There’s no denying the global impact of worship music from groups like Hillsong, Bethel, Jesus Culture, and Elevation. Their songs are sung in churches worldwide, but it’s time to consider whether we should stop.
While concerns about the prosperity gospel and theological issues promoted by some leaders within these movements are valid reasons for caution, there’s a deeper, more fundamental issue at stake. The most significant reason to reconsider using songs from Hillsong, Bethel, Jesus Culture, and Elevation is that their music embodies a flawed theology of worship – a “praise and worship” theology that subtly shifts our focus away from true, biblically-centered worship.
The Rise of Pentecostalized Evangelical Worship
These influential groups all operate within a Pentecostal theological framework of worship. Pentecostalism, emerging in the early 20th century, merged Methodist holiness traditions and revivalism with the belief that the miraculous signs of the apostolic age continue today.
This continuationist theology and specific understanding of the Holy Spirit’s work led to a significant redefinition of worship, moving away from Reformed traditions towards practices they believed were more aligned with New Testament teachings. Charismatic theologians argue that the Holy Spirit’s primary role in worship is to make God’s presence tangibly known, enabling worshippers to genuinely encounter Him. This emphasis results in what’s often termed “Praise and Worship” theology, prioritizing physical expressiveness and heightened emotional intensity in worship services. In this view, experiencing God’s presence becomes the central goal of worship, with praise serving as the key means to achieve this encounter.
Understanding “Praise and Worship” Theology
At the heart of praise and worship theology is the quest to create a “blueprint for a worship service” designed to help worshippers “enter the presence of God.” This theology hinges on the idea that praise, as depicted in Scripture, is intrinsically linked to God’s presence – indeed, it’s seen as the very vehicle for accessing that presence. Psalm 22:3 is a cornerstone verse for this perspective: “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.” Early Pentecostal thinkers like Reg Layzell and Bob Sorge emphasized this interpretation, with Judson Cornwall stating that “the path into the presence of God [is] praise.”
This understanding creates a distinction between praise and worship. Cornwall suggests, “Praise is the vehicle of expression that brings us into God’s presence. But worship is what we do once we gain an entrance to that presence.” Thurlow Spurr elaborates on this separation:
Praise and worship are not the same. Praise is thanking God for the blessings, the benefits, the good things. It is an expression of love, gratitude, and appreciation. Worship involves a more intense level of personal communication with God, centering on his person. In concentrated worship, there is a sort of detachment from everything external as one enters God’s presence.
Darlene Zschech, former worship pastor at Hillsong, exemplifies Praise & Worship theology, stating:
The word says that God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). It’s amazing to think that God, in all His fullness, inhabits and dwells in our praises of Him. … Our praise is irresistible to God. As soon as He hears us call His name, He is ready to answer us. That is the God we serve. Every time the praise and worship team with our musicians, singers, production teams, dancers, and actors begin to praise God, His presence comes in like a flood. Even though we live in His presence, His love is lavished on us in a miraculous way when we praise Him.
This theological shift has profoundly impacted worship music itself. Ruth Ann Ashton’s 1993 book God’s Presence through Music highlights how musical style became critically important, leading to what Lim and Ruth term “musical sacramentality.” Music is now seen as a primary instrument for encountering “God’s presence… in worship.”
The Liturgical “Flow” of Praise and Worship Services
This theological framework reshapes liturgical practices. Praise and Worship services move away from traditional liturgical structures, aiming instead to guide worshippers through a carefully orchestrated emotional journey. The goal is to transition from energetic “praise” to intimate “worship.” Judson Cornwall describes this progression:
Praise begins by applauding God’s power, but it often brings us close enough to God that worship can respond to God’s presence. While the energy of praise is toward what God does, the energy of worship is toward who God is. The first is concerning with God’s performance, while the second is occupied with God’s personage. The thrust of worship, therefore, is higher than the thrust of praise.
