Robert Dabney is plain here: “Eushemonos” was that sedate dignity and seemliness which the gospel requires of the Lord’s freedmen, the same dignity, exalted and spiritualized, which the Greek ethics exacted of the free–born citizens. “komos” was condemned, partly because it was in contrast with this dignity.  

1 – 100 AD

The Church fathers early displayed an antipathy toward stage acting and performing. While this is not a focus of my concern, this hostile attitude slips over into popular entertainment and musical theater which does influence the attitude towards the American Songbook.

The opposition to popular entertainment has been motivated by three main concerns: 1) to react to the violent and morally repulsive Roman public entertainment spectacles,    2) to react to the medieval Roman Catholic perversion of public worship,

3) to react to the combination of both these influences in post-Reformation Europe.

The long history of asceticism in Christianity stemming some from roots in Greek philosophy and some from misinterpreting the Bible gave fertile ground to the conception that everything physical was sinful and thus to be avoided.

The power of musical rhythm is to be distrusted as from the impure and overwhelming impulse of Dionysius. Popular music, which appeals to the emotional and sentimental nature of the soul and not the rational, intellectual nature of the individual, is to be distrusted.

Unfortunately, an endorsement of popular songs from Clement of Alexandria (150-215), in his work The Instructor, (Book 2, chapter 4) did not carry the day. Clement went to great lengths to equate the joy and thanksgiving expressed in the Psalms (and elsewhere in the Bible) to the joys of proper celebrating with food and drink in Christian fellowship of his day.

I start with a Pagan Greek before “God came in the flesh”:

4th Century BC

Plato (424 BC – 347) If Alford North Whitehead, the English 20th century philosopher, is correct and that “the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.” Then perhaps a brief note on the famous Greek philosopher is in order, even as I note the Church’s opposition to popular entertainment. For Plato music and lectures must be strictly censored because young children are malleable and absorb all to which they are exposed.

Socrates claims, “A young thing can’t judge what is hidden sense and what is not; but what he takes into his opinions at that age has a tendency to become hard to eradicate and unchangeable” (Republic, 377-391). Unable to distinguish between good and bad and, therefore, garner examples of how not to behave from bad tales, children will only use bad examples to justify their own bad behavior. Through the telling of carefully crafted tales, parents will shape their children’s minds and souls. Socrates says that anything in youth “assimilates itself to the model whose stamp anyone wishes to give to it.”

Thus, vulgar and immoral entertainments should be banished from proper human consumption for at least a period of time and ideally for good. The early Church was quick to accept this platonic notion.

Plato who had plenty to say about music and harmony and the soul of Man. He said there is a cosmic harmony in the universe and that music is the audible imitation of the inaudible music of the heavenly bodies (spheres). Furthermore, of all the arts, music is the one which most directly represents the intelligible harmonic order of reality. In our earthly life we live a life of rage against our physical and moral limitations. Music ministers to that rage as it calms us and make us gentle and unites us with the created harmony of the heavens (Republic, Timaeus).

1st century

Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Col. 3:2, 5, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthy things.” “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”

A typical ancient commentary on these verses came from Babai the Great (551-628), the monastic leader, “You should realized that you are walking on the edge of a sharp sword, that you are standing on the edge of a precipice with a ravine on either side. Do not let your thoughts be upset by things here on earth, but keep your mind’s gaze on ‘Jerusalem which is above.’ Think of what is above, and not of what is on earth. Ensure that you let go of everything which belong to this world (Letter to Cyriacus).

Gordon Fee presents a more balanced view of the Pauline thought: “The most common response to our relativistic and immoral culture is not discrimination, but rejection. This text suggests a better way, that one approach the marketplace, the arts, the media, the university, looking for what is ‘true’ and ‘uplifting’ and ‘admirable’, but that one do so with a discriminating eye and heart.”

Romans 13:13, “Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.” Galatians 5:21, “The acts of a sinful nature are obvious: envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Peter 4:3, “For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do – living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.”

The key word in these three verses is “komos” which can be translated “carousing,” reveling,” or “riotous living.”

Charles Hodge argues that the term refers to “the common boisterous carousing of intemperate young men.” Marvin Vincent notes the following: “The word originally signifies merely a merry-making, most probably a village festival, from kowmo (Greek for “village”). In the cities such entertainments grew into courses, in which the party of revelers paraded the streets with torches, singing, dancing, and all kinds of frolics.    These revels also entered into religious observances, especially in the worship of Bacchus, Demeter, and the Idaean Zeus in Crete. The fanatic and orgiastic rites of Egypt, Asia Minor, and Thrace became engrafted on the old religion.” In Roman 13 the contrast is explicitly made with “eushemonos” which can be translated “honest,” “decent,” or “becoming.” It comes from the combining of “well” and “fashion” or “form.”    Thus, “a worthy and noble walk or style of life.” This is the outward, manifestation of a person’s character not the inward, essence of someone. The Pauline/Petrine focus by using this term is the dress, the actions, the talk, the conduct of a person and not necessarily the true character. The point being, what someone does with their body matters, regardless of motivation or bent of that person.

Robert Dabney is plain here: “Eushemonos” was that sedate dignity and seemliness which the gospel requires of the Lord’s freedmen, the same dignity, exalted and spiritualized, which the Greek ethics exacted of the free–born citizens. “komos” was condemned, partly because it was in contrast with this dignity.

More Church leaders speak out in later blogs.

Bob Case is a 1974 graduate of Covenant Theological Seminary, where he was editor of the student newspaper, SALT.  He worked for many years as published of a local newspaper in Washington state, and is currently the Director of the World Journalism Institute.  He blogs at Case In Point where this article first appeared; it is used with his permission. 

[Editor’s note: the original URL (link) referenced in this article is no longer valid, so the link has been removed.]