Christians will always be inspired ­– and divided – by music

Christian Music: A Global History
By Tim Dowley
SPCK, 336pp, £14.99/$30

This revised and expanded version of a “global history” first published in 2011 begins with Tim Dowley piecing together an account of the ancient Jewish musical traditions out of which Christian practice must have grown. Nearly 300 pages later, Dowley wraps up his survey with a few words on Christian jazz.

So there is much for the general reader to learn from this sturdy companion to 2,000 years of musical praise-giving. Early on, for example, there is an inventory of all of the musical instruments mentioned in the Bible, which, with no recourse to dumbing down, manages not to try the patience of the non-specialist. Shortly afterwards, a résumé of the fragments of early Christian hymns woven into the writings of St Paul is equally satisfying.