Product Description
Confessions of a former worship leader For many churches today, music has become one of the most important factors in both their mode of worship and their attempts to reach unbelievers with the gospe ... Read more

Customer Reviews (80)

All should read
I think that all Christians interested in what God expects in worship should read this book.

Great insider's analysis
This book was a great, Biblical look into the Contemporary Christian Music world by someone who came out of it.His conclusions are based in Scripture instead of feelings.I highly recommend reading this book.

BE YE HOLY FOR I AM HOLY
This book was eye opening. I no longer play in a rock band in which I knew I WAS WRONG and I had to REPENT of my own desires and thoughts. This book shines a Truth & Light on the sin of churches today that worship in the power of the flesh and that justify their own sin, pride & rebellion in music worship (not the presentation of the Gospel from the pulpit. Music is for praise not evangelism (study the bible on that). The Truth hurt me, and for my Christian brothers who are saved, but worshipping, glorying & who are under the guised influence of Satan's deviciveness who sets himself up to appear "like God", I say, go back to your bible that is hopefully not missing any of God's Words, and re-read what God says about the Devil, the World, and the Flesh our 3 main enemies of sin. BE YE HOLY FOR I AM HOLY....Try and argue with God's Word, you'll lose everytime, but obedience, holiness & sactification are a choice we have.

I PETER 1:14-16 "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

I CORINTHIANS 1:29-31 "That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

II CORINTHIANS 6:16-18 "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

ISAIAH 5:20 "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:"

LEV 20:7 "Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God."

LEV 20:26 "And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine."

JAMES 4:4 "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."

JAMES 4:5-8 "Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."

JAMES 4:17 "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."

REPENT, REPENT, REPENT

Good Purchase
Book was like new as described. Quick shipping. Good overall experience. Also a very interesting book.

Why I Left the Contemporary Christian Music Movement
I found this to be an excellent book written in the right spirit.I personally led music in a "traditional" church for many years.I have also debated Contemporaries and found that his book enumerated to a "t" the arguments used by the Contemporaries as well as the heavy labeling they resort to to marginalize or neutralize a "traditional".
I would recommend this volume to those interested in the subject and in particular those who have found themselves in the crosshairs of the malevolent and distorted arguments of the Contemporaries.Buy the book! ... Read more

Product Description
Music has been at the heart of Christian worship since the beginning, and this lavishly illustrated and wonderfully written volume fully surveys the many centuries of creative Christian musical experimentation. From its roots in Jewish and Hellenistic music, through the rich tapestry of medieval chant to the full flowering of Christian music in the centuries after the Reformation and the many musical expressions of a now-global Christianity, Wilson-Dickson conveys "a glimpse of the fecundity of imagination with which humanity has responded to the creator God. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Excellent timeline
Excellent timeline, good illustrations. This is the most complete overview of Church music I've seen.

Review
I was very pleased with the speed of the delivery as well as the product itself.

Brilliant!
I am not into this kind of book generally, but I LOVED it. It is one of the few 'churchy' books that doesn't preach at you and is extremely informative. Well worth the read for anyone interested in any kind of music, not just Christian music. Open your mind and learn about a fascinating thread of history...it's easy to dip in and out of if that's how you prefer to do it. Thank you Mr Wilson-Dickson!

I too will praise him with a new song
The author, Andrew Wilson-Dickson, teaches music and drama in Cardiff, having taken a doctorate in music composition from York University.Thoroughly grounded in the British musical context and traditions, Wilson-Dickson nonetheless presents a broad-ranging and fairly balanced few of the long history of Christian music.For most Christians through the centuries, the idea of worship without music (and, indeed, without particular kinds of music) might have been considered greater heresy than many of the theological controversies that fill the standard history texts.Even today, when a new minister goes into a church, the congregation is as likely to be upset at a shift in hymnody and music as in theological directions that diverge from their own.

This richly illustrated and designed book is divided into eight primary sections:

The Birth of Christian Music
Renaissance and Reformation
The Flowering of Christian Music
The Path Divides
Eastern Traditions
The African Genius
Music in North America
Music in Twentieth Century Europe

Not following geography or history timelines strictly, but rather allowing these to be broad organising principles, Wilson-Dickson explores the development of key musical types as well as the cross-pollination of musical styles and influences.There is a distinctly British bias that creeps in, not so much as a denigration of other cultures but rather as a highlight of the British traditions - one gets the sense from reading that this is where the author's heart is most at home.The author's biases are also apparent in his discussions, but he supports his conclusions fairly well, while not requiring the reader to agree.(For instance, many would agree with Wilson-Dickson that J.S. Bach was the greatest composer the Western world has ever produced, and Wilson-Dickson cites others such as Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Wagner - possible contenders for the title - as in agreement; however, should the reader not agree that J.S. Bach was the greatest, the chapter on Bach is not really diminished.)

