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Seeking Truth: Framing Contemporary Theomusicology

Seeking Truth: Framing Contemporary Theomusicology

Last updated on: September 29, 2025 at 5:49 pm by Alan Lechusza Aquallo

Seeking Truth: Framing Contemporary Theomusicology 2025-09-29T17:49:23-07:00 Alan Lechusza Aquallo

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Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8 NKJV).

The foundational 1991 work by theomusicologist/musicologist Jon Michael Spencer, “Theological Music: Introduction to Theomusicology,” continues to be relevant in today’s musical landscape. The opening of the work defines theomusicology as follows:

“Theomusicology is musicology as a theologically informed discipline. Borrowing thought and method from anthropology, sociology, psychology, and philosophy, it has as its subject the myriad cultural worlds of ethical, religious, and mythological belief. Theomusicological research into cultural/intercultural reflections on the ethical, the religious, and the mythological involves the study of music in the domain or communities of the sacred, the secular, and the profane. By examining the depths of sacrality, secularity, and profanity in the music of civilization’s many cultures, the theomusicologist can increasingly discern how particular peoples perceive the universal mysteries that circumscribe their mortal existence, and how the ethics, theologies, and mythologies to which they subscribe shape their worlds” (Bloomsbury Publishing).

The chapters of the text outline the trajectory that Spencer sought to have theomusicology engage.

Preface
The Domain of Theomusicology
Theomusicology’s Trinary Domain of Discourse
Augustine’s Trinary World as Paradigmatic Proof
The World of the “Secular City”
The Discourses of Theomusicology
Religious Belief, Conflict, and Change
Ethics, Morality, and Movements
Praxis and Pragmatism
Literature and Opera
Criticism, Lore, and Linguistics
Popular Culture and Postmodernism
Popular Music and Musical Theatre
Postscript
Bibliography
Index

This outline shows that Spencer did not see theomusicology as limited to a Western music tradition. Spencer noted the broad range of contact that music has in everyday life. Spencer, himself a musician, theologian, and scholar in African-American discourse, established a discipline flexible in nature, expansive in scope, critical in nature, and theologically founded. Yet, the current, 2024/2025, developments in theomusicology continue to privilege a Western musical tradition. These musical traditions dominate the discipline, positioning this area of musical criticism and analysis in a limited vantage point.

The other direction in theomusicology is to privilege the Black Church Musical genre. Here, there is a strong sense of civil justice, equity, and community involvement. Still, this direction refocuses the ownership and understanding of theomusicology from one perspective to another.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8 NKJV).

Photo | Hip Hop gathering | courtesy of Pablo Ortiz Gutiérrez, Wikimedia Creative Commons

Conflicting Views Of Theomusicology

The Repairers of the Breach Department of Theomusicology and Cultural Arts states,

“Through our MPOLIS (Moral Political Organizing Leadership Institute & Summit) trainings, we employ the principles of the moral fusion movement to teach the theory and practice of using diverse genres of music past and present as an organizing, empowering, and community building tool. Our goal is to bridge the commonalities between cultures and promote resistance art that speaks to the strength and power of a united and organized…we organize yearly national retreats for theomusicologists across the country and artists engaged or seeking to be engaged in social justice movements” (Repairers of the Breach, n.d.).

This description of the Theomusicology and Cultural Arts by the Repairers of the Breach points to the use of theomusicology as a location of social justice with an emphasis on Black musical expressive histories.

The Theosophical Society of America defines its use of theomusicology following a world music perspective.

“Music may be the most Theosophical art. Even without knowing the Three Objects of the Theosophical Society, composers and performers often promote them, and listeners experience their effects.

“The First Object of universal brotherhood comes forward in the very nature of music itself. Most music requires the involvement of at least two players, who must coordinate their parts with each other and interact as one.

“The Second Object comes forward when we perform or listen to the vast repertoire of sacred and ceremonial music produced by all cultures from prehistoric times to the present — from the throat singing of Siberian shamans and Tibetan lamas to the ethereal chants of Hildegard von Bingen, the choral masterworks of Johann Sebastian Bach, and the jazz-inspired meditations on God of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme. The study of music also incites people to a deeper understanding of science (through acoustics, music theory, and the harmonic ratios of Pythagoras) and philosophy (through aesthetics and the notion of cosmic harmony — the music of the spheres).

