Holiness, or sanctity, is in general the state of being holy (perceived by religious individuals as associated with the divine) or sacred (considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspiring awe or reverence among believers in a given set of spiritual ideas). In other contexts, objects are often considered 'holy' or 'sacred' if used for spiritual purposes, such as the worship or service of gods. These terms can also be used in a non-spiritual or semi-spiritual context ("sacred truths" in a constitution). It is often ascribed to people ("a holy man" of religious occupation, "holy prophet" who is venerated by his followers), objects ("sacred artifact" that is venerated and blessed ), times ("holy days" of spiritual introspection, such as during winter holidays), or places ("sacred ground", "holy place").

Etymology

The word "sacred" descends from the Latin ''sacrum'', which referred to the gods or anything in their power, and to ''sacerdos'', priest; ''sanctum'', set apart. It was generally conceived spatially, as referring to the area around a temple.

The English word ''holy'' dates back to at least the 11th Century with the Old English word ''hālig'', an adjective derived from ''hāl'' meaning ''whole'' and used to mean 'uninjured, sound, healthy, entire, complete’. The Scottish 'hale' (''health, happiness and wholeness.'') is the most complete modern form of this Old English root. The modern word 'health' is also derived from the Old English ''hal''. As “wholeness”, holiness may be taken to indicate a state of religious completeness or perfection. The word ''holy'' in its modern form appears in Wyclif's Bible of 1382.

In non-specialist contexts, the term "holy" is used in a more general way, to refer to someone or something that is associated with a divine power, such as water used for Baptism.

Holiness in Judaism

The Hebrew word for "holiness," "''kedushah''" () has the connotation of "separateness." ''That which is holy in Judaism is set apart, and the separation is maintained by both legal and spiritual measures.'' Certain places and times are intrinsically sacred, and strictures are placed on one's actions in those situations. However, holiness is not a single state, but contains a broad spectrum. The Mishnah lists concentric circles of holiness surrounding the Temple in Jerusalem: Holy of Holies; Temple Sanctuary; Temple Vestibule; Court of Priests; Court of Israelites; Court of Women; Temple Mount; the walled city of Jerusalem; all the walled cities of Israel; and the borders of the Land of Israel. Distinctions are made as to who and what are permitted in each area. Likewise, the holidays, including and especially the Sabbath, are considered to be holy in time; the Torah calls them "holy [days of] gathering. Work is not allowed on those days, and rabbinic tradition lists 39 categories of activity that are specifically prohibited.

The Torah describes the Aaronite priests and the Levites as being selected by God to perform the Temple services; they, as well, are called "holy." A righteous person (''tzadik'') is also considered to be holy.

Beyond the intrinsically holy, objects can become sacred through consecration. Any personal possession may be dedicated to the Temple of God, after which its misappropriation is considered among the gravest of sins. The various sacrifices are holy; those that may be eaten have very specific rules concerning who may eat which of their parts, and time limits on when the consumption must be completed. Most sacrifices contain a part to be consumed by the priests - a portion of the holy to be consumed by God's holy devotees.

The encounter with the holy is seen as eminently desirable, and at the same time fearful and awesome. For the strongest penalties are applied to one who transgresses in this area - one could in theory receive either the death penalty or the heavenly punishment of ''karet'', spiritual excision, for mis-stepping in his close approach to God's domain.

Holiness in Christianity

===Holiness in Catholicism=== Catholicism has inherited much of the Jewish vision of the world in terms of holiness, with certain behaviour appropriate to certain places and times. The calendar gives shape to Catholic practice, which tends to focus on the Eucharist, in which the Real Presence of Christ is manifested. Holy days, celebrating Catholic saint lavin and events of the life of Christ are celebrated throughout the year. Many features of the Jewish temple(although now seen as having Christian significance) are imitated in churches, such as the altar, bread, lamp, incense, font, etc., to emphasise the extreme holiness of the Eucharistic elements, which are reserved in a tabernacle. In extension of this focus on the Sacrament as holy, many objects in Catholicism are also considered holy. They are called sacramentals and are usually blessed by a priest. Such items include rosaries, crucifixes, medals, and statues and icons of Jesus, angels and saints (Virgin Mary). While Catholics believe that holy places and objects (i.e., objects dedicated to God for sacred use) should be respected and not put to profane use, the Catholic Church condemns worshiping the object itself, as any worship given to something other than God is considered idolatry.