The development of church music over time is not independent of the greater history of the Christian church, nor is it independent of the broader cultural and technological developments.These contexts and influences are discussed and explained as appropriate.The theological intention and importance behind the styles of music is explained without excessive rambling.

The graphic layout of the text is superb.Colour, photographs, line-art and copies of musical manuscripts abound to support and enhance the text.Side-bars and emphasis boxes explain key terms, points, or historical information.Given two thousand years of history and only 240 pages in which to explore it, obviously the author had to be selective not only in which topics to include, but how much to develop each one.Given the importance of North American Christianity in the world-wide Christian experience in the past few hundred years, perhaps a little more room could be devoted to this area of music.Similarly, Wilson-Dickson's brief conclusion and discussion of good music vs. bad music could benefit from a little more development.

However, for the seminary student, the religious studies and history student, or even the average choir member or singer in a congregation, this is an excellent overview of the history and development of Christian music.One might wish for a CD or two to be included with musical samples; perhaps for a later edition?

A superbly illustrated informational guide
In The Story Of Christian Music: From Gregorian Chants To Black Gospel, Andrew Wilson-Dickson (Principal Lecturer, Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff, Wales) has developed a superbly illustrated informational guide to all the major traditions of Christian music in worship, ranging from the Gregorian chants of antiquity, to the developments in Christian music during the Renaissance and Reformation eras, to the development of English congregational music, to the distinctive sounds of American Black Gospel music, 20th Century Christian rock, and more. Full-color photographs and artworks, musical scores, and down-to-earth narration chronicling events in faith and history fill the pages of this excellent guide which is as recommended for casual browsers, as it is to those with an academic or professional interest in the history and evolution of Christian music. ... Read more

Product Description
The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music is a comprehensive guide to contemporary Christian artists and to secular artists whose faith has affected their life and work. This definitive reference book for fans, families, libraries, and the music industry contains 1,900 informed and insightful entries on major and minor artists from the '60s to the present day. These essays provide band member lists, complete discographies, lists of awards, artist website addresses, biographies of the artists, and reviews of the work they have produced. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

A commendable effort unfortunately stained by many flaws
I bought this book around the time it came out because I am one of those people that tends to want to know about everything relating to artists I listen to. I found many parts of this book to be informative, but considering that I found a lot of things flat out incorrect, I guess I feel compelled to question a lot of what was presented as fact (for ex: Painted Orange never released ANYTHING on R.E.X). Also, one thing that I found particularly obnoxious was the inclusion of the author's opinions, some of which I agreed with, but many times I did not. But, if you are going to call something an "encyclopedia", then opinions should be scarce, if not nonexistent. That being said....c'mon, anyone who can paint Audio Adrenaline's bland rap workout "We're a Band" in a favorable light and then subsequently refer to "Shiver" and "Grylliade" from The Prayer Chain's Mercury as "boring" is begging to not be taken seriously. I was also annoyed at how he bent over backwards to include a lot of obscure artists who never made any real impact, but then neglected to leave out about half of the Blonde Vinyl catalogue. Anyways, I'm glad someone did this, and it's obvious a lot of work went into it, but this thing needs to be revised. However, as much as I hesitate to admit it, if you are looking to become knowledgeable on the subject of Christian music, this is probably the most comprehensive collection of data available (in one book anyway).

Not what I thought it would be!
I thought it would have more 'internet' pointers/information about the songs also.My wife said she liked it (it was a birthday present for her).
She also says that she will and has used it.She sings at church and is involved with the song selections some times.

Great book
This is a wonderfully informative book. When I recieved it, I just could not put it down. So many interesting facts and information. If you are a Christian music fan, it is a must own book.
I can't wait for an updated version or at least a contunuation to 2009.

