Ben explains why he wrote Playlist Theology, including places where his own earlier application needed clearer light.
From Playlist Theology: If Not Unison, Then Harmony
Author's Note
Years ago, I read a book by a man who had spent years traveling and teaching a very specific theological viewpoint. He wrote about it. He published it. He stood behind it publicly, with clarity and conviction.
Then, some years later, I met him, and to my surprise, he had revised his view. Not in a dramatic, sensational way, but in a thoughtful, humble way. And he wasn't trying to hide it. He had written new material, explained his journey openly, and didn't seem even a little embarrassed to say, "I understand this more clearly now."
That moment impacted me. Because I had rarely seen someone in ministry acknowledge a shift without defensiveness. He didn't walk away from truth; he just walked forward in it. And that takes courage.
This book isn't as extreme as his shift, but it is a shift.
There are parts of my music philosophy that have changed enough that they don't just deserve a new paragraph or a quiet footnote. They deserve their own treatment. Not because I was wrong in principle, but because I may have gone a few exits too far in application.
This book is me sharing my process. And the truth is, much of this was already inside me.
I just didn't know how to say it. I felt it in my bones, a tension I couldn't resolve. It wasn't until I finally sat down and wrote this out that the pieces began to connect. And when they did, I realized: this wasn't a tweak. It was something worth laying out clearly and publicly.
I serve and write from a conservative, traditional worship context. The convictions and cautions in these pages grow from that soil. If you live outside that context, you're still welcome here; just know I'm speaking primarily to my own family, asking for clearer principles and kinder practice.
So here I am. Still believing in holiness. Still believing in reverence.
But also believing in truth-in-motion, the kind that humbles us, sharpens us, and refuses to hide behind tradition when clarity calls.
If you've read my earlier work, thank you. I meant every word when I wrote it.
And if you're reading this now… thank you even more. Because this is me, walking forward in the light God has given me, and inviting you to do the same.
All of us will never agree completely. We won't find unison this side of Heaven, but I think we can find harmony.
With humility and hope,
Ben
July 9, 2025
There are many people I could thank, even some who don't agree with this book, so out of respect I choose not to name them.
Get the book: Playlist Theology: If Not Unison, Then Harmony
This excerpt is shared for ministry reading. It is not the full book.