People in a state of sanctifying grace are also considered holy in Catholicism. A central notion of Catholicism as articulated in contemporary theology is the "[personal] call to holiness," considered as a vocation shared by every Christian believer. Profound personal holiness has traditionally also been seen as a focus for the kind of contagious holiness primarily associated with the Sacrament. So the communion of saints in Catholicism is not only the acclamation of their piety or morality, but also reverence for the tangible holiness that flows from their proximity to the divine. Hence the places where saints lived, died, performed miracles, or received visions frequently become sites of pilgrimage, and notable objects surviving a saint (including the body or parts of it) are considered relics. The holiness of such places or objects, resulting from contact with a deeply holy person, is often connected with the miraculous long after the death of the saint.

Sanctus is the name of an important hymn of Christian liturgy. The Trisagion ('Thrice Holy') is a standard hymn of the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Churches.

Holiness in Protestantism

The Protestant Reformation stood in opposition to the beliefs of tangible holiness in the Catholic Church and rejected most of its teachings regarding devotional practice, language and imagery. The early Protestant Reformers, who were often scholars of Ancient Greek and also borrowed from Jewish scholarship, recognized that'' holiness is an attribute of God'', and ''holiness is always part of the presence of God. '' Yet they also recognized that practical holiness was the evidence of the presence of God in the converted believer. Martin Luther viewed God's grace (and therefore God's holiness), as an invasion of the life. Actions that demonstrated holiness would spring up, not premeditated, as the believer focused more and more on his or her relationship with Christ. This was the life of faith, according to Luther; a life in which one recognizes that the sin inherent in human nature never departs, yet Grace invades each human spirit and draws each person after Christ.

Calvin, on the other hand, formulated a practical system of holiness that even tied in with culture and social justice. All unholy actions, Calvin reasoned, resulted in suffering. Thus he proved out to the city fathers of Geneva that dancing and other social vices always ended with the wealthy oppressing the poor. A holy life, in his outlook, was pietistic and simple, a life that shunned extravagance, excess, and vanity. On a personal level, Calvin believed that suffering would be a manifestation of taking on the Cross of Christ, but suffering was also part of the process of holiness. He expected that all Christians would suffer in this life, not as punishment, but rather as participation in union with Christ, who suffered for them. And yet, socially, Calvin argued that a holy society would end up as a gentle, kindly society (except to criminals) where the poor would be protected from the abuses of the wealthy, the lawyers, and others who normally preyed upon them.

In Protestantism, especially in American branches of Protestantism of the more Pentecostal variety, holiness has acquired the secondary meaning of the reshaping of a person through spiritual rebirth. The term owes its origin to John Wesley's concept of "scriptural holiness" or Christian perfection.

The Holiness movement began within Methodism in the United States, among those who thought the church had lost the zeal and emphasis on personal holiness of Wesley's day. In the latter part of the 19th century revival meetings were held, attended by thousands. In Vineland, N.J in 1867 a camp meeting was begun and the ''National Holiness Camp Meeting Association,'' which went on to establish many holiness camp meetings across the nation. Some adherents to the movement remained within their denominations; others founded new denominations, such as the Free Methodist Church, the Church of the Nazarene, and the Church of God (Anderson). Within a generation another movement, the Pentecostal movement was born, drawing heavily from the Holiness Movement. Around the middle of the 20th century, the Conservative Holiness Movement was born - a conservative offshoot of the Holiness movement.

The Higher Life movement appeared in the British Isles during the mid-19th century.

In the contemporary Holiness movement, the idea that holiness is relational is growing. In this thought, the core notion of holiness is love. Other notions of holiness, such as purity, being set apart, perfection, keeping rules, and total commitment, are seen as contributory notions of holiness. These contributory notions find their ultimate legitimacy when love is at their core (Thomas Jay Oord and Michael Lodahl).

Commonly recognized outward expressions or "standards" of holiness among more fundamental adherents frequently include applications relative to dress, hair, and appearance: e.g., short hair on men, uncut hair on women, and prohibitions against shorts, pants on women, make-up and jewelry. Other common injunctions are against places of worldly amusement, mixed swimming, smoking, minced oaths, as well as the eschewing of television and radio.

More traditional or mainline Protestant denominations, such as the Anglican, Lutheran, and some Methodist denomninations, believe in Holy Sacraments that the clergy perform, such as Holy Communion and Holy Baptism. As well as strong belief in the Holy Catholic Church, Holy Scripture, Holy Trinity, and the Holy Covenant. They also believe that angels and saints are called to holiness.

