Mass Appeal: A Study of Music and Theology

Martin Luther was born in 1483. He became a priest in 1505. After his ordination, Luther was overwhelmed by the distance that he perceived between the average layperson and God. Luther’s disillusionment with the established Church eventually led him to seek mass reform. The movement that resulted from Luther’s beliefs was termed “the Reformation,” and Luther’s religious convictions quickly transformed the way he viewed corporate worship. Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina was born in 1524 near Rome. Palestrina’s life was characterized by service to the Catholic Church. He sang in the choirs of many large churches in Rome as a boy, he was employed by the Church for the majority of his adult life, and he is remembered today exclusively for his sacred music. Palestrina is recognized today as the epitome of music of the Church during the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church’s response to Luther’s Reformation.