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One of the paradoxes of evangelical history is the tension between cultural excellence and religious piety. We have often been suspicious of aesthetic excellence, opting instead for simplicity and heart-level devotional experience. Why does Scripture instruct us to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs? Does God care about how melodic the music is, or are such concerns an inevitable heart distraction from true worship? In this episode, Aaron sits down with special guest, Chris Horn, a trained chorister and elder at Watchorn Church, to discuss music, worship, and the timeless brilliance of Handel’s Messiah, composed at the same time as the Great Awakening. What did John Wesley & co make of it? Are the concerns of evangelical heart religion divorced from a piece of music as complex as Handel’s? How can evangelical churches begin to take musical aesthetics seriously again without succumbing to the aesthetic idolatry often found in the secularised choral tradition? How might musical excellence help the Church shape culture again?
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