Holiness in Orthodoxy

see Glorification

Holiness in Buddhism

In Theravada Buddhism one finds the designation of 'noble person' or ''ariyapuggala'' (Pali). The Buddha described four grades of such person depending on their level of purity. This purity is measured by which of the ten fetters (samyojana) and klesha have been purified and integrated from the mindstream. These persons are called (in order of increasing sanctity) Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anagami and Arahant. The latter term designates an enlightened human being and is sometimes rendered into English as the Holy One.

Holiness in Islam

Among the names of God in Quran is القدوس (Al-Qoddous) : and , the closest English translation for which is 'sacred'. As God alone is considered to be the ultimate source of all true purification and guidance in Islam, all holiness is his alone too.

Hierology

:''For the study of hieroglyphics, see hieroglyphology. For the study of sacred writings, see hierographology.''

Hierology (Greek ιερος, hieros, "sacred" or "holy", + λογος, logos, "word" or "reason") refers to the study of the sacred and sacredness. It is generally pursued by those who find real truth in many faiths and especially refers to philosophical speculations about religion that involve the traditions of multiple cultures or belief systems. It differs from theology in that a god or gods are not necessarily a focus and in that it may include sources with no origin in Western philosophy or religion.

''See also''

Sacred architecture

Sacred art

Sacred dance

Sacred geometry

Sacred history

Sacred language

Sacred music

Sacred Mysteries

Sacred prostitution

Sacred text

Sacred Tradition

Sacred waters

Sacred ground

Usually, social or religious groups considers an area sacred or holy, where there is a human presence, e.g. a cemetery or a building or site for worship. However, there are natural areas on each continent--canyons, mountains, rivers, forests, deserts, seashores, etc. that are considered sacred, where the site's value as a sacred area trumps its use for economic purposes, and is usually preserved for perpetuity. See also most sacred sites.

See also

Buddhology

Hallow

Joseph Campbell

Neopaganism

New Age

Polytheistic reconstructionism

Theology

Theosophy

Traditionalist School

Notes

References

Durkheim, Emile (1915) ''The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life.'' London: George Allen & Unwin (originally published 1915, English translation 1915).

Eliade, Mircea (1957) ''The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion.'' Translated by Willard R. Trask. (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World).

Thomas Jay Oord and Michael Lodahl (2006) ''Relational Holiness: Responding to the Call of Love.'' Kansas City, Missouri: Beacon Hill.

Pals, Daniel (1996) ''Seven Theories of Religion.'' New York: Oxford University Press. US ISBN 0-19-508725-9 (pbk).

Sharpe, Eric J. (1986) ''Comparative Religion: A History'', 2nd ed., (London: Duckworth, 1986/La Salle: Open Court). US ISBN 0-8126-9041-9.

Category:Holiness Category:Attributes of God in Christian theology

de:Heilig es:Sagrado fr:Sacré it:Sacro pt:Sagrado (religião) ro:Sfințenie ru:Святость tl:Banal uk:Сакральне

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
Name	Nichole Nordeman
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Nichole Ellyse Nordeman
Birth date	January 03, 1972
Origin	Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Instrument	Vocals, piano
Genre	CCM, pop, rock
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1997–present
Label	Sparrow Records
Website	NicholeNordeman.com
Past members	}}

Nichole Ellyse Nordeman (born January 3, 1972) is an eight-time Dove Award-winning contemporary Christian American singer–songwriter.

Biography

Nordeman was raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she played the piano in church. She got her start when she entered a Gospel Music Association (GMA) contest in Los Angeles, California and was noticed by a music producer. She has won multiple GMA Dove Awards, including two awards for Female Vocalist of the Year. Her best-known songs include "Why", "This Mystery", "Holy", "Legacy", "Brave", and "What If". She also sang a song on the soundtrack ''Music Inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia'', called "I Will Believe." Nordeman wrote an editorial column for CCM Magazine called "Loose Ends . . . Confessions Of An Unfinished Faith." She recorded the album ''Brave'' after giving birth to her son Charlie. Nordeman released the greatest hits album ''Recollection: The Best of Nichole Nordeman'' on March 6, 2007 featuring two new songs: "Sunrise" and "Finally Free". Her song, "Real To Me" was featured on the PlayStation 2 game ''Thrillville''.

Her song "Crimson" on the album ''Brave'' is composed of original lyrics written by Nordeman sung over a Chopin piano prelude.