This is actually a pretty good book
This book is very well done, and have loved reading it cover to cover. It tells of many groups from A-Z and very acurate and put together very well with much thought and plenty of heart. This is the one book to get for all you christian music enthusist who want to find out about their favorite bands. And the Jesus music era. The only downside to this book is that it dosent mention some artist which I was disappointed in that but very understandable, maybe because powell didnt know them or hear of them yet. Or the bands were created after the book was done either way I hope someday he will reissue this book again with other christian bands

Very Valuable Resource
My experience with CCM dates back to the mid 70s, on the tail end of the Jesus Movement.I attended my first Saturday night concert at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa and the group was Daniel Amos.They were just releasing their self titled debut album.I was hooked and hungry to find out as much as I could about other artists who were putting out this high quality music.Thank you to Mark Allan Powell for bringing back some great memories as well as for balancing first hand interviews, historical accounts and sound theological analysis.I was not expecting a resource work on a music genre that is not always known for its depth to challenge me, but Powell managed to do so by demonstrating how a number of the artists developed and matured in their understanding of God and themselves.The articles on Marsha Stevens and Sam Phillips in particular describe two CCM pioneers who do not fit into the tidy CCM image, but at the same time deserve prominent places in the history of the genre.A one of a kind resource.I look forward to an update. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides a collection of some 400 passages on music from early Christian literature - New Testament to c. 450 AD - newly translated from the original Greek, Latin, and Syriac. As there are no musical sources of the period, music historians must rely upon remarks about music in literary sources to gain some knowledge of early Christian liturgical music. This volume makes a large and representative collection of the material conveniently available. The passages are arranged chronologically and regionally in eleven chapters with brief commentary. An introduction sets out the major subjects and themes of the original source material. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Early Christian Perspectives on Music
This is an excellent book for music historians or for those who are just curious enough to be amateur music theologians like me. James McKinnon has collected a large and diverse representative selection of source writings on music from the first 450 years of the early Church. One quickly learns that there is no one "early Christian perspective," but a range of views across time and space.

As McKinnon states in his introduction, there are "four principle categories of material." These are:
1. "That chorus of denunciation directed against pagan musical customs...."
2. "Passages that signal acceptance of music as one of the liberal or encyclical arts."
3. "Musical images or figures of speech."
4. "Passages that shed some light on early liturgical chant."

Given these diverse themes, readers may not find all excerpts of personal interest. Yet the diversity is representative of early Christian thought and helped me gain a more rounded understanding of their musical concerns.

Most interesting to me were the passages that shed light on Christian understandings of the morality of various musical practices, such as musical "styles," music in worship, or instrumentation. I learned that such understandings varied widely, from the Christians of the first century and a half, who have left little record of their thoughts on the matter ("the first hint of the polemic against pagan music appeared in the work of the late second-century converted rhetorician Tatian"), to converted Greeks clearly influenced by Plato and other pagan philosophers who also condemned certain musics as immoral, to the monastic desert fathers whose main musical activity seems to have been unadorned chanting of psalms, to post-Constantinian authors caught up in the finer points of developing liturgical traditions. Thus, while it is reasonably clear that the first generation church practiced a cappella singing in worship, it is less clear how much this was due to theological beliefs and how much it was due to the unsettled nature of the often-persecuted early church and its "birth" in the Jewish synagogue.

There are 398 excerpts in all, ranging from one sentence to nearly a page in length. Each excerpt, as well as each individual author, is helpfully prefaced by a brief explanatory note.

This book will answer some of your questions about how music has been viewed by the Early Church. It will almost certainly raise an equal number of new questions unanswered by the historical record, reminding you that Christians of each age, including our own, must "work out [our own] salvation with fear and trembling" anew by God's Spirit in light of His Word.

Scholarly and fascinating--highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
Easy piano arrangements of 50 songs kids love to sing and play, including: Awesome God * Clap Your Hands * Deep and Wide * Friend of God * Hallelu, Hallelujah! * Here I Am to Worship * I've Got Peace like a River * Jesus Loves the Little Children * More Precious Than Silver * Seek Ye First * Sing to the King * This Is the Day * This Little Light of Mine * Zacchaeus * and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

**
Songs are more for younger kids.Also, many duplicated songs from books we already had or from the hymnal.

My Kids Love To Get Their Praise On
I bought this book three years ago at a bookstore in Indianapolis for probably twice what Amazon is selling it. Although I now realize I could have bought this book for much cheaper, I am still glad I made the purchase. We often get the songbook out during our family devotionals in the evenings. Our girls (ages 4 and 7) prefer selecting from their 101 songs as opposed to the Baptist Hymnal. :-) Although my wife plays the guitar a little, we mostly use the book as I play the recorder. My oldest daughter is seven and is currently taking piano lessons. I am hoping one day we will sing the songs from this book as she plays the piano.

A true blessing!
This book has been such a blessing to my family. It is perfect for my aspiring pianists with its right hand melody and simple left hand. The songs do not exceed the challenge of one or two sharps or flats per song or simple two key chords. It is rewarding for my children to be able to play familiar praises. The songs are simple, but still singable.

