In the beginning there was Rock Music. Then there was Christian Rock Music. Soon after, Rock Music (often dubbed "Rock 'n' Roll" at the time) was - according to 'the conservatives' (whoever that may be) 'devils music'. Then came Larry Norman and sung a simple question into the ether: "Why should the devil have all the good music?". Then there were Christians who realized that the devil should not have all the good music. Contemporary Christian Rock was born.
Could that be the history of Christian rock music? Hardly. But maybe it is not such a bad start.
in he late 1960s, Larry Norman - often named as the 'Father of Christian Rock' - was one of those early Christian Rock artists who took Jesus very serious. This man who later on sung the famous words Why should the devil have all the good music (and he really meant Rock music) - was aware of the conflict with worldly Rock music, and as early as in 1968 he wanted to call his bands debut album: We Need A Whole Lot More of Jesus and a Lot Less Rock and Roll. But Capitol Records still considered Jesus non-salable and Larry embarked on his long solo career.
Almost at the same time of this upcoming of Norman, the Jesus People movement took off - often said to be a kind of Hippy movement spin-off, but although it is certainly true that the Jesus People harvested crops among the many young people who were disillusioned with the flower-power counterculture revolution, the movement clearly succeeded in bringing a very straight-in-your-face message of hope to a large group of people and cannot be explained without the observation that here was something going on that really worked - and people were giving up drugs and sexual promiscuity for it. Larry Norman was soon to join efforts in this movement, and many young Rock fans were attracted to the movement. Elton John was not among these, but at least he observed in a song that there were "Jesus freaks out in the streets" - everywhere so it seemed. (It was also the time of the Christian rock operas Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar).
The movement raced through North America. Of course, not all those who joined the movement, sometimes only for a short time, did embrace Jesus. But they embraced traditional religion and that is not without significance of course. It basically means that the word 'values' in the term 'Christian values' was somehow understood once again. This is something that we have seen happening time and time again. As a movement, the Jesus People went underground somewhere mid seventies, but it remained alive in many revived movements and churches through America and elsewhere. A great deal of Christian artists 'personified' this 'gripping' character of the movement. Bands like Petra (founded in 1972 by Bob Hartman) existed until 2005. They released over 20 albums.
The Jesus People movement had a strong impact on the birth of Contemporary Christian Rock music. Sociologist Robert Ellwood observed that the enduring legacy of the Jesus movement is its music:
The great vehicle of the Jesus movement is music. It is largely music that has made the movement a part of pop culture, and it is the Jesus movement as pop culture that distinguishes it from what is going on in the churches. (Robert S. Ellwood, 1973, One Way: The Jesus Movement and its Meaning; Prentice-Hall; p. 63-64).
Of course, singing is no accident among believers, and certainly not among Jewish and Christian believers, who have a Holy Book including 150 songs (Psalms) to start with. Music and true Christian faith is inseparable. Without the 'Joy of the Lord' faith isn't characteristically Christian (nor Jewish) faith. God occupying that deepest space in the heart of the believer is not a punishment but a blessing, it makes people sing. If religion would be more understood by hallmarks like this, Christianity would have been a different religion - in fact it would not have been 'a religion' in the first place, but a daily practice.
It is no surprise then that the non-denominational character of the Jesus People movement has been observed as being key to the great success. Moreover, this also opened the eyes of many Christians for the significance of talent (as opposed to academic training), and there was room also for the thought that the Holy Spirit could directly intervene in the lives of young Christians (as opposed to theologians or other academics). As someone put it in almost philosophic terms: "The pendulum swung from an emphasis on transcendence to that of immanence." Gods great attributes such as sovereignty and omnipotence had, until then, dispelled personal experience. Rock and pop music, with its informal character firmly opposed to formal expression from solemn hymns to Solemn High Mass, was a perfect tool to serve freshness and openness of mind. The Church in general did not really accept the movement - it was often and too easily identified with the countercultural imprint of the hippies, with "the Rebels - Jim, Janis, Jimi".
In fact, while Christianity also clearly harbors a rebellious element, a 'desire to change' things for the better, it is no surprise that there has been interplay between the two movements. This is why there were hippies who got away with the 'new Christianity as part of their mystical experience, and why there were Christians who strongly identified with the spirit of flower-power. And for those who came from this milieu (like Keith Green) it took a while before the turnover was completed. In something like Rock music, it may be a challenge to use it but not be used by it.
