“Worldview and Music in God-Centered Worship: Reclaiming the Keystone of Christian Culture.” Cultivating God-Centered Worship (2021)

The magisterial Protestant Reformers held to the doctrine of sola Scriptura, the belief that Scripture alone, as the Word of God, is the only source sufficient to guide the Church in all matters of Christian faith and practice. Standing on the authority of God’s Word, these men held to a unity or cohesion of truth as revealed through Scripture (special revelation) and Creation (general revelation). Such understanding of truth is essential to the Christian worldview, which was instrumental in the establishment of Western society and culture. Central to this worldview are two aspects of God’s being—that He is both transcendent (far above us; infinite in majesty) and immanent (near us, sustaining Creation). Until the later part of the eighteenth century, the Church employed this understanding as one of the foremost patrons of the arts in Western society. However, due to radical shifts in worldview, the Church no longer takes such a vital role in the formation of culture; and contemporary values diminish the arts as an autonomous vehicle of expression. Yet, there is hope for a revitalization of the arts. Join Shawn Eaton as he teaches how God’s truth may inspire the Church anew in crafting music for corporate worship—that we may reclaim the Christian worldview as the keystone of Christian culture.

“How the Composer’s Worldview Shapes Musical Meaning: Haydn’s Creation and the Enlightenment.” Artistic Theologian 5 (2017)

Haydn’s Creation, composed in 1798, is one of the most successful oratorios of all time. This is demonstrated not only by its positive reception, but by its longevity in performance even to the present day, including performances in theologically orthodox churches, universities, and seminaries. Interestingly during the eighteenth century, European society saw dramatic changes in musical style and culture, as well as religious and philosophical thought. These changes were fueled by (1) the acceptance of natural theology, a theology based entirely upon rationalism that denied tenets of revealed truth as was commonly held by proponents of the Christian Church; and (2) the shift in musical patronage from that of the aristocracy and the Church to that which was created primarily for the growing middle class. In this new structure, the influences of a middle-class, consumer-driven system of musical economics increased the desire for music as a form of expression that was accessible to all.

Haydn’s Creation represents a musical response to, or outworking of, certain tenets of Enlightenment thought, reflective of the aforementioned cultural shifts. In this light, Haydn’s Creation may be said to represent a considerably different set of compositional goals and musical values from those of earlier major choral works with biblically based libretti, most notably oratorios by George Frederic Handel.

Developing the Male Head Voice. (This paper was written during my doctoral studies.)

Achieving a healthy, consistent, and satisfying head voice can be one of the biggest challenges that male singers face during vocal training. This paper outlines select strategies for head voice development with a focus upon the tenor voice, as this is the category of male voice that employs head voice to the greatest extent. In an effort to facilitate the instruction of baritones and basses, the end of the paper provides a short discussion regarding particularities faced in the development of their upper register.