tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8658278381862633277.post4349698704620009480..comments2023-03-08T21:11:38.952-08:00Comments on Te decet hymnus: Faith and MelodyChuck Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869991737804126944noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8658278381862633277.post-33477730828575855552008-09-08T11:45:00.000-07:002008-09-08T11:45:00.000-07:00Yes, you've put your finger on it, as is your wont...Yes, you've put your finger on it, as is your wont. It still leaves the pastoral challenge - but perhaps even that is less challenging than I posit here.Chuck Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06869991737804126944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8658278381862633277.post-22967107293178025222008-09-04T13:33:00.000-07:002008-09-04T13:33:00.000-07:00Hi Chuck!Fascinating post! I would (with fear and ...Hi Chuck!<BR/><BR/>Fascinating post! I would (with fear and trembling) attempt a beginning of an answer to this concern with a principle and an example. The principle is "All truth is God's truth," and the example is that of the traditores in the early church. <BR/><BR/>I think the "All truth" principle applies here because as we bear the imago Dei, not the least among the godly traits that we bear is creativity. So I do believe that (to an extent) the composer's personal faith can be separated from whether their tunes are useful for worship services. <BR/><BR/>And if you recall the episode with the traditores in the early 300's, the fact that certain priests had renounced Xity was determined inconsequential to the validity of the sacraments they administered - the sacraments drew their power not from the priests, but from God. In the same way, I believe that the faith of a composer is (mostly) irrelevant to the use of his tunes in worship. I would (as you do) make an exception for composers that are hostile to Xity.<BR/><BR/>Bryan ParkAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com