In the 1980's Christian Rock music was pioneered by groups like Petra. They used to play in church basements. They also preached after their concerts. Singing and preaching were two sides of the same coin for many Christian artists then. Sometimes, the songs were the 'sermon', but most artists decided that these categories should be distinguished: music was not meant to be just the envelope for a sermon. In fact, it did not matter that much, because Christians simply must make music. Christians are not very much like Muslims, most of whom are inclined to condemn all forms of music. For Jews it is unthinkable to hold such a view, as they always deeply realized that truly rejoicing in God is elementary: how can you deny the Creator he right to be praised with a heart that overflows with joy? King David did not even mind to be looked at as a fool when he danced before God - he was so full of joy about God, nothing else mattered. Such joy cannot, of course, be 'regulated' as if it were an administrative issue in stead of something from deep within the heart.
Traditionally, Christians are much like Jews in this respect. Both of them always generally loved music. Music driven from religious inspiration has driven much of the enormous stockpile of classical music in the Western world. Music fits with all kinds of situations and states of mind (nocturnes, serenades, arias, operas, etc). But, to get back to the old Hebrews: The Jewish people did of course not by accident incorporate 150 Psalms (=songs) in their holy book, the Torah. Most Christians always loved these Psalms too, and put it often on music. The God they believe in is an exalted God, but still, at the same time, the One who is 'near to us'. This knowledge of 'proximity' has always been one of the reasons why music has attracted those who believe in this Personal God. It is the language of a heart that (directly or indirectly) longs for the presence of God. Music fills that prophetic gap between what 'will be' but 'is not yet there', it reminds us that God - a real Someone, Who can thrill the hearts - will ultimately fill the gap. 'Soul music' is not an accident but a reflection of a deep inner longing - not always in a direct 'Biblical' sense of course but certainly in a deeply human sense - and revealing that this human being is created with a longing for things unseen. 'Gospel music' is not just an advantageous concatenation of the words 'Gospel' and 'music' - the Gospel of Jesus, of God, IS music for the heart, hence it found this self-evident expression in Gospel music.
And how about Rock music? To say that Rock music is per definition 'rebellious' may be an exaggeration, although there is something to it. No greater 'Rebel' than Jesus Christ, in a sense. Whipping up people who dishonored God in His temple (Jesus 'made a scourge of cords' it is observed so meticulously in John 2:15) - it certainly isn't something for 'softies'. Jesus was no softie. But was he a 'rocker'? Not exactly. Nevertheless, when Christians today say: 'Jesus Rocks!', it makes sense to us, referring (so we suspect) to the 'passion' we feel for Him. There is something passionate in Rock music. Here too, Larry Norman had to be right after all: how can we leave such a passionate thing up to the domain of the Devil? Apparently, Larry was exercising practical theology about music. Without music, what would God have looked like, in Judaism, in Christianity? Probably something very scary. Whatever Rock music represents 'in the world', in Christian music it certainly is being used in several ways: sometimes it may express rebellion against something, at other times it is simply used as an artistic expression from the heart, about God, about living a Christian life, and so on.
But then, since the eighties, Christian music was being discovered by non-Christians too, and not the least because there was 'business' to it. That was to be expected, as Christian music was getting better, more professional. Soon, in the nineties, there were about a thousand Christian bands playing all kinds of styles. Christian music became the fastest-growing segment of the industry. Big secular companies like EMI, BMG, and Sony realized they had to own their own Christian labels. So what was growing up was what we now call "Contemporary Christian Rock music". Although Switchfoot was certainly right to state: "We're Christian by faith, not by genre", it must also be observed that the words 'contemporary' and 'Christian' do not really denote a genre whatsoever. Being 'contemporary' (embedded in, understood in its own time segment) is in fact a very crucial aspect of Christian faith. Christians were never meant to be hermits (except for some limited time - and usually in the desert, not a church). Being contemporary means: not being a relic of the past but a living creature responding to (not hiding away at) the challenges of today. And 'Christian' is no genre either: it refers to content, not style. A professional musician making superb tunes does not 'change' into a Christian when he brings in a Christian message. He remains a professional musician making superb tunes - but on top of that he enriches these superb tunes with more explicit signs as to the significance of his music - pointing to the One who gave us this music in the very first place.
