Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns, How Pop Culture Rewrote the Hymnal

I won't make any evaluation myself of this book, though the subject is one that interests me greatly. There are already several good reviews of Gordon's book on English Amazon's sister U.S. WWW site, Amazon.com. I further commend to those who wish to have an evaluation of this book (one that happens to be positive) to see Michael Howell's review of it in "Forward in Christ" (which is an North American Anglican Traditionalist periodical), vol. 3, no. 5 (Nov./Dec. 2010), on page 21, stating, in part, that traditional hymnody has not lost its relevance, that it matters, that it still is being written and composed, and that those who dismiss "traditional" hymnody assume too negative an evaluation of youth's and congregations' ability to appreciate it and to profit from how it furthers genuine worship of God.There is no need to put up with slipshod and shallow music and texts in current worship, be it Lutheran, Protestant, Anglican, sectarian, or Roman Catholic!

There is a good chapter in the book on our culture's fetish with all that's new and contemporary and how churches generally follow the culture and thus have abandoned hymns in exchange for shallow choruses. Had the author stuck to this theme and then fleshed it out, highlighting the lack of meaningful and deep theology in our churches, it would have been a better book. Rather, the author keeps coming back to his disdain for guitars in worship. I understand his point and agree that a guitar is generally speaking, a poor instrument for accompanying four part harmony (despite the fact that I play guitar). But our churches need more of Christ, not only in our singing, but also in our preaching. For this reason the book gets 2 stars.

Ótimo livro. Realmente uma análise nevessária para que reformemos nosso louvor, ou para que o defendamos de maneira biblica e que honre a Deus

T. David Gordon has done the unthinkable in modern evangelicalism: he has challenged the Contemporary Worship Movement.And his challenge should be heard.Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns is a clear, concise analysis of the Contemporary Worship which occupies many churches on Sunday mornings, and provides articulate and thorough reasons for those involved in church music to reconsider the incorporation of such music. Gordon rightly points out how modern music is associated with the spirit of contemporaneity in the culture, which treats tradition and history as things to be disregarded in favor of what's new and hip. He addresses the nature of ritual and how (contrary to the way society and mainstream evangelicalism currently think) ritual is not an inherently bad thing, but is rather a right and necessary component to the Christian faith. He points out the inconsistencies of Contemporary Worship's understanding concerning casual vs. reverent attitude in relation to church, using the example of a preacher who doesn't wear a tie while preaching, but was sure to wear one for another occasion which had nothing to do with worship before Almighty God. And he encourages churches to go back to teaching the congregations hymnody, which contains some of the most treasured, most instructional, and most uplifting songs for Christians to sing.This book is a must read. For the one who believes in traditional and liturgical worship, this book will reinforce the advantages of such a method of worship, and articulates the justification in a well-written, cohesive argument. For those who maintain that Contemporary Worship is both acceptable and good for the church, Gordon challenges such a stance, not with empty, emotionalized criticisms, but with honest and challenging questions--an approach which ought to be welcomed by any Christian brother or sister when disputes arise.Get this book. If you have it, get a copy for somebody else. It's money well-spent, and time well-taken.

I have read several books of this genre. The whole church music debate (great divide, actually)has created friction, contempt, and scorn among people who should be united in thought and intent on one purpose, to be built up in the faith.I have been driven from churches that assaulted my ears with rock and roll at such a loud volume I couldn't possibly "worship." I tolerated music in order to assemble together with fellow believers. I debated a "worship leader" at length following a Sunday morning service where he announced (following a horrendous blues rendition of some song of questionable biblical accuity) that anyone who doesn't "like" this music doesn't understand worship. Having been deeply offended by contemporary worship leaders on numerous occasions, I can safely assert here that I feel passionate about this topic.T. David Gordon writes a treatise from a scholarly standpoint about how culture has altered our entire view of music. He is definitely from the traditional school, but presents a well-researched document. Other reviewers here have already expressed different aspects of the book to which I have nothing to add. I would challenge everyone to read this, and especially if you are a contemporary only person, carefully consider his argument. His view that worship should be a formal event, since we are worshipping a holy God is a refreshing change from the "come as you are and leave as you are" invitation extended by many modern churches today.

In spite of the breezy title, this is not light reading. Dr. Gordon is a media ecologist (a branch of cultural anthropology) and he delves deeply into the reasons why church music has radically changed in recent years. While he comes from a more liturgical tradition than I do, I found myself in agreement with about 95% of what he has to say--things that I've been teaching and writing about myself for years.Gordon notes how pop music has saturated our culture, and how many churches have felt it's their job to provide the same kind of music for their congregations. But he contends that contemporary music styles cannot effectively communicate more than a smattering of God's truth. Further, a steady diet of this genre has rendered hearers virtually incapable of singing with understanding the great hymns of the church. In the mistaken notion that the church must keep up with current culture, its musicians have effectively robbed God's people of their heritage.This is a book that should be required reading in seminaries, and should be studied by every pastor and worship leader.