Her song "Hold On (Love Will Find You)" was recorded by Paul Brandt for his album ''Risk'', released in 2007.

Nichole co-wrote the song "Forever Now" with American singer-songwriter David Wilcox. "Forever Now" is on Wilcox's ''Airstream'' album, released in the US on February 26, 2008.

She also wrote and recorded the song "Beautiful for Me" for the VeggieTales movie entitled: "Sweetpea Beauty", released summer of 2010.

Discography

1998: ''Wide Eyed''

2000: ''This Mystery''

2002: ''Woven & Spun''

2003: ''Live at the Door''

2005: ''Brave''

2007: ''Recollection: The Best of Nichole Nordeman''

2008: ''Two For One: Wide Eyed/Brave''

2009: ''Nichole Nordeman: The Ultimate Collection''

;Singles

2003: "Legacy" / "This Mystery" (CD Single)

2010: "Beautiful For Me" / "Veggie Tale's Sweetpea Beauty" (CD Single)

;Other Releases

1999: ''Heaven & Earth: A Tapestry of Worship'' (Jennifer Knapp, Nichole Nordeman, Michelle Tumes, Rebecca St. James, Margaret Becker)

Awards

Nordeman has been nominated for two Dove Awards for Female Vocalist of the Year in the years 2006 and 2007.

Personal life

Nichole is married to Errol Ingram. The couple have two children, Charlie Thomas Ingram, born in July 2003, and Paige Bennett Ingram, born in November, 2008.

References

; Other References:

ChristianMusic.com: “Nichole Nordeman BIO”, accessed 17 Oct 2005.

External links

Official Nichole Nordeman website

Official Sparrow Records website

ChristianBook.com: Nichole Nordeman

Category:1972 births Category:People from Colorado Springs, Colorado Category:American Christians Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American pop singers Category:American female singers Category:Christian religion-related songwriters Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Texas Category:American performers of Christian music

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
name	Brenton Brown
origin	Capetown, South Africa
genre	Christian Worship
occupation	Worship Leader
website
background	non_performing_personnel }}

Brenton Brown, born in South Africa, is a Christian songwriter and worship leader. He left South Africa for Oxford, England in his early twenties on a Rhodes Scholarship. While studying politics, philosophy and theology he joined the Vineyard music (UK), serving as worship pastor at the Oxford Vineyard, UK, and eventually as coordinator of the Vineyard (UK) Worship Development Team. His songs, "Lord Reign in me," "All who are thirsty," "Humble King," "Hallelujah [Your love is amazing]" and "Holy" were recorded on the popular Vineyard UK projects during this time. He has since left the UK and now lives in Malibu, California with his wife, Jude. He is a worship leader at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, CA and is an artist on the worship label Survivor. In 2006, he released his first solo album, ''Everlasting God'' with Survivor in the UK and rest of the world, and with Sparrow in the United States and Canada.

Brown has revealed that he and his wife have been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome.

The title track - "Everlasting God" - has gained a lot of popularity within the world of worship music. The song received an award at the ASCAP awards ceremony in London on 15 October 2008. The song written by Brenton Brown and Ken Riley was honoured as one of the most performed songs in the USA, during 2007, across all genres. This is the first time that a Christian song has been recognized at this major music awards ceremony.

"Everlasting God" has been recorded by other artists, including Lincoln Brewster, and most notably by Chris Tomlin on his 2006 album, ''See The Morning''. Brenton has appeared on numerous live and compilation albums, including events such as Hope 2008 and Mission:Worship. He released his second solo album, ''Because of Your Love,'' in 2008.

Brenton Brown began the ''Worship Lounge'' on his blog, which allows people to submit questions that he or other people will answer.

As part of the Pure Worship Conference hosted in 2010 by Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa (CA), Brenton Brown launched his new CD with a concert on April 23, titled Adoration, which was also the title and theme of the Conference. During the concert, Brown led worship and shared his personal testimonies, as well as much of the inspiration behind some significant songs. Brown was among a handful of artists, pastors, and musicians who came for the weekend to host not only music but also workshops on how to play various musical instruments, lead worship sessions, understand Christian songwriting, and read and understand what the Bible says about pure worship.