Contemporary vs mainstream
Having said that, it is clear that becoming more 'contemporary' has also often meant: going mainstream. Is that a good thing?
Amy Grant, winner of six Grammy Awards and 22 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, is considered the first Christian artist who crossed over into mainstream music. With her 1982 album "Age to Age" she had the first gospel title to sell 1 million copies. Today she has more than 30 million units sold. Grant was soon followed by Michael W. Smith. Both were named among People Magazine's '50 Most Beautiful People' in 1992 - a fact often mentioned by critics of their 'mainstream' attitudes. Now being named among the beautiful of this world doesn't mean you have become 'worldly'. Compare: Jesus was probably one of the smartest man of his time - that doesn't make him a 'rationalist'. However, that is not to say that there are no issues to face here. As long as we keep in mind that the first people responsible to face these issues are these artists themselves. Criticism from along the wayside is usually easier than being active for God.
One can probably speak of a 'new generation' of Christian musicians with the Newsboys. Significant detail: Peter Furler was the son of a Pentecostal teacher. When he started the band (1984) he had no intention of becoming a rock star. He wanted to preach. In fact, it was said about the earliest Christian music that they were rather preachers - the music was secondary, just a means to get the preaching somewhere. It now looked like we were getting back to that period. But with a difference of course: Christian music wasn't suddenly loosing quality because of this. It was going to get even better.
Still, most Christian artists did not talk very explicitly about God or Jesus. Was this some kind of decline of the 'Jesus People' spirit? Probably - although it should be clear that Christian life cannot be lived by simply 'copying' the style and behavior of a particular, successful time segment into the future forever. Christian life must be re-implemented by every generation, again and again. When flower power lost power, it was for some reason. The enthusiasm of the many Baby Boomers declined, the radical student found himself having settled as brave paterfamilias, the economic and American dreams proved less stable than predicted, the traces of World War II were not over yet (Belfast, growing nationalism, obstinate antisemitism and so on). People were again on the lookout for more love, for good family relations, for comfort in scary times. Christians too become more aware that they have in many respects the same needs - they don't live on another planet. To quote Jars Of Clay - another band who very successfully made the crossover to the mainstream: "Some of [our] songs more overtly deal with spiritual things, some don't. [They are] kind of looking at different levels of life from our perspective of who we are and our perspective of Christianity."
Christians may have moved away from the 'Jesus People' experience, but often only in so far that they realized that the answer to the hard questions of life cannot simply be 'Jesus' all the time - unless of course this name and what it really means is well understood by the listeners. When, to those listening, the name of 'Jesus' is nothing but an empty box, you could as well have kept your mouth shut or sing whatever 'worldly' song. The problem of the Christian 'cliches' was discovered. All too often, Christian speak such as 'Jesus is the way' means a way out of the hard questions. Christians discovered that they had to learn and to understand the hard questions. Moreover, Christians increasingly started to discover that these hard questions played in their own lives too. Going mainstream had also something to do with all of this. It was not merely about building up a career, it was (also) about building up a mission in this world - or at least kind of seeking ways to do so.
It has to be said clearly - for our 'conservative' brothers particularly - that Christian music does not stop being Christian when and because it is played in venues where alcohol is served, or when Christian videos are appearing on MTV. It is - or should be - common insight today that Christians should be active at all levels where you can possibly be functional as a Christian. Jesus was found among the prostitutes, the liars and the thieves. As Jeff Frankenstein (drummer of the Newsboys) put it: "The whole traditional image of rock as being the music of the bad boy is one thing, but after all, what could be more rebellious than being a Christian and looking at life the way Jesus did?"
Remaining Faithful
Many of the 'mainstreamers' have remained faithful to their Christian position. That is, of course, true for Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and many others. Jars of Clay is a funny example in that the bands name summarizes the whole issue at stake here, as it refers to this great Bible verse: "But we have this treasure in jars of clay". This refers to the frailness of life (in our human body - made of 'clay') as well as it refers to the power of God notwithstanding the fragility of these jars. You can also think of it as these jars representing the fragility of Christian music when it enters the mainstream: Christians enter domains where they do not really belong to, they often go there 'in weakness' because most Christians are always aware that they cannot really behave like non-Christians. If we think of those bands who really take a stand for God, and we ask why they arrived there, it will probably be because they have been asked to be there - because of the quality of their artistic act. But at the same time they wanted to be there - because they have something to say.
