If not unison, then harmony.
by Ben Everson
Playlist Theology challenges decades of debate around church music by naming the real problem: we didn't love holiness too much—we grew suspicious of joy.
If you grew up conservative and still love the hymns and the reverence—but quietly wonder if some of the lines you were taught were drawn in the wrong places—this book is for you.
Ben Everson takes an honest look at what the Bible actually says about music—and what it doesn't. The result is a gracious framework that gives believers permission to rethink old applications without abandoning biblical principles.
Playlist Theology isn't an invitation to compromise. It's an invitation to think—and to find freedom where Scripture gives it.
Discover how music actually works, what Scripture says and doesn't say, where the real boundaries are, and how to lead your family and church with wisdom instead of fear.
It's time to stop arguing and start discerning.
Want the audiobook? Order at www.beneverson.com. Look for "Playlist Theology" in the top menu.
The chapter titles are as follows:
Why We’re Still Talking About This
What Went Wrong in the Past
The Emotional Weight of the Music Debate
How Music Works: The Forgotten Basics
What the Bible Actually Says About Music
Discernment and the Holy Spirit
Where Is Our Joy?
The Music Standard Quotient Detector
Music and the Flesh — What’s Actually Sensual?
Guidelines
Syncopation & Fear of the Body
The Beat
Music That Is Clearly Wrong for Everyone
Where Do We Go from Here?
Every Church Has a Flavor
When Batman Helped Me Finish the Book
A Word of Honor
Appendix A: Can I Enjoy Music That Isn’t “Sacred”?
Appendix B: The Demon Beat
Appendix C: Is Music Amoral?
“If ever a subject needed addressing, this book is it.”
DR. KENNY BALDWIN, CROSSROADS BAPTIST CHURCH IN BAILEY’S CROSSROADS, VA
“Challenging, encouraging, and liberating.”
DR. JOHN R. VAN GELDEREN, REVIVAL FOCUS MINISTRIES
“He offers us good medicine if we'll have the grace to hear him.”
DR. CHRIS ANDERSON, CHURCH WORKS MEDIA
“A rare combination of courage and grace. . . This book is both refreshing and necessary. ”
DR. KURT SKELLY, FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH IN FREDERICKSBURG, VA
“succeeds in bringing us back to the heart of the main thing.”
EDDIE ANDERS, GOSPEL MUSIC HALL OF FAME, (2000)
“Thank you, Ben Everson, for starting the conversation we've needed for so long! ”
STEPHEN JOSEPH BURKE, AWARD-WINNING PLAYWRIGHT AND COMPOSER
“clearly articulates what so many of us have learned over time. . . believers may walk on different melodic lines—traditional or contemporary—and still harmonize in the ears of God.”
DR. MICHAEL S. BRYSON, AWARD-WINNING COMPOSER AND EDUCATOR
“Ben is uniquely prepared to speak the truth in love on the important subject of music.”
DR. DAN DICKERSON, CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH OF MIDLAND, MI; BEN'S LIFE-LONG PASTOR
“geared for those of us who grew up with conservative music and still love it with all our hearts, and for young people with sincere questions. ”
DR. MICHAEL D. SPROUL, LITTLETON BAPTIST CHURCH, LITTLETON CO; CHAPLAIN, BRIGADIER GENERAL, USAF (RET.)
“. . . systematically dismantled my entire framework for looking at music by asking the all-important question, "What does the Bible actually say?" and the equally important question, "What does it not say?" Playlist Theology comes to some conclusions that are outside of my musically conservative comfort zone. But in doing so, it forces the reader to evaluate whether or not one's stances on music are truly Biblical. And that evaluation process is both illuminating and incredibly valuable.”
PASTOR MICHAEL K. REECE, JR., FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF BAY CITY, MI
Ben Everson spent decades helping Christians think clearly, sing boldly, and laugh a little while arguing less.
Ben Everson is an ordained evangelist, author, and one-man vocal orchestra known for his powerful a cappella music and down-to-earth teaching. With decades of ministry experience, he brings humor, honesty, and biblical clarity to one of the church’s most debated topics—music. His latest book, Playlist Theology, invites readers to trade confusion for discernment and rediscover harmony where division once ruled.