Praise and Worship liturgy prioritizes the emotional “flow” of the music. Worship leaders are encouraged to curate a musical experience that begins with upbeat songs of thanksgiving, building emotional momentum towards “soulish worship,” and culminating in an intimate atmosphere. This may involve transitioning to softer music, creating space for what Cornwall describes as “a gentle sustained chord on the organ and a song of the Spirit on the lips of the leaders” to facilitate a prolonged worship response from the congregation. Zac Hicks emphasizes that leading worship flow involves “keeping the awareness of God’s real, abiding presence before his worshipers,” guiding the “worship service’s emotional journey.” Carl Tuttle underscores the importance of “grouping songs in such a way that they flow together” for a successful worship experience.
Early guides for worship leaders, such as David Blomgren’s 1978 The Song of the Lord, provided practical advice for achieving this flow. Blomgren suggested that worship flow should be continuous, natural (connecting songs through content, key, and tempo), and goal-oriented, aiming for a climactic experience of true worship. Technically, this involves sequencing songs with scriptural and thematic connections, using key signatures that allow smooth transitions, and arranging tempos (typically moving from faster to slower songs with similar tempos grouped together) to cultivate a growing sense of intimacy with God.
Reformed Worship: A Scriptural Contrast
This Pentecostal “praise and worship” theology marks a significant departure from the worship theology of Reformed Christians, which developed from the Reformation until the rise of American revivalism and Pentecostalism. Reformed worship theology, grounded in Scripture, emphasizes that emotion and singing are outcomes of the Holy Spirit’s work in a believer’s life, not triggers for it. Calvin Stapert clarifies this point using Ephesians 5:18–19 and Colossians 3:16:
“Spirit filling” does not come as the result of singing. Rather, “Spirit filling” comes first; singing is the response. . . . Clear as these passages are in declaring that Christian singing is a response to the Word of Christ and to being filled with the Spirit, it is hard to keep from turning the cause and effect around. Music, with its stimulating power, can too easily be seen as the cause and the “Spirit filling” as the effect.
Stapert warns against misinterpreting these passages to give song an undue “epicletic function,” transforming it into a means of manipulating the Holy Spirit. He argues that such a “magical epicletic function” was characteristic of pagan worship music, not Christian worship. The Holy Spirit works through the divinely inspired and sufficient Word and the ordinary means of grace.
Furthermore, while the New Testament describes Spirit-driven emotions in believers, such as the “fruit of the Spirit,” these are characterized not by ecstatic euphoria but by what Jonathan Edwards described as the “lamb-like, dove-like spirit or temper of Jesus Christ.” True “religious affections” shaped by the Spirit, according to Edwards, “naturally beget and promote such a spirit of love, meekness, quietness, forgiveness, and mercy, as appeared in Christ.”
This theology of worship leads to a corporate worship philosophy centered on biblically-regulated covenant renewal. In this model, God shapes his people through His Word, and they respond with adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and dedication. Songs and other worship elements are chosen not for their emotional impact or to induce God’s presence through music, but for how their content aligns with the covenant-renewal structure of the service.
The Subtle Infiltration: Pentecostal Theology Through Music
Pentecostalism’s shift in worship emphasis, from covenant renewal to authentic emotional experience, has had a far-reaching impact beyond Pentecostal churches. This theology, particularly through its music, has subtly introduced embodied Pentecostalism into broader evangelicalism.
In their insightful Concise History of Contemporary Worship, Lovin’ on Jesus, Swee Hong Lim and Lester Ruth convincingly argue that Pentecostalism, with its “revisioning of a New Testament emphasis upon the active presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit,” is a key influence on contemporary worship. They identify several ways Pentecostal theology has shaped contemporary worship:
- Normalizing physical and expressive worship.
- Elevating intensity as a desirable liturgical quality.
- Creating an expectation of tangible experience within worship.
- Establishing “musical sacramentality,” increasing the importance of the worship set and musicians.
Lim and Ruth emphasize that Pentecostalism contributed contemporary worship’s “sacramentality”—the expectation of encountering God’s presence in worship and the belief that music is a primary means for this encounter. This has fostered an “expectation for encountering God, active and present through the Holy Spirit.” Daniel Albrecht concurs, stating, “The presence of the Holy Spirit then is fundamental to a Pentecostal perspective of worship. The conviction that the Spirit is present in worship is one of the deepest beliefs in a Pentecostal liturgical vision… Their liturgical rites and sensibilities encourage becoming consciously present to God—even as God’s presence is expected to become very real in worship.”
