THE ROLE OF WORSHIP AND PRAISE SONGS IN CONTEMPORARY EVANGELICAL CHURCHES OF UKRAINE

Abstract

This study explores the phenomenon of worship music in the contemporary evangelical environment of Ukraine as an integrative expression situated at the intersection of spiritual practice, social communication, and cultural creativity. Music functions both as an artistic medium of faith expression and a sacramental mediator that enables a transition from the horizontal dimension of community to the vertical experience of encounter with the transcendent. This phenomenon is especially relevant in the Pentecostal-charismatic context, where music emerges as the primary “space” of theophany – a direct experience of God's presence made manifest through the Holy Spirit. Such worship assumes a deeply embodied, emotional, and existential engagement in which music serves as a vehicle of confessional identity, ritual interaction, and spiritual transformation. The study also considers the sociocultural role of music as a means of community consolidation, therapeutic support in wartime conditions, and a platform for interchurch and intercultural dialogue. The impact of worship music on the shaping of contemporary formats of spiritual life and its responsiveness to current societal demands is highlighted. The capacity of this music to synchronize the spiritual and the social is emphasized, offering pathways to both personal and communal transformation through communion with the divine. Special attention is given to the connection between music and contemporary narratives: worship songs increasingly reflect current events, national experiences, and the search for peace, hope, and healing. As such, worship music becomes not only a spiritual practice but also a means of articulating shared historical experience, serving as a channel for existential expression that unites theological depth with sensitivity to social realities.