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Sonic Theology I’m still writing and working. Liturgical Musicking. Homiletics. Shenanigans.

10/14/2026

Jim Bakker‘s son, James Charles ‘Jay’ Bakker, is reflecting on his “very complicated” relationship with his father, prior to the famed televangelist’s death. Click the link in the first comment for the full story. ⬇️

📷: Jay Bakker/Instagram; Michael Tran/FilmMagic

08/09/2026

The music group’s latest project was released as a surprise drop just a couple of days into their summer tour.

07/21/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲?

If you pictured a lone monk chanting in a cold stone hall, you are not entirely wrong.

You are just missing most of the story.

Monks did chant.
But they also staged full liturgical dramas, complete with characters, dialogue, and music written to bring biblical scenes to life inside the church itself.

Medieval music had range.

Outside those walls, it got louder still. Court minstrels. Wandering troubadours. Traveling performers who danced to it, argued about it, and improvised it on the spot.

It had rhythm.
It had personality.
It even had drama in the modern sense too, composers were not above a little musical gossip in their lyrics.

At Medieval Music Besalú, we study this entire world exactly as it sounded. From monastery to marketplace. Straight from the original manuscripts, not from someone’s guess about it centuries later.

Curious what a 12th century audience really heard, whether in a cloister or a courtyard?

Follow along this month.
We are about to show you.

Image: King David with a lyre, Worms Bible, fol. 3v, 12th century, British Library, Harley MS 2804

07/15/2026

Well ok now - so a few years ago now I fell into the podcast world and I've never escaped - I listen to mostly history podcasts every day and I think it's a powerful medium when used correctly. One of my favorites is Our Fake History, by Sebastian Major - it's a program about exploding the myths of history, which is basically aural catnip for me. The way he sets up his premise and also educates the audiences about the discipline of history is incredibly helpful in the work that i do, and I've learned a lot over the years from him.

So imagine my delight when he came to one of my shows and we got to nerd out (briefly) back stage - and the plans were laid for my visit to his show.

Here it is!!! it was a fantastic conversation and you can check it out - link in comments!

P.s. I haven't been posting much personally lately because i'm overwhelmed by all the terrible news. So this was a nice thing to think about posting.

artwork by ACTUAL PERSON Frank Fiorentino

06/29/2026

" ...so when I sat down at the piano in my classroom I opened the scriptures to John 6. I just began to write down what I was playing and singing. Pretty soon the bell rang and I knew I had to move into the Great Hall. I tossed the manuscript in the waste paper basket because I thought, 'This is not it!'"

Obviously, it was "it" as sixty years after its publication, Suzanne Toolan’s “I Am the Bread of Life” remains one of the most beloved and enduring hymns in Catholic worship. Read the rest of her story, in her own words, in our latest article. ⬇️

06/27/2026

William Shatner is deep in the trenches of crafting a heavy metal album with Mikkey Dee from Motorhead and Rob Halford from Judas Pries. Now, Blabbermouth reports that The Shat is considering putting together a stage show.

06/14/2026

Former Avalon member Melissa Greene is drawing attention after openly challenging traditional Christian views on homosexuality, arguing that Christian music and church life have long relied on the contributions of q***r people while refusing to fully acknowledge or affirm them. Speaking on Jen Hatmaker’s podcast, Greene said many churches and ministries have benefited from the gifts of gay individuals in worship and Christian music, but only so long as their identity remained hidden.

Greene’s remarks place the spotlight on a growing divide within Christianity over how the church should view homosexuality, Scripture, and inclusion. She suggested that her own theology changed over time as she questioned what she had been taught and came to believe that full LGBTQ inclusion should be embraced in both ministry and church life.

For many believers holding to historic biblical teaching, the comments reflect a broader effort to reinterpret Scripture on homosexuality and reshape Christian doctrine around modern cultural values. The discussion surrounding Greene and the rerelease of Testify to Love has therefore become about more than music. It has become part of the larger battle over biblical truth, repentance, sexuality, and the future direction of the Church.

06/07/2026

“Worship music can move and manipulate emotions, even shape belief. Songs with lengthy interludes slowly build anticipation toward a familiar hook. Or the band drops out so voices sing out when the chorus hits.

But current concerns about the manipulative power of worship music seem to have less to do with musical style and taste than with the people and institutions involved in the making and performance of it,” wrote Kelsey Kramer McGinnis in 2023.

The question we should ask is “whether those of us responsible for the worship set were trustworthy stewards and shepherds of the experience.”
https://chrst.today/4s2DjLr

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