“The Third Object comes forward in the intention of many composers and performers to move an audience heart and soul, thus suggesting the spiritual powers latent in humanity by lifting people into higher states of consciousness. Almost everyone has had what I call transcendent musical experiences — peak or mystical experiences produced by listening to music. The symptoms run the gamut from chills along the spine to spontaneous weeping, from near-paralytic fascination to feelings of exaltation in which the boundaries of self dissolve” (Kurt Leland, Theosophical Society of America, n.d.).

It is the final point of the Theosophical Society of America, which confirms their Western musical history as the foundation of their limited musical inclusion. The inclusion of a world music ethic is still contextualized, included, and analyzed under the expressive hegemony and privileged hermeneutics of Western music.

“Some people venerate the great masterpieces of Western classical music — those capable of producing transcendent musical experiences — as if they were sacred scripture. Often such pieces reflect all three Objects of the Theosophical Society” (Kurt Leland, Theosophical Society of America, n.d.).

Discrediting contemporary music genres, as theomusicologist does, goes against the foundations of the discipline and the intent of Specer’s work. These limitations present a bias in an otherwise unbiased field of study. How can recent music genres that include Christian and/or faith-based values and narratives apply to these limitations? They don’t, and will be left unexamined by those working in theomusicology on a limited narrative. Contemporary Christian, faith-based music for religious communities and the younger generations is of high importance.

Genres such as punk, rock, pop, alternative, metal, and Hip Hop define the current musical profile. Each has its connection to and within Christian, faith-based music.

If the current, limited use of theomusicology is to be followed, each of these genres is not valued in its relationship to theomusicology. This is a dangerous perspective to hold, yet one which is more prominent than expected. Working in these contemporary musical genres, with a critical, dynamic, and genre-valued theomusicological analysis, is a wealth of work to express and publish for faith-based and non-faith-based communities.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8 NKJV).

Photo | Boston Hip Hop event | courtesy of Piotrus, Wikimedia Creative Commons

The Theology of American Popular Music: A Journal For Progress

As the editor of Theology of American Popular Music journal, Jon Michael Spencer (also known as Yahya Jongintaba) compiled articles that span the discourse of musical genres, with a consistent focus on the integration of theology.

“During its nine years of publication (1987–1995), the journal took a broad approach to its subject area, publishing scholarly essays on spirituals, the blues, rock, hip hop, and musical practices of the African and African-American church alongside a rich collection of archival documents recounting Black musical life from the 19th and early 20th centuries” (Duke University, November 2019).

Coming from the founder of the discipline, this journal and the included content establish the critical voice of theomusicology, which speaks to and talks about faith-based analysis of traditional Black cultural music genres and contemporary multiethnic, multicultural music genres again, through a faith-based analysis.

In the preface to the Journal, Spencer writes about his intent and process for theomusicology.

“[T]heomusicology [is] “a musicological method for theologizing about the sacred (the religious/churched), the secular (the theistic unreligious/un-churched), and the profane (the atheistic/irreligious) . . . principally incorporating methods borrowed from anthropology, sociology, psychology, and philosophy.” Jongintaba [Spencer] saw theomusicology as a distinct branch of musicological study akin to ethnomusicology. He further envisioned it as a way to drive scholarly interest in popular music, which was then still largely ignored by musicology (popular music studies was still very much in its infancy) and religious studies” (Duke University, November 2019).

It is in his words, the words of Jon Michael Spencer (aka Yahya Jongintaba), where we see the necessity to continue the direction of his work, which is stated and aptly applied.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8 NKJV).

Arguing For A New Christian Hip Hop Theomusicological Identity

Citing from the article “The Importance of Theomusicology, A Juneeteeth Special,” the formation of Christian Hip Hop as an extension of theomusicology is defined.

“Binding gospel study, analysis, and the application in orthodox, contemporary, revival, and reformist liturgical settings, Jon Michael Spenser addresses how music is used to express gospel truth, its absorption by church audiences, and how pop culture expressions are used in this subgenre. It is this collected work that lays the claim to the title of this musicological subgenre, “theomusicology” (theo — religious study; muscology — study of a particular style/genre of music). Originally contextualized in orthodox religious circles, Jon Michel Spenser’s work has expanded to include how soul, R & B, Funk, and the early developments of Hip Hop relate to and express church expressions as agency for pop culture signifiers. Jon Michael Spenser’s work lends itself to the construction and foundation of the four core elements of Christian Hip Hop: testimony, evangelism, discipleship, and biblically-centered lyrics” (emphasis added, Patheos, June 23).