Excellent, comprehensive
I started playing mandolin about a year ago and got a fakebook with a bunch of classic songs.It included several hymns and children's songs, including Jesus Loves Me and He's Got the Whole World in His Hands.I learned these and decided to use my skills to play along and sing with the kids in the 2 and 3 year olds Sunday school class (they didn't know I was a lousy mandolin player!).The kids really liked it and had some requests for other songs.I searched the Internet and found this book on Amazon.When I got it, I was really happy with the content.It's got almost every song you'd sing in a traditional Sunday school class, and even a few non-traditional :)It says its for piano/vocal/guitar but you can think of it as a Fakebook Deluxe.It's got the lyrics, chords (with guitar fingering chart for each), melody line (treble clef), and piano treble/bass clef.There's enough musical information there for any instrument to play simple melody, chords, or something more creative.

If you're working with Sunday school kids (or any group of Christian kids) and need some music, I'd really recommend this one.

The Christian Children's Songbook
I highly recommend this songbook for children choir. The songs arrangement are easy to follow. In addition, the choice of songs are well thoughtout. ... Read more

Product Description
Now you can play along with 11 top Contemporary Christian hits with this pack featuring professional accompaniments on CD. Songs include: Be Exalted, O God * Firm Foundation * First Song That I Sing * Greater Is He * Holy * Million Pieces * My Redeemer Lives * Spoken For * Think About His Love * To Ever Live Without Me * Undeniably You. ... Read more

Product Description
13 songs recorded by today's top CCM artists. Songs include: Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song) * Emmanuel * Welcome to Our World * While You Were Sleeping * and more. ... Read more

Product Description
50 songs from top artists are featured in this updated edition, including: Awesome God * Can't Keep a Good Man Down * El Shaddai * The Great Divide * I Can Only Imagine * Jesus Freak * On My Knees * People Need the Lord * Testify to Love * Voice of Truth * and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Book does have melodies
I don't understand the previous reviewer's (Linda) comments. I did not buy this book but I looked at the sample pages. If all of the songs are like the example, they do include the melody and also a separate arrangement along with the lyrics. The arrangements are easier than I like, but I do like that there is a melody with chord symbols. I also prefer spiral bound books, which makes it easier for the book to lie flat.

A waste of Money
This book is a total waste of money for me.I tried to find a return address to send it back, but none is supplied.I guess they are keeping that a secret.It isn't entirely a "song" book or a recital playing book, but an accompaniment book that really doesn't have melodies as such, but is designed for use with other instruments. A real disappointment. ... Read more

Product Description
Early Christianity was largely an auditory society--hearing was believing. This book explores the auditory environment of first-century Judaism and the essential role of music in Christianity until the time of Constantine. This guide is essential for all who work with contemporary liturgical music because it examines the unifying, expressive role of music at a time when "full, active participation" in liturgy was the norm. ... Read more

Product Description
Even fallen humans compose beautiful symphonies, music that touches emotions as nothing else can. Resounding Truth shows Christians how to uncover the Gospel message found in the many melodies that surround us. Theologian and musician Jeremy Begbie believes our divinely-inspired imagination reveals opportunity for sincere, heartfelt praise. With practical examples, lucid explanations, and an accessible bibliography, this book will help music lovers discover how God's diversity shines through sound. Begbie helps readers see the Master of Song and experience the harmony of heavenly hope. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Intersting and Insightful
Begbie draws on numerous disciplines such as music theory, music history, philosophy and Christian theology to explore music and Christianity.He also connects with modern culture and how music is approached in both sacred and secular contexts.Among the most interesting points were his discussion of time and creation and how they relate to our view of music.It's a very well written book, and was more interesting and easier to read than most academic books.Because of the depth of theological discussions this book would probably even be of interest to people who are interested in Christian theology even if music is not a primary interest.

Profound insights into music by Jeremy Begbie
RESOUNDING TRUTH: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music (Engaging Culture) (Paperback) by Jeremy S. Begbie

Jeremy Begbie is professor of Theology at Cambridge University.Most of his work deals with cross-pollination between Christian theology and the arts.There is currently a Youtube link with a fine presentation by Begbie called "THE SENSE OF AN ENDING: The Musical Self" from University of California TV back in the 90s.[...]
After seeing that video (which you can buy online and I recommend), I wanted to read his writing and finally found this reasonably priced volume aimed at a non-academic audience. It is a kind of introductory course on how Christians have sought to understand what music really is and to discover both the source of, and proper uses of, the powers of music to enhance life and deepen faith.He starts with a historical review of thought on the subject including classical views and includes a nice section on Luther's views on music--as well as of Calvin, Zwingli, and other influential Christian thinkers.He includes the work of several "modern" composers with a spiritual bent.(E.g. He discusses how these have found ways torepresent timelessness as well as temporality in their works.)He discusses the tensions between composer and performer.He discusses the ambivalence of many Christians regarding the fleshly and the spiritual powers of music.He overviews everything that the Bible says about musical instruments.