Discography

Vineyard music albums

''Come Now Is The Time'' (1998)

''Hungry'' (1999)

''Surrender'' (2000)

''I love Your presence'' (2000)

''Humble King'' (2002)

''Songs 4 Worship: The UK Collection'' (2003)

''Lord reign in me'' (2003)

''Turn It All Down'' (2006)

''Holy'' (2001)

Solo albums

''Everlasting God'' (2006)

''Because of Your Love'' (2008)

''Adoration'' (2010) - United States Re-release of ''Because of Your Love''

''Our God Is Near'' (2010; 2011 US)

EPs

''Introducing Brenton Brown'' (2009)

References

External links

Brenton Brown website

Brenton Brown Myspace

Because of Your Love album review

Pure Worship Conference 2010

Category:South African Rhodes scholars Category:South African evangelicals Category:American performers of Christian music Category:People with chronic fatigue syndrome Category:Christian religion-related songwriters Category:Living people Category:Contemporary worship music Category:Vineyard Churches

nl:Brenton Brown

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
name	Chloë Agnew
background	solo_singer
born	June 09, 1989Knocklyon, County Dublin, Ireland
genre	Celtic, Adult Contemporary, Soundtrack, Classical
occupation	Singer
instrument	Vocals
years active	1998–present
label	Celtic CollectionsManhattan
associated acts	Celtic Woman
website	ChloeAgnew.ie }}

Chloë Agnew (born 9 June 1989 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish singer who is a member of the Celtic music group Celtic Woman as the youngest member. She comes from Knocklyon, County Dublin where she lived with her mother Adele "Twink" King and younger sister Naomi. She sings in English, Irish, Latin, Italian and German.

Early life

Agnew was born to Irish entertainer Adele "Twink" King and Irish oboist David Agnew. She made her first television appearance on her mother's programme aged four weeks old, and later sang on the show at the age of six. She attended Notre Dame des Missions Junior School for her primary school education, followed by Alexandra College girls' school.

In 1998, Agnew represented Ireland and was the winner of the Grand Prix at the First International Children's Song Competition in Cairo with a song called ''The Friendship Tree''. She then began to perform pantomime at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin and continued in that role for four years.

In 1999, she appeared in ''The Young Messiah'', a modern adaptation of Handel's ''Messiah''. In this production, she played one of the children and performed sign language.

Musical career

In 2000, aged 11, Agnew approached director David Downes about recording a song to raise money for the children of Afghanistan. With his help, she recorded ''Angel of Mercy'' for the album ''This Holy Christmas Night'', which raised over £20,000 for the Afghan Children's Charity Fund in 2001. That same year, she joined the Christ Church Cathedral Girls' Choir, and remained a member for three years.

In 2002, she was signed to Celtic Collections, and with the backing of Downes she recorded her debut album ''Chloë''. In 2004, she released her second album, ''Chloë: Walking in the Air''. She also recorded a companion DVD for her second album, released in Europe in 2004 and in North America in 2007. She appeared as part of the group Celtic Woman at The Helix in Dublin in 2004. To date, she has recorded five albums with the group and has taken part in several world tours.

According to the ''Souvenir Program'' for Celtic Woman's 2010 North American tour, in 2009 Agnew was invited by Italian tenor Alessandro Rinella to sing with him on his debut album: :Recorded with top Warner Chappell Music Producer Leo Z (Leonardo De Bernardini), the album is due to be released later this year [2010]. She also hopes to record her third solo album later this year [2010] and is excited about being more involved in the writing and production of the album.

During an interview by BeliefNet.com, Agnew commented on Irish music:

"Irish music was bred into us from the day we are born. Looking back to our ancestors and our heritage, it was always in our culture. Even through the hardest of times Irish people always turned to music. They have a song for everything--for drinking, for depression, for famine. I remember a song growing up that was for milking the cows."

Discography

{|class="toccolours" border=1 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="width:500px; margin:0 0 1em 1em; border-collapse:collapse; border:1px solid #ccc;" |- !bgcolor="#ccc"| Title !bgcolor="#ccc"| Release !bgcolor="#ccc"| Record label |- | ''Chloë'' | 2002 | Celtic Collection |- | ''Chloë: Walking in the Air'' | 2004 | Manhattan Records |- | ''Chloë'' | 2008 | Valley Entertainment |}

References

External links

Profile at Celticwoman.com

Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:Celtic Woman members Category:Irish Anglicans Category:Irish female singers Category:Irish-language singers Category:People from Dublin (city) Category:Performers of Christian music

et:Chloë Agnew nl:Chloë Agnew ja:クロエ・アグニュー uz:Chloë Agnew pl:Chloë Agnew pt:Chloë Agnew

