CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN POSITIVE IMPACTS OF MUSIC ON RELIGION: CHRISTIANITY AS CASE STUDY

Abstract

Christian activities and especially worships have been greatly impacted and influenced since the introduction of the kind of musical ideas we have now, especially with Western modernization and influence in Nigeria. This has brought a development that cannot be denied and is so visible within Christendom. This has encouraged many if not all religious activities among Christians to give the music its rightful place. Consequent to the above, a lot of resources are being spent to ensure that music in every Christian gathering and Church is what it is supposed to be, as this is what has kept many in Christianity today. The thrust of this article is to look at what Christian music is all about, and this is examined under the place of Christian music in their worship and the impacts that are seen. Such impacts include; the life that music adds to the worship, the expression of religious experience through music, how it acts as a uniting force among the people, how music contributes to mobilizing the youths and empowering them and finally how music acts as a recreative activity.

Keywords: Music, Christian, Religious, Impact.