Borrowing from the article, “Everything I Forgot, I Was Reminded By The MC5” (Substack, September 26), the outlined points for new directions of a critical musicological epistemology closely align with the foundations of Christian Hip Hop: testimony, evangelism, discipleship, and biblical-centered lyrics.

The Foundations For A Critical Musicology

The Message (meaning, intent, trajectory, cultural alignment)
Community (centered, importance, identity, relevance, signification/signifiers, historic-contemporary)
The Text (space-place, body, language/critical lexicon, lyric-centered)
Consciousness (active, positive, engaged ideology)
Testimony (personal, group, applied)
Activism (critical agency)

“These points are more than a constellation of techniques and definitions. They serve in the operation of activating a musicological epistemology founded on the value, importance, intent, and dynamics of music’s currency. Localizing any one point is a backward understanding of this forward-leaning discourse. A new musical epistemology demands the abandonment of historical research and writing agendas. The transformation must come from the inner workings of music as a socio-political change agent. This directive, and the subsequent lack of investment in the embrace of this progress, has been the fear of past musicological study. Taking a predetermined script to rewrite, changing the invested actors, is not a way to promote a current posture of creativity. The foundations of a new musicological epistemology, I argue, build on the crumbled ruins of past musicological strategies. In order to advance music, as a discourse, broadcasting agent of socio-political events, and a dynamic, expressive element, it’s well past the time to kick out the jams for a new level and approach to musicology” (Substack, September 26).

If these two critical musicological approaches are seated together, there is space for the progress of a new theomusicological epistemological approach. This, I argue, is found in the work of Christian Hip Hop.

Maintaining the integral, foundational direction of theomusicology, as contextualized and represented by its founder, Jon Michael Spencer (aka Yahya Jongintaba), this bridge expands earlier understanding and analysis of Christian Hip Hop. This movement forward advances theomusicological discourse, and Christian Hip Hop toward one rooted in the foundations of the discipline while opening the discourse to include current and historic trends in Christian Hip Hop. Further, the development of a network of analytical points to signify Christian, faith-based music can be applied to each of the contemporary music genres. In this analysis, Christian Hip Hop serves as the model for this expansion of the discipline.

“During its nine years of publication (1987–1995), the journal [Black Sacred Music: A Journal of Theomusicology] took a broad approach to its subject area, publishing scholarly essays on spirituals, the blues, rock, hip hop, and musical practices of the African and African-American church alongside a rich collection of archival documents recounting Black musical life from the 19th and early 20th centuries” (Duke University, November 2019).

This review of the journal, Black Sacred Music, articulates the directions that Spencer (Yahya Jongintaba) saw for theomusicology. Furthermore, the reviewer aptly notes Spencer’s (Yahya Jongintaba’s) qualifications and the critical, expansive discourse on theomusicology, as stated in Musicology as a Theologically Informed Discipline.

“In ‘Musicology as a Theologically Informed Discipline’ (8:1, 1994), journal editor Yahya Jongintaba lays out what he sees as the parameters of theomusicology as distinct from ethnomusicology. As he re-articulates the points about the interdisciplinary influences mentioned above, he also makes pointed critiques about the colonialist, Eurocentric, and racist roots of those disciplines. He suggests that “theology can, in turn, liberate the social sciences by its willingness to confront oppressive scholarly methods, constructs, and intents on ethical grounds” (Duke University, November 2019).

Together, these points stated, defined, and promoted by Spencer (Yahya Jongintaba), through his ongoing work as a theologian, cultural critic, and musicologist/ethnomusicologist/theomusicologist, we can discern the direction and inclusive intent of theomusicology as a critical discipline with wide-ranging dynamic epistemology and pedagogy.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8 NKJV).

