This collection of writings contains articles and book reviews that are not readily accessible to most readers. Many of them are written for a wider audience of informed lay students of Scripture, as well as seminarians. They have been brought together here in a fresh way with other new writings. As a result, this study is somewhat unique, drawing upon the author's career in theology and church music. Over the course of four decades of scholarly research and writing Mark Karlberg has also been engaged in the music ministry of the church, serving as organist and choir director. Chief influences in his study and practice of music in the church have been Robert Elmore and Gerre Hancock, leading organists, choral masters, and composers of our generation. In the course of their stellar careers Elmore and Hancock have served in different ecclesiastical settings--Moravian, Presbyterian, Southern Baptist, and Anglican. What they both share in common is their exceptional skill in the art of improvisation. Part of their accompaniment was "off the written musical score," resulting in service-playing that was creative and engaging. In the spirit of their artistic expression we offer this collection of writings bearing as its theme the great Song of Redemption, composed by "the singing Christ" (Heb 2:12).
