To be honest I had not heard of Neal Morse until I stumbled upon his song “The Temple
of the Living God” while searching for some Dream Theater songs. “Temple..” is on his CD entitled “?”. Yes, that is the name of his CD and it is one of the best pieces of work I’ve heard and at times the most unusual. I have since looked back into his career and downloaded several other previous projects, including Morse’s stint with Spock’s Beard (funny band name). The type of music Neal plays is hard to put into a category. The closest I could come to is progressive rock. The progressive rock genre demands real musicianship which seems to be lacking in 90% of music anymore. But where the others fall short, this musician excels.
Neal Morse is a musical genius. His mix of jazz fusion and metal is a staple of his genius. He tends to use very talented guest musicians on his projects. Some of the talented folks who have contributed their wares are such names as Steve Hackett (Genesis), Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), and Michael Portnoy (Dream Theater) and this latest effort is no exception. Paul Gilbert of Racer X, and Mr. Big fame is the guest guitarist on this release, and he swings a mean axe. Michael Portnoy once again pounds his skins on SS and Neal’s regular sidekick on bass Randy George wallops some heavy bass on all tracks. The combination of these skillful musicians makes for a truly amazing CD from top to bottom.
The biggest bonus to this CD is the lyrical content. The CD title alone should give you some kind of indication of what the listener is in for. Sola Scriptura is the Latin term meaning “by scripture alone”. For a more concise meaning please check out this Wikipedia link. The first song on “SS” is called “The Door” an it’s subtitles “Introduction, In The Name Of God, All I ask For, Mercy For Sale, Keep Silent, Upon The Door” will get you even closer to what you are in store for. Hint: Upon the Door could contain the word Wittenberg on it. But you should see for yourself. This is just a foretaste of the whole package. I would definitely recommend this CD for anyone who loves music, appreciates musicianship, and loves the historical content surrounding the Protestant Reformation.
For a preview of the music or purchase it, and read some other reviews, go to the Amazon link to check it out. Rock on!
I read a review on CT’s music site. The music sounds very interesting.
What seems just as interesting is that he supposedly, according to the article, rejects the Trinity. Doesn’t mean people shouldn’t listen- but it’s ironic he’d support Sola Scriptura yet reject another foundation of the Reformation.
That is interesting I will have to find the article and check it out. The Trinity is a basic tenet of Christian theology. To deny it is false doctrine. I wonder just how committed Morse is to Sola Scriptura if he denies this important doctrine? I still like the music and will listen to it. It is a shame if the article is true. I thought I had found a Christian rock musician with serious theology.
For anyone interested in the above discussion I have provided a link to the Neal Morse interview. Please read it for yourselves. Interesting stuff.
interesting stuff.
To really understand Neal’s views one must do a little research.
Please check out these links and you will find more answers to the question. Does Neal really believe in Sola Scriptura?
Neal is a member of a Gospel Assembly church in Ten Christian Gospel Temple. The Gospel Assembly movement was started by a man named William Sowders. If you read the following link you will fully understand Neal’s Sola Scriptura CD this is from a sister church that the Christian Gospel Temple fellowships with.
http://www.dmgospelassembly.org/about/vision.html
http://www.cgtchurch.net/home.html
http://p216.ezboard.com/Neal-answers-theology-question/fnealmorsefrm8.showMessage?topicID=781.topic
http://p216.ezboard.com/William-Sowders–A-Man-Called-Out/fnealmorsefrm8.showMessage?topicID=1026.topic
http://p216.ezboard.com/A-History-of-William-Sowders/fnealmorsefrm8.showMessage?topicID=1025.topic
Joe,
Welcome aboard and thanks for the comment. I had done some research by looking at his web site recently but I did not dig into the church he attends. I agree that their doctrine is way out there. Heresy actually. It is good to believe in sola scriptura but when you interpret scripture based on the beliefs of a man (William Sowders) and his “experiences” then you have in fact invalidated sola scriptura. You are instead basing your faith on experiences also and not on scripture alone.
The CD itself does not get into the doctrine of his church but only the impact of Martin Luther for the church. On this I can still support his art. But let him start singing about pumpkins floating in the Ohio
and will not buy them any longer.
Thanks for the welcome, I think though if you really explore the GAC site I linked first and pay close attention to their views on “the body” and “the bride” you will see that Sola Scriptura is really about the Gospel Assembly church being todays reformers.
