Augsburg Fortress

In Te Deum Paul Westermeyer demonstrates that he possesses the keen eye of an historian, the critical mind of a theologian, and the heart of a musician. Breathtaking in its scope, yet accessible in design, this volume fills a significant void in the literature—and does so with style and grace. Bravo!

This is a book for anyone interested in the history of the church’s song or the place that song has in our contemporary worship. Westermeyer writes for both the trained musician and the interested amateur and tells a significant story in an engaging and informative way.

In the spirit of the late Erik Routley, Paul Westermeyer has provided the church music community a cogent yet complete text on western church music practice centered on the people’s song. Westermeyer combines the rigor of a church historian and theologian with the experience of a practicing church musician—a rare combination. This book is more than a list of names, movements, and dates. It conveys a sense of the people and ideas that fill out the eras of church music in a readable and accessible style. Westermeyer helps us see not only where church music has been, but challenges us to use the experience of the past to make thoughtful decisions about the future.