In the main part of the book he presents his own work and thoughts on the subject, covering but amplifying what is in the Youtube video.It is very thought provoking, profound, and wonderful--a rich and pretty much non-technical presentation.I imagine a musician would get more out of it than me, but he lets the reader share in a musician's insights.As a confessional Lutheran, I am irritated to see the word "Theology" taken to mean merely "thinking about God" (beyond what can be derived from the Scriptures), but at the same time, I believe that thinking about God in all aspects of life, including music, and seeking all kinds of sound wisdom is a worthwhile activity, as long as it supplements and serves rather than replaces in our life the bigger foundational messages of the Scriptures.In Begbie, you get a beautiful and compelling picture of how a Christian's life work is enriched by integrating it with his faith.He is a world-class scholar, a fine Christian and a gifted teacher.He is NOT a modernist or post-modernist in his views, but appears to be Biblically sound, committed to following the teachings of Scripture rather than deconstructing them.

... Read more

Product Description
A great, easy-to-use collection of just the chords and lyrics to 80 hits from today's top CCM artists. Includes: Abba (Father) * Alive * Awesome God * Don't Look at Me * El Shaddai * Find Us Faithful * Friends * The Great Divide * He Will Carry You * His Strength Is Perfect * I Will Be Here * Just One * Live Out Loud * Love Will Be Our Home * A Maze of Grace * Oh Lord, You're Beautiful * Pray * Run to You * Speechless * Testify to Love * Via Dolorosa * and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great music book
This book is very helpful. I especially like the part about how it shows you what chords you are going to play at the begining of each song, under the title.It includes many popular songs.One down side is the size of the book.It is good for practicing but not for playing with 2 or more people together.(this written by the 11yo boy who uses the book) ... Read more

Product Description
There is music inside all of us, especially children! That's how God created them, and so making music comes naturally to them. Teaching children to make their own music on a keyboard (and to find joy in it) is what Music in Me is all about. Each book in this unique series is designed to help them understand both musical and Biblical concepts at the same time. Early exposure to music theory - especially harmony and ear training - plus an understanding of how music "works" will provide today's children with a strong foundation for becoming tomorrow's church musicians. Music in Me includes five levels, and each level includes five coordinating student books: Lesson (Reading Music); Theory and Technique (Understanding Music); Creativity (Writing Your Own Music); Praise and Worship (Solos to Play); and Hymns and Holidays (Solos to Play). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent beginner program from a Christian perspective!
We've been using these books and have had more success using them than the other methods we tried.The books lay it all out simply and clearly, and I really like the fact that there are 3 books per level - a lesson book, a theory book, and a hymns and songs book so they can begin playing REAL songs right away!Our children enjoy playing the piano because of these books. As well, they give Biblical reasons for playing music and scripture is lightly interspersed throughout, which is great. I highly recommend them.

Fantastic beginner book for anyone
This book is the easiest to learn from for anyone. It starts off by showing you the hands and how to number your fingers (from 1 - 5). It goes into showing you the keys of the piano and then how to play the simplest songs. My children are now ages 5 and 8 and have been playing in this book for about 6 months. They can now play several songs without even looking at the book. I initially purchased the book to use as a homeschooling tool but with the pressures of regular curriculum I let it go. The kids pick up the book on their own and will play for hours. I have even learned several songs because it's so simple to understand. If you can count to 5 and recognize those same numbers, your child (or you) will be able to learn to play the piano (or in my case, a keyboard). ... Read more

Product Description
What’s the best worship style for my ministry? Traditional hymns? Country? Rock? Rap? Discover insights from the bible, missions, psychology, and the entertaining history of our hymns. Go beyond emotional appeals to 'the way we’ve always done it' and 'what the praise team likes.' Josh McDowell: 'A well-documented, biblically based, and culturally relevant insight into the debate on contemporary Christian music. For every mom, dad, and pastor, this book is a must.'College president Robertson McQuilkin: '…addresses a church-splitting and generation-splitting issue with thorough scholarship and irenic spirit. He persuades with a gentle approach that respects opposing viewpoints, and he charts practical ways for local churches to incorporate newer forms of music while maintaining harmony in a music ministry for all.' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

David Cady (Dalton, GA)
Mr. Miller has created an exceptional work by explaining the development and acceptance of different types of religious music for churches.After reading this book, I am more open minded about the development and use of contemporary Christian music.