Thanks again for the welcome
I don’t think he is totally denying the Trinity. He is searching the Scriptures to discover what he truly believes, and although I totally believe in the Trinity, it is a subject that the Scripture is not less clear on, but definitley harder to discern. Justification by faith is an easy doctrine to glean from the Bible because of verses like, “The just shall live by faith..” but it is not as obvious with the Trinity. He believes the parts that are obvious, but our traditional creed of the Trinity is not explicitly stated in Scripture. I wish less Christians would criticize other Christians because they have doctrinal differences. I was at a conference this weekend called New Attitude, and a speaker there named Mark Dever said, when we get to Heaven, we’ll all find out that everyone of us was wrong in our theology. So don’t assume that because someone differs you in a less obvious doctrine, that they are wrong. Love Neal because he obviously loves and delights in the one true God of Heaven.
Hi Ant,
Is that your real name?
Welcome to BarryDean 4 Christ. Thanks for leaving a comment.
First of all I am a bit jealous of the fact you were able to attend the New Attitude conference. I love listening to Mark Dever (saw him at Shepherds Conference the last 2 years) and I would agree with his statement. I will also state that I hope that Neal Morse is searching through the scriptures. I believe that the doctrine of the Trinity to be a major doctrine. A doctrine that we should go to the proverbial wall for. If you disregard it your whole theology can be corrupted. How do you account for Genesis 1:26-27? In 26 it is written that God said “let us make man in our own image”, and then in 27 it says “God created man in His own image…” it is a perfect example of showing God as more than one and God as one. I agree that it is a hard thing to understand but the bible does teach it.
Did you read the links provided above by Joe Wallace? It does provide for some concern in the doctrine of the church Morse is affiliated with.
I do love the Sola Scriptura theme and really love this CD and his music.
Barry,
I was doing a search on Neal Morse and came across your site. I appreciate the conversation and Joe’s links as to Morse’s church et.al. Like everyone else I believe that Neal Morse has to do some serious study on this subject especially after I had read that his understanding of the Nicene Council comes from The History Channel.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/interviews/2007/nealmorse-0407.html
Hopefully he comes around to a more orthodox view on these important truth’s.
I look forward to reading more.
Blessings,
Hi Leo,
Welcome!Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I visited your site and liked what I saw. I also like John Piper. I appreciate Neal Morse’s music and pray that he will continue to study and search the scriptures. I also like progressive rock music such as Spock’s Beard and Dream Theater. We definitely have some things in common. Oh yeah, obviously brothers in Christ as well.
Barry,
Thanks, my pleasure.
John Piper’s ministry has been of great benefit to my wife and I. I remember working through the Pleasures of God on our honeymoon! He really brings the doctrines of Grace down to earth from the stratosphere of theology, which is ironic because he is quite a capable thinker himself.
Interesting that I had never head of either Spock’s Beard or Dream Theater until I came upon the Vanguard Church Blog and clicked on his progressive rock link which features Neal Morse and Mike Portnoy. Great find, and having iTunes really facilitated acquiring their music at a reasonable price.
Amazing how the internet for all of its faults does allow Christian’s with common interests to meet in various ways.
Hi
I have a question. I was just reading in some of the links above about the doctrine of the church which Neal belongs to. I find Neal’s music refreshing and uplifting. Yet, with some serious doctrinal differences with typical orthodox Christianity, how does one get past that, now that I know about it? Examples being the trinity, the mortality of the soul? I see scripture as being very clear on the trinity, and eternal life or seperation depending upon your relationship with Jesus Christ.
Bob,
Howdy from BarryDean and welcome to the blog.
To answer your question I would have to say just be cautious. There are so many Christian artists trying to be theologians but when you read the lyrics and weight them against scripture, determine how accurate they really are. I also have to keep in mind that folks discover doctrinal error in their own personal view of scripture all the time as they mature in Christ. It has only been about 5 years since, by the grace of God, I discovered the seriousness of the doctrine of election. Neal Morse is a fairly new believer as I have been reading, so if he is honestly reading and searching the scriptures his doctrine will change.
In the mean time if you like the music, as I do, I see no reason to put it on the shelf. He is a very talented artist who uses talented artists on his albums. Unlike some of the postings above I am not so skeptical about the content of this particular album. I believe it to be his artistic rendition of Martin Luther’s life. Enjoy.
Rock On!
Hi
Thanks for the reply. I thought this through quite a bit, and actually Neal would fall into place right along with all of the other secular metal (mostly), prog, and rock that I enjoy. I certainly for the most part can spot error, at least blatant error, on the part of Christian artists anyway, and that hasn’t stopped me from gleaning something from them anyway. For instance there is one artist who has moved into the direction of Universalism, but that has not stopped me from listening to them.
