E-Tutorials

E-Tutorials are available at both the graduate and undergraduate level

Music, Liturgy, and Spirituality

Contemporary Trends in Church Music
Creating a Gathering for Peace
Hymnology: Past and Present
Methods of Musical Archaeology: The Origins of the Proper Chants of the Roman Mass
Processional Chants: A Pilgrim People Sings
Sacred Music in the Church: A History and Philosophy

Hymnology: Past and Present

Faculty: Dr. Martha H. Sobaje (Profile)

Description: In this e-tutorial the student will gain an understanding of the history of hymnology, those components that make up good hymns, and tools for effective use of congregational hymn-singing in the present day worship service.

Readings:

A Survey of Christian Hymnody by David W. Music & Milburn Price.
Hymns: A Congregational Study (Student Edition) by James R. Sydnor.

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Contemporary Trends in Church Music

Faculty: Dr. Martha H. Sobaje (Profile)

Description: The issue of contemporary vs. traditional music for worship has never been more controversial than it is today. This e-tutorial is designed for those who want to examine contemporary, traditional, and blended styles of church music, with the goal of forming some conclusions and philosophies for their own church situation.

Readings:

The New Worship: Straight Talk on Music and the Church (Expanded Edition) by Barry Leisch.
Worship at the Next Level: Insight from Contemporary Voices edited by Tim A. Dearborn & Scott Coil.

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Creating a Gathering for Peace

Faculty: Dr. Vivian Dettbarn (Profile)

Description: The purpose of this tutorial is to:

allow the student to explore various writings on the subject of peace
create a proposal for a peace/prayer event based on the ideas that have grown out of the assignments.

Required Readings:

The Road to Peace: Writings on Peace and Justice, by Henri J. M. Nouwen
Peace Is the Way: Bringing War and Violence to an End, by Deepak Chopra
The Future of Peace: On the Front Lines with the World's Great Peacemakers, by Scott Hunt
Living Peace: A Spirituality of Contemplation and Action, by John Dear

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Methods of Musical Archaeology: The Origins of the Proper Chants of the Roman Mass

Faculty: Dr. Christoph Tietze (Profile)

Description: James McKinnon and Christoph Tietze researched a cross-section of the same sources and came to some divergent conclusions. The student will study the methods behind each text and develop skills for further study.

Required Readings:

James McKinnon, The Advent Project: The Later-Seventh-Century Creation of the Roman Mass Proper.
Christoph Tietze, Hymn Introits for the Liturgical Year: The Origin and Early Development of the Latin Texts. Chicago: Hillenbrand Books, 2005

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Processional Chants: A Pilgrim People Sings

Faculty: Dr. Christoph Tietze (Profile)

Description: This course will explore the processional chants of the Mass (introit, gospel acclamation, offertory, and communion) and other liturgical and devotional services (e.g. Easter Vigil, Palm Sunday, and Holy Thursday processions, Stations of the Cross, etc). During this course, the student will examine the texts associated with each procession, the musical form of the associated chant, the historical context in which these processions were and are used, and some contemporary applications.

Required Readings:

Hiley, David. Western Plainchant - A Handbook. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1995.
(a) for students with some knowledge of Latin:
Graduale Romanum. Solesmes: Abbaye Saint-Pierre, 1973.
or
Graduale Triplex. Solesmes: Abbaye Saint-Pierre, 1979.
(b) for students with limited or no knowledge of Latin:
The Gregorian Missal for Sundays. Solesmes: Abbaye Saint-Pierre, 1990.

Optional Reading:

Christoph Tietze, Hymn Introits for the Liturgical Year: The Origin and Early Development of the Latin Texts. Chicago: Hillenbrand Books, 2005

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Sacred Music in the Church: A History and Philosophy

Faculty: Dr. Brian J. Taylor (Profile)

Description: This tutorial is designed to give the student a thorough grounding in the history of Christian sacred music with an emphasis on the theological and cultural influences which affected its development. This history will deal primarily with the dominant European tradition, but it will also look at non-Western traditions, both in terms of their own integrity and in terms of their interplay with the European tradition. In addition, it will examine a number of parallel developments from the last 200 years.

Required Readings:

The Story of Christian Music, Andrew Wilson-Dickson, Lion Publishing, 1992
Te Deum: The Church and Music, Paul Westermeyer, Fortress Press, 1998

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