Musical Offerings ⦁ 2024 ⦁ Volume 15 ⦁ Number 1 13 Musical Offerings 15, no. 1 (2024): 13–22 ISSN 2330-8206 (print); ISSN 2167-3799 (online) © 2024, Emma Ross, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Making Music in the House of God: How Augustine Influenced Jean Calvin and Martin Luther’s Opinions on Musical Worship Emma Ross Cedarville University ne of the most debated and divisive topics of church history has been the role of music in worship. Many formative philosophers and early church fathers, such as Augustine, Boethius, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian, expressed strong opinions regarding music. These views range from the prohibition of any music during worship to the encouragement to include instruments to accompany singing. Theologians such as Jean Calvin, Martin Luther, and Ulrich Zwingli also wrote extensively about music during the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century. However, these great minds of the Reformation did not arrive at their conclusions without influence. Notably, Jean Calvin and Martin Luther’s opinions on the use of music during worship were influenced by Augustine; however, his influence resulted in different individual conclusions. The influence Augustine exerted is striking due to its longevity—his opinions impacted the reformers over a millennia after he died. Calvin was directly influenced by Augustine and made copious references to him in his writing. Luther was more circuitously influenced by Augustine’s concept of music as a gift from God. This paper aims to trace Augustine’s influence on Calvin and Luther’s theology of music to understand how one theologian’s influence could result in such disparate conclusions. Augustine of Hippo’s opinions about the role and purpose of music were generally stricter than his Christian contemporaries. Christian writers during the post-Nicene period of the fourth century recognized the moral degeneracy of the Roman Empire and resisted the pagan musical practices of the day. They promoted the use of psalms and hymns in worship to counteract the secular musical traditions. Most of the worship from this time was monophonic chant, sung without instrumental accompaniment. Some philosophers, such as Clement of Alexandria, a O
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