History

When did churches start using instrumental music?

Christian History August 8, 2008
MikeNG/Shutterstock

When did churches start using instrumental music? Are there churches today that still only use a capella music?

—Mark

Though we know that early Christians sang during worship, they probably used no instruments. Nearly all of the backgrounds from which early Christians came-Jewish, Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and more-had instrumental traditions, but these traditions carried negative associations. Most church fathers saw the use of instruments in Jewish worship as a "childish" weakness, less glorifying to God than words of praise. In pagan worship, instrumental music and debauchery were often linked, as this fourth-century manuscript suggests:

"[I]n blowing on the tibia [pipes] they puff out their cheeks … they lead obscene songs … they raise a great din with the clapping of scabella [a type of foot percussion]; under the influence of which a multitude of other lascivious souls abandon themselves to bizarre movements of the body" (The Story of Christian Music, p. 28).

Unaccompanied vocal music continued to be the norm in Christian worship for centuries. Then, in about the 10th or 12th century, Western Christians began to use the organ in the liturgy. (The organ had been used in processions and possibly as a call to worship centuries earlier, but it seems to have made its way only slowly into the actual liturgy.) By the 15th century, organ music was widely accepted in the Roman Catholic West, though it never caught on the Orthodox East. The Coptic and Ethiopian churches, by contrast, have their own musical traditions, which make use of ancient percussion instruments.

The Reformation kicked off large-scale worship wars. When the major western traditions picked their positions, they looked broadly like this: Catholics retained instrumental and organ music performed only by musicians (the congregation was not invited to sing along, and members couldn't have followed the complex music anyway), Calvinists opted for unaccompanied congregational psalm-singing, and Lutherans adopted a mix of instrumental and vocal music, some of which was performed by musicians and some of which was sung by the congregation.

A few western churches, such as the Churches of Christ, still eschew the use of instruments in worship. These churches tend to employ primitivist arguments: because there's nothing in the New Testament about instruments, and because the early church almost certainly didn't use instruments, we shouldn't either. Churches that do use instruments tend to find support in the Old Testament and to argue that while the New Testament says nothing positive about instruments, it says nothing negative either.

Copyright © 2001 by the author or Christianity Today/Christian History magazine. Click here for reprint information on Christian History.

Our Latest

The Just Life with Benjamin Watson

Stephen Enada: Exposing a Silent Slaughter

Unpacking the crisis facing Nigeria’s persecuted Church

The Strangest Enemy I’ll Ever Meet

Scripture speaks of death as an enemy Christ conquers—and the door through which we see God face to face.

Review

First Comes Sex, Then Comes Gender

A new book acknowledges both categories as biblically valid—but insists on ordering them properly.

In Politics, Contempt Is a Common Tongue

Antisemitic, racist texts show the need for spiritual and character renewal.

News

Government Shutdown Deepens Hunger Crisis

When paychecks and SNAP distributions stop, the food pantry line grows.

Jonah in an Age of Outrage

The prophet’s lesson is also ours: We must recover compassion for neighbor and enemy alike, or our words will be hollow.

Grassroots Efforts Bring Together Diverse Sects in Iraq

Interfaith group uses projects and dialogues to push for greater religious freedom.

Becoming Part of God’s Family

Weekly participation in ordinary church life isn’t flashy, but it is radical.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube