More and more, says scholar Monique Ingalls, it permeates nearly every sphere of evangelical life. Contemporary worship music, as a distinct genre, has come into its own over the last 50 years.

The Spirit is at work, but so are the mechanisms around high-production sets. “Bigger!” said the voice in my in-ear monitor. I was on stage in a dark room, nearly blinded by spotlights. It was my ...