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
name	Chris Tomlin
background	solo_singer
birth name	Christopher Dwayne Tomlin
born	May 04, 1972
origin	Grand Saline, Texas U.S.
instrument	Piano Guitar
genre	CCMContemporary worship music
occupation	Singer, songwriter, instrumentalist worship leader
years active	1998–present
label	sixstepsrecords/Sparrow Records
website	www.christomlin.com
notable instruments	}}

Christopher Dwayne "Chris" Tomlin (born May 4, 1972) is an American Christian Contemporary Music artist, worship leader, and songwriter from Grand Saline, Texas, United States. He is a former staff member at Austin Stone Community Church and is signed to EMI's sixstepsrecords. Tomlin also leads worship at many Passion events. Some of his most well-known songs are "How Great Is Our God", "Jesus Messiah", "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)", and the recent song "Our God" which he co-wrote with Matt Redman, Jesse Reeves and Jonas Myrin. He is currently a lead worshipper at Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia with Louie Giglio and Christy Nockels.

He was awarded Male Vocalist of the Year at the 2006, 2007, and 2008 GMA Dove Awards. He was also named Artist of the Year in 2007. Tomlin released his seventh studio album, ''And If Our God Is for Us...'', on November 16, 2010. He is one of the members of Compassionart, a charity founded by Martin Smith (and Smith's wife, Anna) of the band Delirious?.

Early life

Tomlin was born in Grand Saline, Texas in 1972 to Connie and Donna Tomlin. He has two younger brothers, Ryan and Cory. Tomlin received his first guitar from his father at the age of eleven after contracting a case of mono. Chris Tomlin first learned how to play the guitar by playing along side Willie Nelson records.

Tomlin wrote his first worship song at age fourteen. He entered college planning to study physical therapy, but ended up not pursuing that career, as he has stated that he felt God's calling to something else.

In the mid-1990s Tomlin was a worship leader at the Dawson McAllister Youth Conferences, as well as at various church camps in Texas.

After attending Tyler Junior College and Texas A&M; University, Tomlin continued to play and write songs, and in 1997, youth speaker Louie Giglio asked if he would be interested in working with the Passion Conferences. Tomlin has played a key role in the movement ever since.

Musical career

His first nationally released solo project, titled ''The Noise We Make'', was released in 2001, featuring the songs "Forever," "Be Glorified", and "Kindness", all of which made the top 200 in the CCLI 2005 top 500 worship songs. He also released the live EP ''545'' in 2002, and the studio album ''Not to Us'' (2002). His 2004 album ''Arriving'' is considered his breakout album as it produced the #1 hits "Indescribable" (written by Laura Story), "Holy Is the Lord", "How Great Is Our God", and "The Way I Was Made". Two other tracks from the album–"On Our Side" and "Mighty is the Power of the Cross", written with Shawn Craig of Phillips, Craig, and Dean–landed in the 2005 top 500 worship songs according to Christian Copyright Licensing International. ''Arriving'' was certified platinum by the RIAA in 2008. A year after ''Arriving'', Tomlin released his first solo live album, titled ''Live From Austin Music Hall'', and in 2006, his fourth studio album, ''See the Morning'', which was nominated for two Grammy Awards, been certified Gold by the RIAA, and has helped him win 6 Dove Awards in 2007, including a second consecutive "Artist of the Year" win. The three singles off this album have all been top #5 songs on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs Chart, and have all reached the number one position on the R&R;' Christian AC Chart.

Although he is a solo artist, Tomlin travels around with a consistent band lineup. He also writes many of his songs with the members of his band. His band, in which he performs vocals, acoustic guitar, and piano, consists of Daniel Carson (electric guitar, backup vocals), Jesse Reeves (bass guitar, backup vocals), Travis Nunn (drums), and Matt Gilder (piano, keys). Tomlin and the band developed while working with the Harvest Ministry at The Woodlands United Methodist Church in The Woodlands, Texas in the late 1990s.

According to Christian Copyright Licensing International's list of the top 25 worship songs in the US in August 2007, Tomlin held 5 spots with songs he has either written or co-written with other songwriters: "How Great Is Our God" (#1), "Forever" (#5), "Holy Is the Lord" (#7), "We Fall Down" (#12), and "Indescribable" (#22). In 2008, Tomlin held 6 spots on ''20 The Countdown Magazine'''s top 20 praise and worship songs: "We Fall Down" (#14), "Forever" (#10), "Holy is the Lord" (#8), "Indescribable" (#6), "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" (#3), and "How Great is our God" (#1).