Toward A New Christian Hip Hop Theomusicological Identity

Combining the point of the new musicological epistemology with the original foundational elements of Christian Hip Hop, a new Christian Hip Hop theomusicological identity would be realized as the following:

Testimony (personal, group, applied)
Evangelism (sharing the bible/gospel)
Discipleship (building community through liturgical pedagogy, shared experience, and lived realities)
Biblical-centered lyrics (space-place, body, and language/critical lexicon each founded on scripture and biblical truth)
The Message (meaning, intent, trajectory, socio-religious cultural alignment)
Community (centered, importance, identity, relevance, signification/signifiers, historic-contemporary)
Activism (critical agency and application of the discourse)

Together, this frames the work of Christian Hip Hop from the inception of a work through the responsibility of the artist to share their work with the community at large. This expanded scope does not devalue or replace the context of the original four elements. Rather, this expanded realization points to the necessity of the discipline to mature, infusing the energy of the current musical landscape.

Hip Hop, as contextualized in a Christian identity, has the potential to touch the ears, hearts, and minds of audiences within and outside of a faith-based musical environment. The progression of the discipline, Christian Hip Hop, confirms the critical trajectory of theomusicology along with the urgency noted by Jon Michael Spencer (Yahya Jongintaba), and involves the multiple, dynamic voices working within this genre. Integrating this new Christian Hip Hop theomusicological identity, the canon of Christian Hip Hop is firmly established.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8 NKJV).

Photo | Dizasta Vina at the Hip Hop Asili Festival | courtesy of Benix Mby, Wikimedia Creative Commons

Theomusicology Is Not A Simple Discipline

Given all the evidence provided by Jon Michael Spencer (Yahya Jongintaba), with the included review of the two mainstream ideologies of contemporary theomusicology, a gap in the discourse is revealed. One agenda bases its foundations on a Western musical hierarchy, an expressive colonial approach. The other privilege is a Black Church ethic that discounts the dynamics of Christian, faith-based contemporary music to be included in the theomusicological discourse.

I argue for the inclusion of these multiple musical genres to be read, analyzed, and contextualized vis-à-vis a contemporary theomusicological critique. Framing the seven elements of a contemporary theomusicology (testimony, evangelism, discipleship, biblical-centered lyrics, the message, community, and activism) aids in the original direction, intent, critique, and discourse founded by Spencer (Yahya Jongintaba). It is from this point that the dynamics of theomusicology can and will expand a critical apologetic for contemporary Christian, faith-based music to speak to both faith-based and non-faith-based communities. Following this trajectory, contemporary theomusicology becomes a viable critical epistemology and pedagogical approach for continued expansion, inclusion, and cultural relevance.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8 NKJV).

Musical Example, Holy Gabbana, “Jesus Saves”

My work focuses on contemporary music genres as they are read, analyzed, and critiqued through an applied Christian, faith-based theomusicology. The vocality of Hip Hop is of particular importance to my work.

A selected work by Christian Hip-Hop artist Holy Gabbana serves to articulate the seven points of theomusicology, which were previously argued and defined (testimony, evangelism, discipleship, biblical-centered lyrics, the message, community, and activism).

Each of these is noted in the compressed lyrics, visuals, and text of the work. The body politic of Holy Gabbana cannot be overlooked, as his tattoos serve to articulate the space-place, text, as well as community and testimony. The lyrics do not specifically cite a biblical reference. However, the meaning and overarching reference to scripture, fellowship, and transformation as a saving grace from God is soundly stated. Testimony and the message are stated repeatedly throughout the work, operating as a chorus. Discipleship and activism, as expected, are connected in this work as Holy Gabbana positions himself and his transformation as the example of how to live, follow, and obey the Lord.

Holy Gabbana — Jesus Saves (Official), posted January 2023.

From Robbing, Scamming, and Chaos to Preaching the Gospel! (MUST WATCH), Holy Gabbana, Testominy.

To read more from the Sweatpant Sessions, consider subscribing and following on Patheos.

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About Alan Lechusza Aquallo

Dr. Alan Lechusza is a scholar whose name has become synonymous with critical thought and cultural discourse. He is a thinker and writer who explores the world of popular culture with a critical eye. He holds a PhD and uses his deep, resource-rich understanding to question and redefine how we see art, power, and knowledge. His research covers various topics that aim to break down and rebuild our ideas about culture, artistry, and socio-political authority. Dr. Lechusza closely examines everyday cultural expressions in a way that challenges usual thinking. His writings make people think and view culture in new ways. Dr. Alan Lechusza wants to create conversations to inspire change and challenge our understanding of how we experience the world. You can read more about the author here.

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