A Complete Explanation and Guide to Christian Music

This book is perfect for our times. It is my experience that churches, pastors and congregations are totally confused and uninformed regarding music for their church. Mr. Miller gives a fair and complete explanation of all kinds of music and what it means. The objective view is based on the Bible. I think before we can argue about the "Comtemporary Christian Music Debate" we need to be well informed on every level. Mr. Miller does just that. The book helps to clarify what is true and what we have heard from others. Every Christian needs to be informed on this subject. His research is both fascinating and extensive. This unique treasure of information is a must for anyone searching true answers on Christian Music.

Francine Larson, Co-Author of "Character Keys to a Bright Future."

Biblically Balanced Look at Worship Music
Great Historical Background to a Current Debate
By "Book Heaven" (Georgia)

There is nothing more divisive than the type of music used in churches across the country on Sunday mornings. Yet, do we need to quarrel? Author Steve Miller provides a biblical framework for deciding what type of music will speak to the hearts of people. What other criteria should we use? The best sections of the book deal with the history of church music. Great lessons are here! Can't wait for an updated version to be written by this writer.Comment | Permalink | Why no voting buttons? We don't let customers vote on their own reviews, so the voting buttons appear only when you look at reviews submitted by others.
... Read more

Product Description
Theology, Music and Time shows ways in which music can deepen our understanding of the Christian God and his involvement with the world. Without assuming any specialist knowledge of music, the author explores rhythm, meter, resolution, repetition and improvisation, and through them opens up some of the central themes of the Christian faith--creation, salvation, eschatology, time and eternity, eucharist, election and ecclesiology. He shows that music can refresh theology, giving it new ways of coming to terms with God. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A true surprise
Begbie skillfully deals with a much neglected topic.He draws in the reader and expands the way one looks at both theology and music. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An Invaluable Resource
For anyone even remotely interested in a career in Christian music, GETTING STARTED IN CHRISTIAN MUSIC is a must-own book.

GETTING STARTED IN CHRISTIAN MUSIC, edited by Reed Arvin, features twelve chapters, written by thirteen individuals, covering most of the major issues that a new artist or writer faces. While a good book on the business of music, in general, will always be helpful there is much that is unique to Christian music and that is what makes this book so valuable. With contributors like Arvin, Charlie Peacock, Scotty Smith, Steve Green, Margaret Becker, and Joel Lindsey you know you're hearing voices that know of what they speak.

The book breaks the issues down into three sections: those facing artists and writers, only artists, and only writers. Subjects are discussed in an open and honest fashion, and the writers don't pull punches when it comes to potentially sensitive issues (such as whether one should even be seeking this sort of career in the first place). Arvin himself deftly covers the hot-button chapter on music vs. business. Harold Best's chapter on the role of music in worship is stellar, and should even be read by all those who lead worship in a church-only setting (especially in today's worship-booming environment). Other remarkable chapters include those on the history of Contemporary Christian music, Christians in the general market, the relationship between an artist and the local church, and the entire section on songwriting. It is hard to select only a few, though, since every section in the book contains a plethora of valuable information.

GETTING STARTED IN CHRISTIAN MUSIC will help new talent intellectually, emotionally, and practically. The advice offered is solid, and the opinions presented well thought out. For those entering the business, or even those who want to spectate from the outside in a knowledgeable fashion, this is one instance where a small investment will pay off handsomely in the long-run. A full FIVE STARS ... Read more

Product Description
Happy baby will shake the rattle attached to the plush board book. A simple introduction to the Psalms and to David will plant seeds of faith in young hearts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Its My Sons Favorite!
My son loves the Baby Faith dvds.They are his favorite thing to watch!He likes them more then Baby Einstein.They capture my sons attention.I think they are great they incorporate colors, puppets, toys, music and Bible stories into these dvds.They are great and I highly recommend them!

Great video
We absolutely love the God Made Me series.We have all of the DVDs in the series and I highly recommend them for children birth to 4.This is the only video that will actually stop my 1 year old in his tracks to sit down and watch, which is a great accomplishment since he rarely sits down.Our boys all loved the videos as newborns as well.They are very well done!

Puppets and More
This video has a mixture of music, puppets, and pictures to look at while the music is playing.This is my daughter's least favorite one.The Giant scene bothers her a little.She asked several questions about what happened to the giant.Probably better for smaller babies who wouldn't understand anything going on, on the video.

baby dvd
This series trys to copy baby einstein dvd's. While it is very corny, my baby and 4yr. old are obsessed with it. I have bought more!