Tomlin has toured with several prominent contemporary Christian music artists, such as opening for Delirious? during his first ever tour, and as a supporting act of Steven Curtis Chapman during his ''All Things New'' Tour. Tomlin has also headlined several tours, such as headlining the Chris Tomlin Indescribable Tour, which featured world renowned worship artist Matt Redman, and speaker Louie Giglio, and headlining the ''See the Morning'' Tour. From April to October 2007, Tomlin toured with Louie Giglio and Matt Redman on his "How Great Is Our God" tour. In 2008, Tomlin toured with Passion Conferences on its world tour. In early 2009, he headlined the ''Hello Love'' tour with Israel Houghton and New Breed. In summer of 2010, he co-headlined the "Hello Tonight" tour with TobyMac.

Tomlin has also been featured at many conferences and music festivals. Among these, he has played at Grand Saline's annual Salt Festival. Hillsong's 2007 conference, and the 2008 Compassionart International Songwriting retreat, which was dedicated to writing songs whose revenue would support charities serving the poorest of the world's poor. Other prominent songwriters included were Matt Redman, Martin Smith, Stuart Garrard, and Steven Curtis Chapman. In 2009, Tomlin played at the Harvest Crusade at Anaheim Angels Stadium.

At the end of 2006, Tomlin launched an online music website resource called Frequency which Tomlin described as "a place to serve God and his people in worship." In 2007, he partnered with Larry Tardy to create a new site under a similar name, Frequency Worship. The original site featured chord charts for some of Chris' songs, some instructional videos for those songs, and a message board meant for worship leaders. Since the updated launch in August 2008, Frequency has included chord charts for many popular worship songs, instructional videos, planning software for worship leaders, articles written by other artists, and more, branching out into all of worship music.

On June 14, 2007, Tomlin's version of the song "Indescribable" was used as the official wake-up call for Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester on Space Shuttle mission STS-117.

In May 2008, it was announced that Tomlin and his band would move from The Austin Stone Community Church, the church he helped plant with senior pastor Matt Carter in Austin, Texas to start a new church with Louie Giglio in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 2009, Tomlin released a Christmas album, ''Glory in the Highest: Christmas Songs of Worship''. It includes three original Christmas songs and features duets with Matt Redman, Christy Nockels, and Audrey Assad. The album peaked at #9 on the Billboard 200 list and at #1 for Holiday albums.

In March 2010, Tomlin and his band announced through their Twitter accounts the recording of a new studio album slated for a November 2010 release. On August 30, Tomlin announced on his Twitter that the title would be ''And If Our God Is for Us...'' The first single "I Will Follow" was released to radio on August 23.

Personal life

Tomlin married his girlfriend of two years, Lauren Bricken, on November 9, 2010.

In May 2011, Tomlin announced to his hometown that he and Lauren are expecting their first child.

Discography

1995: ''Inside Your Love''

1998: ''Authentic''

1998: ''Too Much Free Time'' with Ross King.

2001: ''The Noise We Make''

2002: ''Not to Us''

2004: ''Arriving''

2006: ''See the Morning''

2008: ''Hello Love''

2009: ''Glory in the Highest: Christmas Songs of Worship''

2010: ''And If Our God Is for Us...''

;Passion event albums

''Live Worship From The 268 Generation'' (1998)

''Better Is One Day'' (1999)

''The Road To One Day'' (2000)

''One Day: Live'' (2000)

''The Noise We Make'' (2001)

''Our Love is Loud'' (2002)

''Sacred Revolution: Songs From OneDay 03'' (2003)

''Hymns: Ancient and Modern'' (2004)

''How Great Is Our God'' (2005)

''Everything Glorious'' (2006)

''The Best of Passion (So Far)'' (2006)

''Live From Passion 07 Pts. 1 & 3'' (2007)

''God of This City'' (2008)

''Awakening'' (2010)

''Here for You'' (March 8, 2011)

;Non-album songs

"Whisper My Name" [Forefront] - ''Eterne: Never Be the Same'' (2000)

"Salvation" - ''Pour Over Me - Worship Together Live 2001'' (2001)

"Give Us Clean Hands" - ''Pour Over Me - Worship Together Live 2001'' (2001)

