Marcell Silva Steuernagel is Assistant Professor of Church Music and Director of the Master of Sacred Music Program at Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology, USA. Marcell writes at the intersection of church music, theology, musicology, and performance theory. He served as Minister of Worship, Arts and Communication at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Curitiba, Brazil, for more than a decade and is an internationally active composer and performer.

"Performance" is a troublesome word for musical leaders who attempt to understand their role in worship, sometimes seeing spiritual authenticity as incompatible with the complex skills required of a performer in worship. Professor Steuernagel provides a nuanced description of embodied worship performance and offers self-awareness strategies for those that guide sacred ritual. Integrating a complex array of fields, this is break-through research that offers a clear framework for redefining the vocation of the musical worship leader across musical styles and cultural, ethnic, and ecclesial contexts.C. Michael Hawn, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Church Music, Adjunct Professor and Director, Doctor of Pastoral Music Program, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, USAMusic is never alone. By bringing the multi-disciplinary lens of performance studies to church music, Marcell Silva Steuernagel expands our awareness of how musical acts of worship are embodied, constitutive actions. Performing music doesn't just bring a repertoire to life but the music brings us to life. Balancing ethnography with critical analysis, Silva Steuernagel offers a smart and thoughtful way to understand the complexities of community and identity. Anna Nekola, Assistant Professor of Music, Canadian Mennonite University, Canada

• Introduction: Performing Church Music; 1 The Next Step: Performance Studies?; 2 Ritual and Performance in Church Music Studies; 3 Talking About Ritual, Participating in Ritual; 4 Body in Worship: Church Music and Embodiment; 5 Making Special, Play, and Change; 6 Performing Church Music: Faith, Community, Tradition; Conclusion: "A Larger Performance"

Marcell Silva Steuernagel is Assistant Professor of Church Music and Director of the Master of Sacred Music Program at Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology, USA. Marcell writes at the intersection of church music, theology, musicology, and performance theory. He served as Minister of Worship, Arts and Communication at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Curitiba, Brazil, for more than a decade and is an internationally active composer and performer.

"Performance" is a troublesome word for musical leaders who attempt to understand their role in worship, sometimes seeing spiritual authenticity as incompatible with the complex skills required of a performer in worship. Professor Steuernagel provides a nuanced description of embodied worship performance and offers self-awareness strategies for those that guide sacred ritual. Integrating a complex array of fields, this is break-through research that offers a clear framework for redefining the vocation of the musical worship leader across musical styles and cultural, ethnic, and ecclesial contexts.C. Michael Hawn, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Church Music, Adjunct Professor and Director, Doctor of Pastoral Music Program, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, USAMusic is never alone. By bringing the multi-disciplinary lens of performance studies to church music, Marcell Silva Steuernagel expands our awareness of how musical acts of worship are embodied, constitutive actions. Performing music doesn't just bring a repertoire to life but the music brings us to life. Balancing ethnography with critical analysis, Silva Steuernagel offers a smart and thoughtful way to understand the complexities of community and identity. Anna Nekola, Assistant Professor of Music, Canadian Mennonite University, Canada

• Introduction: Performing Church Music; 1 The Next Step: Performance Studies?; 2 Ritual and Performance in Church Music Studies; 3 Talking About Ritual, Participating in Ritual; 4 Body in Worship: Church Music and Embodiment; 5 Making Special, Play, and Change; 6 Performing Church Music: Faith, Community, Tradition; Conclusion: "A Larger Performance"

Marcell Silva Steuernagel is Assistant Professor of Church Music and Director of the Master of Sacred Music Program at Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology, USA. Marcell writes at the intersection of church music, theology, musicology, and performance theory. He served as Minister of Worship, Arts and Communication at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Curitiba, Brazil, for more than a decade and is an internationally active composer and performer.

"Performance" is a troublesome word for musical leaders who attempt to understand their role in worship, sometimes seeing spiritual authenticity as incompatible with the complex skills required of a performer in worship. Professor Steuernagel provides a nuanced description of embodied worship performance and offers self-awareness strategies for those that guide sacred ritual. Integrating a complex array of fields, this is break-through research that offers a clear framework for redefining the vocation of the musical worship leader across musical styles and cultural, ethnic, and ecclesial contexts.C. Michael Hawn, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Church Music, Adjunct Professor and Director, Doctor of Pastoral Music Program, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, USAMusic is never alone. By bringing the multi-disciplinary lens of performance studies to church music, Marcell Silva Steuernagel expands our awareness of how musical acts of worship are embodied, constitutive actions. Performing music doesn't just bring a repertoire to life but the music brings us to life. Balancing ethnography with critical analysis, Silva Steuernagel offers a smart and thoughtful way to understand the complexities of community and identity. Anna Nekola, Assistant Professor of Music, Canadian Mennonite University, Canada

• Introduction: Performing Church Music; 1 The Next Step: Performance Studies?; 2 Ritual and Performance in Church Music Studies; 3 Talking About Ritual, Participating in Ritual; 4 Body in Worship: Church Music and Embodiment; 5 Making Special, Play, and Change; 6 Performing Church Music: Faith, Community, Tradition; Conclusion: "A Larger Performance"