Musical Offerings, Fall 2019

82 Ryan ⦁ Music next to Theology including concepts such as the Virgin Mary, monasticism, private confession, communion, and music. His views on music are clearly pertinent to this topic. Unlike John Calvin, Luther held broader views on the use of music, both instrumental and vocal, in the worship service. Luther famously said of music: “Music is next to theology.” This quote is seen many different times and in many different contexts throughout his writings. 1 For him, music was a medium through which to communicate the truth of scripture in art form. What he believed to be a tight-knit relationship between music and theology was essential to his theological methodology because music provided an alternative route through which fundamental theology could be taught and expounded. Music in the church, then, had the primary function of proclaiming the Gospel—to be the viva voce evangelii , or the living voice of the Gospel. 2 For Luther, music was not only a means through which to communicate the Gospel, but it was also a means of response to the Gospel. In other words, he considered music to be the only natural human response to Christ’s saving work. Music was a gift of God, able to create joyful hearts, drive away the devil, produce delight, and usher in peace. For proof of this, Luther pointed to the Psalms: “And we see how David and all saints put their pious thoughts into verse, rhyme, and song.” 3 Luther clearly believed in the marriage of music and theology in the Christian life and church. Any perspective indicating that music and theology were mutually exclusive of each other within the church bearing Luther’s name would not authentically represent the essential nature of Lutheran theology. It is clear that the church of Bach’s employment did not fundamentally believe in a separation of music and theology. Thus, the Lutheran church would not have relied on the services of Bach if he did not have a proper understanding of Luther’s theology and the church itself. If Bach had been hired in such a manner, his employment would have stood contrary to the very words of Luther when he said that music is next to theology. Rather, because of the tight-knit relationship between music and theology in the Lutheran church, it stands to reason that 1 Timothy Wengert, ed., The Pastoral Luther: Essays on Martin Luther’s Practical Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: 2009), 271–272. 2 Robin A. Leaver, “Johann Sebastian Bach: Theological Musician and Musical Theologian,” Bach 31, no.1 (2000): 19–20. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41640463 . 3 Ibid., 19.