I don’t know where to ask this question, but I would like to ask you a few questions about guitars. Would that be possible?
Bob,
Ask away. I’m not sure I will have an answer but I should be able to point you in the right direction.
I hope you don’t mind if I chime in here again. I would just like to add that I understand the idea of being able to separate Neal’s music from his theology. I could not do it myself, I had been a fan since about 1999-2000 and had no idea of the theology he held (although there were clues everywhere). After wrestling with his statement of his beliefs on Jesus made public last August on his message board for a weekend I decided I could not just sit idly by I had to engage. Over the months from August 2006 until May 2007. I had been very active in the debate, I was invited to his home as well as others from the message board to engage in a online discussion with him as well as others from their church. I met many of Neal’s friends and family, they are really nice people. I have also met many who came out of this group, and they have become close friends, make no mistake about it , this is a cult in every sense of the word.
I really do care for Neal and others I met there but I also care about a message which is being put out by his music. This is why I try to inform those that may not otherwise investigate this matter.
What you do after understanding where they come from is entirely up to each individual but now that it is public knowledge at least there is a choice to be made.
Thanks
Joe
Joe,
I definitely appreciate your investigation into this matter. Wow, it sounds like you put a lot of energy and effort into this. Again, I find nothing in his lyrics to push an agenda outside of his interpretation of Martin Luther and his stand against the Catholic Church. I do not read in the lyrics his claim that his own church is the reformation. I will agree that it is not a good idea to adopt his doctrine. From what I have read, from your links and info to some others I’ve read, it does sound like a cult. Let me ask a question. Do you listen to any other music aside from the music of artists whose doctrine is sound? Do you listen to any secular music? I understand for a lot of folks that is major issue and I can appreciate that. But brother, I hope you aren’t suggesting that it would be wrong for a believer to listen to such music.
Barry,
I certainly make no judgment on anyone for listening to any kind of music they want to. I was only trying to clarify somewhat, my position. If you are interested I wouldn’t mind talking with you through e-mail, about this and on reformed theology.
Thanks
Joe
Maybe I’m not suitable for say a word on Neal Morse ’s Sola Scriptura: I’m catholic….
I think Neal’s teology is Subordinationism.
Subordinationism was based on ‘deuteros theos’ greek idea.
This point of view was rejected by the Nicene Council.
I hope the Word of God will enlight him soon….
By the way: the music is fantastic…
God bless you all.
Sorry for my bad English
Jdessi,
Thank you for your comments. You are more than welcome to comment here. I am not certain of Neal Morse’s theology. I believe it to be more modalistic like than subordinationism. He believes that God is one and that He has multiples aspects like the son, and the spirit. This is completely false. The bible teaches that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are three distinct persons.
Yes the music is quite good.
If it’s true that Neal doesn’t believe in everything that was decided at the Nicene Council by the church fathers then Neal is a HERETIC and is going to burn in hell forever! Anyone who listens to his heresy and gets sucked in by the evil in his message will burn in hell with him!!! BEWARE!!!
eclectic geetar,
Your email address looks made up and it is hard to tell if you serious or just trying to pull our chain here. I’m taking a shot at responding to you in general.
The only belief Neal Morse should be concerned about would be the his belief in the doctrines taught in the whole of scripture. Basically If he doesn’t believe that the son of God who has existed since eternity past came to earth as flesh, died for our sins and was raised again and seated at the right hand of the Father then he will be condemned to hell.
As for your other comments, my prayer is for the true believers to use their God given discernment when listening to anything.
I just discovered this discussion and thought I would let you and your readers know that I came out of the church Neal attends in 2003. I was raised to believe those false teachings. The one that most negatively affected me was their doctrine of perfection (that one has to reach sinless perfection in the flesh to merit eternal life). I have just finished writing a book about my journey out of this religious cult into the truth of the Gospel. My book is not written from any malice or mean-spiritedness. I still love many of the people caught up in the deception of this group and pray for their deliverance, including Neal. I believe he is basically a good guy who had the misfortune to fall in with this group as he was initially searching for God in his life.
My purpose in writing the book is to reach people who are still being deceived and enlighten others who have no understanding of groups like this. I pray that God will use it for His glory and that the book will reach the audience God has ordained to read it. My book will provide a lot of background and fill in some gaps for those of you who want to understand this group and its history.
The book is being edited now. I have an artist working on the cover. A pretty well known musician friend is writing the foreward. And I hope to publish the book by the end of the summer. I will definitely announce its publication in as many places as I can, including my own blog.
God Bless,
Shari