Modern Worship music and historical grounds for the use of instrumental music in Christian Worship

Abstract

The subject of the study is the historical grounds for the use of instrumental music in Christian worship, acting as arguments in favor of the permissibility of the presence of modern worship music in liturgical practice, taking into account its inherent genre and style features. Modern worship music is performed as part of the divine service by the so-called "glorification group", whose composition is formed like a secular pop or rock band and in the vast majority of cases includes performers on electronic and percussion instruments. According to supporters of the inclusion of genetically secular music in the composition of worship, a number of testimonies (primarily sacred texts) indicate that there is no prohibition on the use of some special style of music, musical instruments, as well as dance movements within the framework of worship. The novelty of the research lies in a comprehensive analysis of the studies of musicologists and the evidence of sacred texts, which allowed us to substantiate the conclusion about the nature of the liturgical music of the temple and synagogue period. As a result of the study, the predominant role of monotony, improvisational and instrumental accompaniment in temple worship was established. At the same time, a gap in the continuity in the use of instrumental music between the temple worship and the liturgy of the early Christians was revealed – not a single confirmation of the use of instrumental music in the synagogue liturgical tradition was recorded. The provisions set out in the article are intended to lay the theoretical foundations for further study of the musical tradition of early Christianity as a necessary condition for understanding the diverse trends in modern liturgical music.