Date
4-26-2024
Department
School of Music
Degree
Doctor of Worship Studies (DWS)
Chair
Hanna Byrd
Keywords
Biblical Musical Meditation, Meditation, Scripture Meditation, Scripture Songs, Scriptural Lyrics, Scripture and Music, General Anxiety, Social Anxiety
Disciplines
Music
Recommended Citation
Brooks, Laurie P., "Restoring Functions of Christian Worship: An Examination of the Impacts of Biblical Musical Meditation on Anxiety" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5461.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5461
Abstract
Based on diagnostic interview data from the National Comorbidity Study Replication (NCS-R), an estimated 31.1% of U.S. adults experience anxiety at some time in their lives. This project outlines a mixed-methods research that examines the impact of music and Scripture, and illustrates the experiences of multiple individuals experiencing situational anxiety. For fifteen minutes, for seven days, the three groups listened to a cycle of three songs that depicted calming instrumental music, general worship music with promising themes, and positive lyrics or songs with lyrics based on Scripture. The three groups received varying treatments of music while completing a modified version of the Hamilton Anxiety Scale before and after. The results of the study demonstrate the impact Scripture lyrics have on each individual’s thinking and suggest that music with Scripture decreases general anxiety. The work is necessary because it illustrates the impact lyrics have on one’s thoughts and mind. The study also demonstrates how music, in combination with Scripture can improve one’s overall physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health.
