Why Worship Leaders Should Study Theology & Where To Begin
In his article, “Why Worship Leaders Should Study Theology,” Dr. David Toledo offers his points and ultimately concludes by asserting that “. . . theology always shapes doxology” and that “Every decision concerning the worship within the local congregation comes from a certain theological presupposition.”[1] Matthew Y. Emerson and Christopher W. Morgan make a similar claim regarding the whole canon of Scripture, stating, “At a minimum, theology is always implicit in the text.”[2] I personally believe both assertions to be true, and if they are, the implications for the worship leader are quite significant and weighty.
If worship [doxology] is shaped by theology, then that means we are either teaching good theology or bad — possibly heretical — theology to our congregations with every song or piece of liturgy that we select and lead them in, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Yes, God is Sovereign. Yes, the Holy Spirit can (and will) move despite us. Yes, our song lyrics and liturgical selections still matter. Assuming that this is true, it becomes increasingly evident that worship leaders ought to study theology. That said, it’s difficult to decide which areas of theological study to exclude (since all of it is important), but if I were to recommend a starting place today for the worship leader without a background in theological studies, I would advise them to begin with these five domains of theology: Scripture and Revelation, Theology Proper, Anthropology, Christology, and Ecclesiology. Within these five domains are even more specific topics I would recommend, each of which I’ll cover and explain my reasons for below.
Within the Scripture & Revelation theological domain, the study of “Canon & Reliability of the Bible” is of particular importance for the worship leader because the Bible — the assumption that Scripture is true, inerrant, and authoritative — is the foundation on which all other theology is built. Again, if the worship leader’s job is to help ensure that the congregation learns good theology, then they should first ensure that the foundation is strong enough to support other, more specific areas of theology. If the Bible is not true, inerrant, and authoritative, the rest falls apart.
It should be obvious, but I’ll say it regardless. Since the worship leader’s ministry context is within the church, they ought to study Ecclesiology to become as familiar as possible with the church’s corporate forms of worship, such as Baptism and The Lord’s Supper.
The next three areas of study [Theology Proper, Anthropology, and Christology] are of equal importance in my opinion, as they all work together to help us rightly understand who God is, who we are, and how we can have a relationship with God. Within the domains of Theology Proper, Anthropology, and Christology, I find some specific points of study to be especially important for the worship leader. The study of “The Trinity” is important since this Trinitarian nature distinguishes the God of Christianity from the gods of other religions. If our worship were to be observed by a non-believing, neutral party, it should be clear that we are not worshiping a generic god but God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In addition, “God’s attributes” help to set him apart from other gods, thus they are important for the worship leader to study. Many songs today will make assertions about God that are simply not true. The modern worship leader must be able to spot these songs and exclude them from the church’s repertoire to safeguard sound doctrine, as Timothy is urged to do by the Apostle Paul in his letters to him.
Within the theological domain of Anthropology, I find the study of “Human Nature, The Fall and Sin” to be important, as such study will assist the worship leader in their task of helping everyone in the congregation to understand (rightly) their own depravity and their position of need for God’s mercy. Lastly, I would urge the worship leader to engage in a life-long study of Christology, as worship ought to be focused on and directed towards Christ. Christ was given the name above every name and God has exalted Him (Philippians 2:9, ESV), Christ is worshiped in Heaven as the Lamb of God (Revelation 5:12, ESV), and Christ is God (John 14:7, ESV). Again, it is not to say that other areas of theological study aren’t important, but I feel that these five specific domains of study (and the specific sub-sections within each of them) are the most important areas to begin one’s journey of theological study. It hopefully would not end here, but these areas comprise what I believe to be a firm foundation and a strong start for the person who has no training in theology.
Bibliography:
Emerson, Matthew Y., and Christopher W. Morgan. Journal of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary 1 (n.d.).
Toledo, David M. “Why Worship Leaders Should Study Theology.” Artistic Theologian 1, no. 2 (June 12, 2021): 17–25.