This focus on the Holy Spirit’s direct activity often necessitates spontaneity and “freedom” in worship style. Structured or regulated worship is often seen as contrary to “Spirit-led” worship in this view. Lim and Ruth note that contemporary worship, influenced by this understanding of the Spirit’s work, often views “extemporaneity as a mark of worship that is true and of the Holy Spirit, that is, worship in Spirit and truth (John 4:24). This view of extemporaneity” is prevalent in “Free Church ways of worship.” Albrecht’s observation of Pentecostal worship has become a widespread expectation within evangelicalism:
In the midst of radical receptivity, an encounter with the Holy Spirit may occur. Pentecostals envision such encounters as integral to the worship experience. While an overwhelming or overpowering experience of/in the Spirit is neither rare nor routine for a particular Pentecostal worshiper, the experiential dimension of worship is fundamental. The liturgical vision sees God as present in the service; consequently, Pentecostals reason that a direct experience of God is a normal expectation.
This theological approach is embodied in the music of charismatic groups like Hillsong, Bethel, Jesus Culture, and Elevation. Sociologist Gerardo Marti notes that “Hillsong represents a compelling musical pathway to an emotional one-on-one connection to God.” He adds, “Hillsong worship involves the hopeful anticipation of the Pentecostal ego motivated to participate in an event-dependent effort (the gathering of worshippers) to surrender oneself with a characteristic openness to God… meant to lead the earnest believer to the deployment of spiritual power.”
It’s logical that groups with charismatic theology would practice charismatic worship. While we may disagree with their theology, their worship style is consistent with it.
The problem arises when evangelicals who do not subscribe to charismatic theology begin to worship like charismatics. This shift has largely been driven by the music produced by these influential groups. Marti terms this phenomenon the “Hillsongization” of Christianity. This is a critical point: using music from Hillsong, Bethel, Jesus Culture, and Elevation introduces embodied Pentecostalism into your church.
The Theology Embodied in Music
You might argue, “But the lyrics of the songs we use from these groups don’t explicitly teach Pentecostal theology.” While this might be partially true, and some lyrics do subtly or overtly reflect Pentecostal theology, the more significant issue lies in the music itself.
The music is intentionally crafted to evoke visceral emotional experiences, which are then interpreted as evidence of God’s manifest presence. This aligns perfectly with charismatic sacramental theology but clashes with the theology of non-charismatic evangelicals, especially those from Reformed traditions. Consequently, much of evangelicalism now worships in a charismatic style, even if their doctrinal statements don’t reflect that theology.
Consider this: what has a more profound impact on those in the pews – a doctrinal statement on a website, or the weekly experience of worship?
If you aim to avoid teaching Pentecostal theology to your congregation, then reconsider using music from Hillsong, Bethel, Jesus Culture, and Elevation. Because by using their music, you are shaping your people through embodied theology, whether you intend to or not.
You might then ask, “But doesn’t the music of many other contemporary worship artists also embody similar charismatic theology?”
The answer is yes, it often does.
Let us consider the implications carefully.
Update: followup post on how music embodies theology here and one on two kinds of worship music here.
