Music and Theology

The scholar Robin A. Leaver holds a unique place in sacred music scholarship because of his training in both music and theology. He has written widely, bringing acute insights on a variety of musical repertories and topics related to Martin Luther, sixteenth-century psalmody, hymnody, and the sacred music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
In Music and Theology, twelve scholars influenced by Leaver's work contribute essays in diverse areas of sacred music history and philosophy, focusing on the intersection of music and theology. Ranging chronologically from the twelfth-century writer and composer Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) to present-day considerations of American church music and worship, the volume provides thought-provoking new work for all who study church music. Reflecting the prominent emphasis in Leaver's own scholarship, eight chapters deal with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, including his organ music, sacred cantatas, and passion settings. A final chapter provides a chronological listing of Leaver's own voluminous writings on music and theology.

Daniel Zager is head of the Sibley Music Library at the Eastman School of Music and also serves as associate professor in musicology and sacred music.

Part 1 Preface
Part 2 1 "The Soul Is Symphonic": Meditation on Luke 15:25 and Hildegard of Bingen's Letter 23
Part 3 2 Early Lutheran Hymnals and Other Musical Sources in the Kessler Reformation Collection at Emory University
Part 4 3 Tradition with Variations: Chorale Settings per omnes versus by Buxtehude and Bach
Part 5 4 Bach's Preluding for a Leipzig Academic Ceremony
Part 6 5 Bach's Setting of the Hymn Tune "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" in His Cantatas and Organ Works
Part 7 6 Historically Informed Rendering of the Librettos from Bach's Church Cantatas
Part 8 7 The Role of the "Actus Structure" in the Libretto of J. S. Bach's Matthew Passion
Part 9 8 Two Unusual Cues in J. S. Bach's Performing Parts
Part 10 9 Johann Sebastian Bach and the Praise of God: Some Thoughts on the Canon Triplex (BWV 1076)
Part 11 10 Bach and Dresden: A New Hypothesis on the Origin of the Goldberg Variations (BWV 988)
Part 12 11 A Is for Apple: The Search for an American Church Music; or the ABCs of American Church Music: A Is for Apple, B Is for Billings, and C Is for Chapman
Part 13 12 Beauty and Terror: What Have We to Sing; What Has Worship to Pray?
Part 14 13 Robin A. Leaver: A Bibliography of His Writings
Part 15 Index
Part 16 About the Contributors