Of course, some Christian bands hardly sing, they scream, they go mad, they do anything but 'say' something. And what about Christian bands singing Death Metal and all that kind of things? Is this the ultimate consequence of 'reaching out your hand to those in need', those who are lost? Many discussions have been going on about such topics. Of course such bands should ask themselves how much 'trash' a Christian can produce (to convince the audience that 'you know what you are talking about') without loosing Christian identity. One can certainly create a big rubbish dump to demonstrate the poorness of a life without God, but if you start to make a living upon your 'demonstrative' rubbish dump, don't be surprised when some people don't believe you anymore, taking you for a hypocrite. Christians have the 'right' to make mistakes, but we do not have the right to have our facts wrong. God and rubbish are by no means related. Yet, Jesus went through the 'rubbish'. Many people are still living in he rubbish. How do we get them out of it? There are several scenarios, obviously, and I cannot give you 'the right opinion' on this. Your heart should know if the kind of thing you are doing is right. And if someone doesn't feel good with certain types of music, well, don't listen to it. Or pray for those making this stuff (always a good idea).
In general, however, I think people like Larry Norman, Keith Green, Amy Grant and so on have given us a good example. They always had a Good Message to communicate. If a Christian artist is not clearly communicating something about the Good Message, there will be suspicion.
Rebecca St James
Rebecca St James came up in the nineties as a somewhat remarkable case - at least since her album God. On the one hand, this was clearly Rock music of a high quality, very energetic and beautiful. On the other hand this was like taking a distance from the mainstream scene: this music was all about God and Jesus, real spiritual life, prayer. RSJ was 'explicit' more than we were generally used to in Rock music. It also meant: a smaller imprint in the public domain, on the 'mainstream public'. It is not that Rebecca was 'shortsighted' at this point. When asked "Do you think it's impossible to be a Christian and a secular artist?", she replies: "I don't think it's impossible. P.O.D. have proven that. They are true to their message and are hugely popular. I love how they have been true to their cause." (interview in Cross Rhythms magazine, issue 72). But this was not going to be an aspect of her own mission.
Indeed, looking at Rebecca's career from more nearby, the first focus seems to have been on the Christian public: Rebecca has been singing a lot in churches, on Christian festivals etc. Praising God together with other Christians was (and is) a great joy to her. In reality, this was not praise music as a theory, or as a kind of 'occupational therapy' for Christians. This was so much 'from the heart' that hundreds, even thousands of people have already declared in one way or another that Rebecca influenced their way of being a Christian. It is no small thing that David Smallbone (Rebecca's father) did, when he decided to migrate to the U.S. with his household of seven children. He had a vision, and that vision was much related to waking up and encouraging Christians, for instance by means of Christian concerts. By waking up Christians, those who are strengthened can wake up others. Therefore, the work inside the Christian community is a very important thing, in fact it is a strategy. Rebecca's special focus in this domain is clear from several facts, for instance her relentless insistence on truly committing your life to God, committing to sexual purity, in fact purity before God in general. One could probably say that this is about showing Christians what praise (music) is really about. To praise God is a matter of the entire human being: spirit, soul, body, and being a community of God-praising people. The strong focus on prayer (particularly her first 2 albums - but also present on other albums) stems with this strong desire that Christians have their inner life screened before God, and be there where God wants them. Christians have to 'Be strong' (Stand, 2000) - but therefore, first of all, to 'Be still (and know you are God)' (Peace, 1998).
