A profound power behind cultural formation
What we sing, stream and celebrate subtly calibrates our moral compass whether we wish it to or not.
Exegetical Sound
Discerning the Theology We Sing
When Lyrics Meets Doctrine
In an age where melody shapes memory and ideology is often embedded in entertainment, what we sing subtly calibrates our moral compass—often more potently than legislation or public policy. From pop anthems to worship songs, every lyric carries theological weight, whether explicit or assumed.
When Songs Shape Souls
“Let me make the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws.”
— Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun, Scottish politician and writer
Fletcher’s 18th-century insight proves prophetic in our digital age. What we sing, stream, and celebrate subtly calibrates our moral compass—often more potently than legislation or public policy. Music bypasses intellectual filters and embeds ideas directly into our affections. From pop anthems that preach existential hedonism to worship songs that blur biblical truth with poetic license, every lyric carries theological weight, whether explicit or assumed.
What You’ll Find Here
This pillar examines music through a Berean lens, testing what we sing against Scripture’s truth. Each analysis focuses on two key questions:
Is it theologically accurate? Using careful exegetical analysis, I examine whether lyrics align with biblical teaching about God’s character, salvation, human nature, and Christian living—or whether they subtly undermine scriptural truth.
What’s its proper context? I distinguish between music suited for different purposes:
- Corporate Worship: Songs that direct congregational focus toward God’s character, works, and worship-worthy attributes
- Personal Listening: Music that explores individual spiritual struggles, testimonies, or applications of faith in daily life
Three Primary Categories Under Examination
Secular Music: When popular artists make theological claims about God, spirituality, or meaning, these deserve biblical evaluation. I expect theological problems here but analyze them to understand how culture shapes spiritual thinking.
Contemporary Christian Music (CCM): Artists in this category often explore personal faith journeys, struggles with sin, and applications of gospel truth to life circumstances. While I expect creative license in personal testimony, the underlying theology should remain sound.
Worship Music: Whether traditional hymns or contemporary worship songs, this music serves corporate worship. Beyond theological accuracy, these songs should focus congregational attention on God Himself—His attributes, works, and worthiness of praise.
Article Format
Each analysis follows a feature article structure, beginning with either lyrical content or relevant Scripture that frames the theological evaluation. Through careful exegesis, I examine what these songs teach us about God, ourselves, and the Christian life.
Why This Matters
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
~ Colossians 3:16
Paul connects singing directly to letting God’s Word dwell richly within us. Songs are catechisms—they teach us who God is, what He’s like, and how we relate to Him. In a world where music bypasses intellectual filters and embeds ideas directly into our affections, doctrinal discernment isn’t optional.
What we sing is never neutral—it’s formative. And formation demands fidelity to truth.