Secular Music, Sacred Space

When post-denominational evangelical and emerging churches incorporate secular music into worship services, it’s more than a gimmick to attract non-Christians; its use embodies beliefs about the importance of an individual spiritual journey, the boundary between the sacred and the secular, and the importance of lament in the life of faith.

April Stace is the Director of Field Education at The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church. She is the author of Secular Music, Sacred Space.

Introduction Chapter One: The Highway to Hell: Orientations in Ethnomusicology, Liturgical Studies, and Religious Studies Chapter Two: Falling Slowly: The Context for Popular Music in Worship Services Chapter Three: Blurred Lines: How We Define "Sacred" and "Secular" Chapter Four: Roar: The Power of Music In and Against the "Culture" Chapter Five: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For: The Deficits of "Sacred" Music Chapter Six: Hallelujah: Popular-Secular Music as a Language of Lament Conclusion