced or -approved hymnals.

The use of hymns was a factor in several historic schisms among Protestant denominations with more traditional members insisting on the use of only the psalms in the service.

Contemporary Christian music

Main article: Love Song Contemporary Christian music (CCM), or Christian pop music, is a sub-genre of Christian music. It is called contemporary because it is distinct from traditional Christian gospel music and southern gospel music. Because it can be difficult to define what is and what is not considered Contemporary Christian... Contemporary Christian music

The most recent common form of Christian music is Contemporary Christian music, or CCM. This draws most of its influence from This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. The word secular comes from a Latin word meaning happening once in an age. This offers the opportunity for a confusing variety of meanings. A dog is big compared to an ant but not compared to an elephant, and... secular music of the late (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... 20th century and is the most popular kind of Christian music in the Western world. Although there are many Christian music acts in the mainstream music industry, the term CCM usually refers specifically to artists within the The Christian music industry is a small part of the larger music industry, that focuses on gospel music, contemporary Christian music and Christian rock music. The majority of artists working and performing within the Christian music industry are isolated from the mainstream public, to Christian radio, magazines and record stores... Christian music industry that are played on Commercial Christian radio is a radio format that plays popular music styles with a focus on the Christian message and associated politically-motivated topics. Many Christian radio stations are commercial in nature, and select music in a manner intended to increase profitability of advertisers, thereby increasing the value of the... Christian radio.

Brazilian Christian music

While Brazilian Protestantism came to be dominated by pasteurised CCM-influenced pop music, there was a period from the 1970s to the early 1990s when there was a creative movement adapting various Brazilian styles, mainly MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) is a specific musical genre of Brazilian popular music that employs sophisticated lyrics, melodies, and harmonies in which the commercial aspect is subordinate to the performers artistic standards. During the 1960s, this abbreviation applied to the song movement that followed the bossa nova... MPB, to religious meanings and even congregational singing.

Very little is left of this movement, known simply as 'Música Evangélica' to contrast with the pop, commercialised, CCM-like 'Música Gospel', there are still individual groups or persons continuing the creative tradition, such as Guilherme Kerr. Furthermore, there are a few individuals creating Brazilian Christian music out of any specific movement or school, the most famous one being Elomar Figueira de Mello is a Brazilian Northeastern composer from the rural area of Vitória da Conquista, in the state of Bahia de Todos os Santos. The son of a prosperous farmer and his Methodist wife, he has grown up under the influence of both the Christian, Protestant faith... Elomar Figueira de Mello, who is considered by some the greatest living This article is about the broad genre of classical music in the Western musical tradition. For the period of music in the 18th century see Classical music era, for articles on classical music of non-Western cultures, see: List of classical music traditions Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise... Classical music composer for his erudite, regionalist music escaping current nihilism common in In the broadest sense, contemporary music is any music being written in the present day. In the context of classical music the term applies to music written in the last half century or so, particularly works post-1960. The argument over whether the term applies to music in any style... Contemporary music.

See also

• Gospel music may refer either to the religious music that first came out of African-American churches in the 1930s or, more loosely, to both black gospel music and to the religious music composed and sung by white southern Christian artists. While the separation between the two styles was... Gospel music
• A praise song is a song of praise to God in the traditions of certain Christian churches. Although the more commonly used term hymn is synonymous with praise song, within certain modern Christian musical traditions, especially in many Baptist churches, a distinction is made between the two. This distinction is... Praise song
• Worship leader