Awesome
This is the story of David for babies and children.Baby faith has created a bunch of baby videos with books to go along with each one. And the illustrations are great.The fuzzy baby head is fun for my child to play with along with the shaker that comes with this book.Great books for kids! ... Read more

Product Description
Contemporary culture is irresistibly drawn to lists of all sorts. Drawing on its unique history and extensive resources, CCM Magazine presents an entertaining and informative book brimming with intriguing details about the winning songs, plus a wealth of fascinating and fun sidebars that bring Christian music, its artists and lyrics alive to readers. Songs have been selected by an eclectic group of journalists, industry professionals and fans–all representing the diversity of ages and musical styles embraced by Christian listeners. The book covers nearly 30 years of music history, making it of equal interest to early fans of Larry Norman and Sandi Patty as well as the latest fans of the Newsboys and P.O.D. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Interesting Reading
The book, like any list of 'top' songs, is very subjective but focus on learning more about the songs or artists themselves. Many of these songs have helped me in my Christian walk and knowing the circumstances they were written in helps enhance my understanding of them. If you truly enjoy CCM I recommend hunting down a copy of this book.

Interesting Stories but Flawed Ranking of Greatest Christian Hits
This well-intentioned book attempts to rank the greatest Contemporary Christian songs from the first four decades of the genre.Though some of the stories about how the songs were written are interesting, the major problem is the ranking totally favors songs from the 1990s and short-changes the much greater early Christian hits from the 1960s and 1970s.

The top 20 songs get the full multi-page treatment.Then songs 21 to 60 each get two pages, and the remainder just get one page each.Most of the older songs are left for the end, so some of the truly classic Christian hits only receive a couple paragraphs, while newer artists that will probably have little impact 40 years from now are given the full-blown treatment.

And there is way, way too much Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith in this book--Amy has the most songs on the list. The problem is she didn't write all of the great songs she is known for--and instead of focusing on the songwriter they focus on the performer, which decreases the credibility of the book.At one point the author states disbelief that even though Grant won four Dove Awards for Artist of the Year, "Oddly enough, Grant has never won the lesser title of Female Vocalist of the Year."It's not that odd, considering Grant is not known as a great singer. The entire book weaves Grant, Smith and Rich Mullins throughout, even in sections where they don't need to be mentioned.

There are some errors in the book, with a big one being that Barbra Streisand sang Bill Gaither's song "He Touched Me."(She sang a different song by that title.)

The voting system for the songs was also flawed, by giving half the weight to consumers (which will favor the more recent songs).And if they had 250 great songs to pick from (as stated in the text), why didn't they include 250 songs in the book?

One other problem--there is a companion CD set that is promoted in the book.If they couldn't get the rights to include the song on the CD set, does that mean it was not included in the book?It appears that the list may have had some commercial purposes and not been totally based on merit.

middle of the road
O.K., on the one hand, I really like the stories behind the songs that are included in the book.On the other hand, I think they chose the easy songs--as usual in the music industry, "greatest" translates as "the song that is the most popular or makes the most money."I would have liked the songs to have been picked on a bit more deep an aesthetic.Still, I enjoy the book, and find it inspiring.Best part of the book?The other contemporary artists who talk about the songs and what they mean to them.The most useless part?The inane lists throughout the book (ten OTHER songs about flying....).I'd still recommend reading the book, but don't get your expectations too high.No surprises in this one.

Superb But With Several Of The Greatest Songs Missing
This is a very interesting and fun to read book for any fan of Contemporary Christian Music.In addition to listing some of the greatest songs in Christian music, the book also contains a story to go with each song.

It was a pleasure to read this volume and compare my personal list of the top 100 to those by the authors.In many, if not most, cases, I tend to agree with the selections here.There are also several that I think should be included that are not.Part of that is undoubtedly a matter of preferring certain genres to others.In some cases, I have a hard time understanding why a few of the songs would make this top 100 list, but I'm sure that others would question my list as well.

The authors faced a formidable task in trying to come up with the top 100.There are so many great songs in Contemporary Christian Music that perhaps they should have compiled the top 250 or so.

Just coming up with the criteria for such a list is undoubtedly a great challenge.After debating possible approaches, Tori Taff and her collaborators came up with these requirements:The song had to originate with CCM 'songwriters/artists and initially (or simultaneously) be nationally distributed to the Christian market', and the song had to 'be distinctly faith-evident.'These guidelines prevented the inclusion of Christian leaning songs by primarily secular artists such as U2 and also songs by CCM artists that were not clearly 'faith-evident'.I think the guidelines are very sound for such a project.