"Satisfied" [Forefront] - ''Secrets Of The Vine: Music... A Worship Experience'' (2002)

"Lord, I'm Gonna Love You" [Sparrow] - ''Your Love Broke Through'' (2002)

"Expressions of Your Love" (duet w/ Rebecca St. James) [Sparrow] - ''It Takes Two: 15 Collaborations & Duets'' (2003)

"Where the Streets Have No Name" [Sparrow/EMI CMG] - ''In the Name of Love: Artists United for Africa'' (2004)

"You're The One" [Disney/EMI CMG] - ''Music Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'' (2005)

"Angels We Have Heard On High" [Word] - ''WOW Christmas: Green'' (2005)

"Mighty to Save" [Integrity] - ''Bonus disc included with Fruitcake and Ice Cream DVD'' (2008)

Charts

Albums - Billboard (North America)

Year	Album	Peak Chart Positions	RIAA certifications
		! Top Christian Albums	Billboard 200>Billboard 200 Albums
	align="left" valign="top"

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year	Title	Peak Chart Positions	Album
Top Heatseekers>US Heat	! Hot Christian Songs
2004			2
			2
style="text-align:left"	14	1
2006			1
			2
		2
2008			2
		50	2
		6
style="text-align:left"		28
		9	1
	14	2
			11

¹ Currently active on the charts

Music videos

"Expressions of Your Love" (With Rebecca St. James) (2004)

"Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)" (2007)

"I Lift My Hands" (2011)

Awards

GMA Dove Awards

Throughout his career, Chris Tomlin has been nominated to 32 Dove Awards (6 of them, collaborative efforts) and won 17 of them.

Year	! Award	! Result
!rowspan="1"	Praise & Worship Album of the Year (''Arriving'')
!rowspan="10"	Artist of the Year
Male Vocalist of the Year
Song of the Year ("Holy Is the Lord")
Worship Song of the Year ("Holy Is the Lord")
Worship Song of the Year ("How Great Is Our God")
Worship Song of the Year ("Indescribable")1
Special Event Album of the Year ("WOW Christmas: Green")*
!rowspan="9"	Artist of the Year
Male Vocalist of the Year
Song of the Year ("Made to Worship")
Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("Made to Worship")
Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year (''See The Morning'')
Worship Song of the Year ("Holy Is the Lord")
Worship Song of the Year ("Made to Worship")
Praise & Worship Album of the Year (''See The Morning'')
!rowspan="6"	Artist of the Year
Male Vocalist of the Year
Song of the Year ("Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)")
Worship Song of the Year ("Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)")
Worship Song of the Year ("How Great Is Our God")
Special Event Album of the Year ("Music Inspired By the Motion Picture Amazing Grace")*
!rowspan="7"	Artist of the Year
Male Vocalist of the Year
Song of the Year ("Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)")
Worship Song of the Year ("Jesus Messiah")
Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year ("How Great Is Our God")2
!rowspan="4"	Song of the Year ("I Will Rise")
Worship Song of the Year ("I Will Rise")
Christmas Album of the Year (''Glory in the Highest: Christmas Songs of Worship'')
!rowspan="5"	Artist of the Year
Male Vocalist of the Year
Song of the Year ("Our God")
Worship Song of the Year ("Our God")
Special Event Album of the Year (''Passion: Awakening'')*

*Denotes a collaborative effort or a song contribution to a "Various artists" album.

¹ The song was performed by Tomlin, but written and produced by Laura Story.

² The song was performed by LaRue Howard, but written by Tomlin.

Others

Tomlin was nominated for two 2009 Visionary Award: Male Entertainer of the Year and Song of the Year for "Jesus Messiah".

Bibliography

Chris Tomlin, ''The Way I Was Made: Words and Music for an Unusual Life'', Multnomah, 2004. ISBN 978-1590523278

References

External links

Official site

Austin Stone Community Church

Article in Time Magazine

One Million Can

Category:Living people Category:1972 births Category:American male singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American Christians Category:Christian hymnwriters Category:Christian religion-related songwriters Category:People from Austin, Texas Category:Texas A&M; University alumni Category:American performers of Christian music Category:Musicians from Texas Category:Contemporary worship music Category:Tyler Junior College alumni

de:Chris Tomlin es:Chris Tomlin fr:Chris Tomlin ko:크리스 탐린 nl:Chris Tomlin ja:クリス・トムリン pl:Chris Tomlin pt:Chris Tomlin sv:Chris Tomlin zh:克里斯·汤姆林