Musical Offerings, Fall 2019

Musical Offerings ⦁ 2019 ⦁ Volume 10 ⦁ Number 2 81 Musical Offerings 10, no. 2 (2019): 81–91 ISSN 2330-8206 (print); ISSN 2167-3799 (online) © 2019, James H. Ryan, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ) Music next to Theology: The Impact and Influence of Martin Luther’s Reformation on Johann Sebastian Bach James H. Ryan Cedarville University wo hundred and sixty-nine years after the death of Johann Sebastian Bach, his name is still recognized, and he is regarded as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, musical composers of all time. His impact on the arts and on music specifically is unquestionable. Although his musical contributions were both sacred and secular, perhaps one of his most impressive bodies of work is that of his sacred music. A church employee as a Lutheran cantor for many years of his life, part of Bach’s job was to write a new cantata for performance every Sunday. This imposing quantity of music written for the church naturally calls into question what Bach himself thought of the church and of God. Was Bach merely a musician employed by the church who wrote exceptional sacred music, or was he a theologian of sorts as well? The following research makes it evident that Bach was, in fact, more than just a musician. A member of the Lutheran church, Bach was strongly knowledgeable in theology as well as heavily influenced by the Reformation and Martin Luther. In Bach’s day, the Reformation was nearing two hundred years old and still shaping the music culture. Thus, in order to truly understand the theology and music of the Lutheran church, and in turn, Johann Sebastian Bach, one must begin with the founder of the Lutheran church and one the great reformers, Martin Luther. Martin Luther: Music next to Theology When people think of the Reformation, many names may come to mind, but Martin Luther’s rises to the top as the very first father of the Reformation. Luther’s theology extended to many different fields, T