After coming up with the guidelines, Ms. Taff and her helpers had to come up with a weighting method.They settled on basing it on 50% from Christian music industry professionals and 50% from a random sampling of 2500 subscribers to CCM Magazine.I think the mix of methods is a good one.I think that perhaps the sample size of Christian music fans might have been better if it were somewhat larger and perhaps not just limited to subscribers.Had they also included CCM readers who are not necessarily subscribers, perhaps it might have been a bit better.Nevertheless, that is really just speculation on my part.

There are many very interesting stories about how the songs came about.A couple that I found particularly interesting were 'Shine' by the Newsboys (page 34) and 'Dive' by Steven Curtis Chapman (page 179).

Regarding songs that I think should have been included, but were not, here are a few:

'God' by Rebecca St. James
'Yes, I Believe In God' and about 10 other songs by Rebecca St. James
'These Thousand Hills' and about 10 other songs by Third Day
'Blessed Be Your Name' by Tree 63
'King' by Tree 63
'I Need Thee Every Hour' by Jars of Clay
'God Will Lift Up Your Head' and about 10 other songs by Jars of Clay
'Strong Tower' by Kutless
'Indescribable' by Chris Tomlin
'I'm Not Ashamed' by Newsboys
'Entertaining Angels' and about 10 other songs by Newsboys
'I Still Believe' by Jeremy Camp
'Restored' and about 10 other songs by Jeremy Camp
'Colored People' by dcTalk
'Red Letters' and about 10 other songs by dcTalk
'Hands And Feet' by Audio Adrenaline
'Good To Be Alive' by Geoff Moore and The Distance
'Evidence of God' by Geoff Moore and The Distance
'Who Am I' and about 10 other songs by Casting Crowns
'Fly Away' by FFH
'What If' by Nichole Nordeman
'Free' by Ginny Owens
'We Live' by Superchick
'Oceans From The Rain' by Seventh Day Slumber
'Who Is Like Our God' by Skillet
'This Fragile Breath' by Todd Agnew
'Only Grace' by Matthew West

I could actually come up with quite a few others.Although I really enjoyed this book, I only gave if four stars due to some of the omissions listed above.I would like to see the authors do another book of the top 250 songs in Christian music.In spite of that, I would highly recommend this book to any fan of Contemporary Christian Music.
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Product Description
Countless musicians have been inspired upon hearing Charlie Christian for the first time. In this exciting book, the author has compiled 39 precise solo transcriptions (in notation only), as well as a thorough analysis of each. There is also a complete "how to" section that is a book in itself. The author has recorded each transcription in slow and fast versions on two CDs. The book contains some of Charlie's best work including the Jam Sessions at Minton's, John Hammond's Spirituals to Swing concert and the Celestial Express Blue Note Recordings. Charlie Christian was the first to popularize the use of the electric guitar in jazz. He was the pioneer who led the way. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Very Good Book
I give it 4 stars. It's a very good book, it would been 5 stars had it had solo's in a tab form. What he does is give you the notes and what string their on. I am at the point where I have learned where most of the notes are on the fret board. I wouldn't call this a beginner's book. It's more for the intermediate to advanced guitar player.

A complete course of the genius
This book contains a thorough analysis of Charlie's playing. The author demonstrates a system for analyzing the chord shapes from which Charlie based his soloing and includes many many examples for you to try. The text is clear, with enlightening insight into Charlie's style and choice of notes. It also contains several transcriptions, although because of copyright issues, they tend to be from lesser known recordings (although transcriptions of the Minton's playhouse solos are included). I bought this book along with "Charlie Christian - The Definitive Collection", and found that to be a good combo. If you want to learn how to play like Charlie Christian, this book will not let you down.

Anatomy of a Genius
I have always admired Charlie Christian's accomplishments as a musician especially considering his death at a very early stage in his career. I marveled that someone so young could play at such a high level so soon in his career....With this book I discovered that genius IS simplicity.Charlie Christian's playing was the perfect combination of economy and grace.I never 'got it' until this book deconstructed his style and laid it out for me in the most basic terms.... within days I was able to actually USEwhat I learned from this book and now I am rethinking my entire approach to the guitar!I highly recommend this book for the serious guitarist and the rabid Charlie Christian fan as well... In fact, I thought so much of it that this is the first and ONLY review I have ever written on Amazon... But I just had to tell somebody how valuable this book is... it's the kind that can change everything.
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