References
| 1 | Bill Johnson, When Heaven Invades Earth Expanded Edition: A Practical Guide to a Life of Miracles (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, 2013), 34. |
|---|---|
| 2 | See Amanda Casanova, “Is Megachurch Pastor Steven Furtick Denying the Traditional View of the Trinity?,” ChristianHeadlines.Com, March 5, 2020. |
| 3 | Leonardo Blair, “Ex-Nanny of Former Hillsong NYC Pastor Carl Lentz Accuses Him of Sexual Abuse,” The Christian Post, June 1, 2021; Michael Gryboski, “Hillsong’s Brian Houston Says Sex Abuse Concealment Charges Are ‘a Shock to Me,’” The Christian Post, August 6, 2021. |
| 4 | Nicola Menzie, “Hillsong’s Brian Houston on Gay Marriage: ‘I Believe the Writings of Paul Are Clear on This Subject,’” The Christian Post, October 18, 2014. |
| 5 | See Tanya Riches, “The Evolving Theological Emphasis of Hillsong Worship (1996–2007),” Australasian Pentecostal Studies 13 (2010): 87–133; Bethel, “Glory Clouds and Gold Dust, Signs and Wonders,” Rediscover Bethel, 2021; Jeannie Ortega Law, “Bill Johnson Explains Why Bethel Is Praying for 2-Year-Old’s Resurrection,” The Christian Post, December 19, 2019. |
| 6 | Terry Law, How to Enter the Presence of God (Tulsa: Victory House, 1994), 69. |
| 7 | For a fantastic treatment of this text, see Matthew Sikes, “Does God Inhabit the Praises of His People? An Examination of Psalm 22:3,” Artistic Theologian 9 (2020): 5–22. |
| 8 | Reg Layzell, Unto Perfection: The Truth about the Present Restoration Revival (Mount-lake Terrace: The King’s Temple, 1979), 120–121; Bob Sorge, Exploring Worship: A Practical Guide to Praise & Worship (Canandaigua, NY: Oasis House, 1987). |
| 9 | Judson Cornwall, Let Us Praise (Plainfield, N.J: Logos Associates, 1973), 26. |
| 10 | Judson Cornwall, Let Us Worship (Plainfield, NJ: Bridge Pub., 1983), 49. |
| 11 | Thurlow Spurr, “Praise: More Than a ‘Festival.’ It’s a Way of Life,” Charisma 11, no. 6 (August 1977): 13. |
| 12 | Darlene Zschech, Extravagant Worship: Holy, Holy, Holy Is the Lord God Almighty Who Was and Is, and Is to Come (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2002), 54–55 Emphasis original. |
| 13 | Runn Ann Ashton, God’s Presence through Music (South Bend, IN: Lesea Publishing Co., 1993). |
| 14 | Swee Hong Lim and Lester Ruth, Lovin’ on Jesus: A Concise History of Contemporary Worship (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2017), 18. |
| 15 | Cornwall, Let Us Worship, 146. |
| 16 | Cornwall, Let Us Worship, 158. |
| 17 | Zac M. Hicks, The Worship Pastor: A Call to Ministry for Worship Leaders and Teams (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), 184. |
| 18 | Carl Tuttle, “Song Selection & New Song Introduction,” in In Worship Leaders Training Manual (Anaheim, CA: Worship Resource Center/Vineyard Ministries International, 1987), 141. |
| 19 | Lim and Ruth, Lovin’ on Jesus, 33. |
| 20 | Calvin R. Stapert, A New Song for an Old World: Musical Thought in the Early Church (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2006), 19–20. |
| 21 | Stapert, New Song, 20. |
| 22 | Jonathan Edwards, A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, New Ed. (Banner of Truth, 1978), 272. |
| 23 | For an explanation of this theology of covenant-renewal worship, see Scott Aniol, Biblical Foundations of Corporate Worship (Conway, AR: Free Grace Press, 2022) and Jonathan Landry Cruse, What Happens When We Worship (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2020). |
| 24 | Lim and Ruth, Lovin’ on Jesus, 17–18. The other four are youth ministry, baby boomers, Jesus People, and church growth missiology. |
| 25, 26 | Lim and Ruth, Lovin’ on Jesus, 18. |
| 27 | Daniel E. Albrecht, “Worshiping and the Spirit: Transmuting Liturgy Pentecostally,” in The Spirit in Worship—Worship in the Spirit, ed. Teresa Berger and Bryan D. Spinks (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2009), 239. |
| 28 | Lim and Ruth, Lovin’ on Jesus, 38. |
| 29 | Albrecht, “Worshiping and the Spirit: Transmuting Liturgy Pentecostally,” 240. |
| 30 | Gerardo Marti, “The Global Phenomenon of Hillsong Church: An Initial Assessment,” Sociology of Religion 78 (December 12, 2017): 378. |
| 31 | Marti, “Hillsong,” 382. |
| 32 | Marti, “Hillsong,” 384. |