Of course, many concerts did not happen in churches but in public places. The public places where Christian artists like Rebecca appeared are in a sense mainstream places, because they are open to the common public who yesterday listened to a secular 'band X' and today to Rebecca St James. Times have changed since Larry Norman's first appearances too. Larry, who died just a while ago (in Februari 2008), was not welcome at churches at the time. But his targeted public was different too. As he once asked another artist: "if you can’t sing your songs on street corners, then why are you singing them at all?". Today, many churches are more engaged in activities that reach out to a wide public. It means that people who are not used to a Christian message, have also been hearing Rebecca's music and message, or other modern Christian artists. This opportunity may also have been facilitated by the fact that there has been a growing acceptance of 'spirituality' in general, since about the time when the Smallbones came over. Remember Alanis Morisette, who started practicing Yoga and headed for India for 6 weeks 1996/1997. Rebecca St James was soon compared to Morisette (vocals, style) and Rebecca certainly brought in a strong spiritual element too - but the origin of that element wasn't India, it was a very straightforward Christian message.
With hardly any song not mentioning Jesus, of course, the major target of the mission would be Christians - but also all those 'at the edges' of our post-Christian Western societies. It may probably sound like an exaggeration to suggest that a new kind of 'Jesus People' was being molded here - and yet, although not such a remarkable mass movement, there is something to it. Not Rebecca's titles or awards, not her number 1 spots on the U.S. charts are the strong indicators of the kind of impact she has, but the type of responses from so many of her supporters. It is so often about changed lives, finding new courage, making commitments to live a life with God.
That is not to say that Christian life was being reinvented here - as if Larry, Keith, Amy, or The Second Chapter of Acts, Rich Mullins, ... any of all the other Christian giants - didn't do the right thing. Rebecca was not particularly more radical or so. In 1986 Amy Grant was already saying: "We've talked about sex and 'let's party'; now let's talk about the eternal significance of the fact that we're here!". The observation that this world is going mad is not new. Yet, he RSJ mission was - once again - more of a 'mission' (style the Newsboys). It also had some specific missionary characteristics such as the strong insistence on sexual (including spiritual) purity, complete trust in God, doing something for the poor, particularly for children, for instance through Compassion International. This aspect was emphasized through the books Rebecca wrote - especially the book Wait For Me (about sexual purity, a new appreciation of marriage and so on), and the famous song of the same name. Besides that, Rebecca's 'romantic appearance' made it all the more remarkable.
This strong insistence on sexual purity, why is that? Some people have been poking fun about that, but the reality is that there is a plan behind this. Not necessarily a plan from Rebecca or her manager, but more like the kind of plan that human beings don't make themselves. This is something that fits within a more common world wide phenomenon these days, which happens at many different levels. It is not just that 'spiritual' revival, it is also that more people today really want this world to change, to become more human, and also escape and recover somehow from the less positive aspects of the sixties. Freedom is okay, but freedom without boundaries has made its victims - and we now see that everywhere. Many people today, even many 'secularists', do realize, not just that the amount of dirtiness surrounding us has grown to unbelievable heights, but also that this is not exactly what freedom is about. The irresponsibility that goes hand in hand with these developments is staggering, and irresponsibility does not fit well with real freedom - it limits it. While the world is still suffering of incredible diseases (hunger, poverty, natural disasters), the luxurious West wallows not just in wealth but in selfish behavior, materialism, and in immense impurity, often showing a manifest apathy with regard to the consequences of what we are doing. Our desires and lusts drive us to ourselves, away from where the real needs are, away from the voice of conscience that we would normally hear whenever the misery of 'fellow world citizens' reaches our eyes and ears.
Particularly young people, who often learned little from their parents or from their school teachers or friends, are driving away from responsibility as a human concept. They are being consumed by those voices that encourage our selfish desires continuously. What is needed in such a climate, particularly for young people, for teenagers? The best way to learn is by example. And that is one of those strong points that people have observed in Rebecca for over 17 years now. Whatever she represents, she has above all been a 'model' for many young Christians. With her 'act' (contrary to classical Rock music, Rebecca has no 'pose' - in that sense she is much like Amy Grant: simple, authentic), she really 'modeled' the spirits of young people (and occasionally older ones too of course). Her role function for the younger generation has probably been most significant, there can be little doubt about that. Bands like BarlowGirl have obviously be strongly inspired by so much authenticity and started to 'follow up' so to speak. It is a strange, but great, phenomenon that today there are many more bands started by young people who are very serious and explicit about Jesus, about faith. BarlowGirl, Switchfoot, Stellar Kart and so on some of the great examples.
There is hope for the future. There is always hope, we should say - but it is much easier to believe that when you see hope at work in young people.
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