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Christianity and Culture:What's Wrong With Christian Music
by Shea Oakley (Shea's bio)
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Many of us who became Christians later in life share the same story. In the weeks or months following our conversion we began to think that most, if not all, of the secular music we grew up listening to was 'of the Devil'. What followed might be described as 'The Cleansing of the CD Collection”. In my case dozens of albums were consigned to the garbage can. Around the same time I attended my first Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) concert and realized that there was more to sacred music than musty old hymns played on decrepit church organs. Soon my stereo was full of pop music with Christian lyrics. It was the best of both worlds. Or was it?
In the years that followed my CCM collection grew until, today, about three out of every four CD's I have on my shelf are by Christian artists. The problem is that I find myself spending an awful lot of time listening to that other one out of four. Further, I must admit to buying back a number of the secular albums that were so zealously disposed of many years ago. Why is this? Maybe it is because secular music is simply better musically.
Recently a local FM station became the first in the New York area to play Christian music around the clock. At first I was happy to see this happen. We had enough talk radio and the kind of music that appeals to my generation simply could not be found on the dial. So the station got programmed into my car stereo and everyday my commute was filled with the latest in 'Christian Top 40'. After several days, though, I began to feel like I needed an insulin shot if I was going to keep listening to it. The bulk of the songs were what can only be described as sickly sweet, a cross between bubblegum music and bad TV commercial jingles. The lyrics were simplistic and sometimes not even theologically accurate. Oh, and one more thing, most of it was so overproduced as to make one wonder if the stuff was made by real musicians or by Disney “Audio-Animatronic” ones. These days you will rarely find me pushing the button that calls up that frequency on my radio.
Some readers are now probably asking what could possibly make 'worldly' music a better choice than that which is said to be dedicated to the glory of God. Well, I happen to believe that one of the things God likes to see in people, especially His people, is excellence. I think another is depth. Too much CCM has neither. A song is not necessarily excellent or thought provoking or moving just because the name 'Jesus' shows up every other line. In fact the repetition of Christianese clichés mixed with His Name can make a thoughtful believer start to twitch after a while. There are some secular songs that, without even mentioning that Name, can better communicate the truth and reality of God, and our hunger for Him, than a dozen CCM songs. Think of 'Love, Rain O'er Me' by the Who or 'Your Eyes' by Peter Gabriel. Are these people Christian? Debatable. Does the Spirit of God use them anyway? I happen to think so. And the music itself has so much more character.
Ok, so you may be willing to concede that perhaps some secular music is of better quality than the bulk of what makes up the Christian 'Top 40'. What can be done about it? For starters we could get some believing music reviewers who are not afraid to call bad music bad music. A local Christian newspaper in my community carries regular monthly reviews of the latest releases in CCM. I've been reading them for years and have yet to see one album get panned. Now, it is true that believers are to encourage and build up each other. This is certainly the case and a vicious review has no place in any Christian publication, but what about constructive criticism? Can't we call 'a spade a spade' if we do it in love? I belong to a writer's group that critiques some of my material. Sometimes it is hard to accept when a fellow writer is honest about where he or she thinks my writing is weak. Without that honesty, though, I will not grow as a craftsman of words and neither will a craftsman of music.
I will continue to listen to secular music that is not clearly ungodly. However, it would be nice if someday I could enjoy more of the Christian albums on my shelf with as much enthusiasm as those written with just the common grace exhibited by so many 'worldly' artists. A little less piety and a lot more artistry is the only thing that is going to make that happen.
Copyright 2003, Shea Oakley. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
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About Shea Oakley: Shea has been an Evangelical believer for 12 years. He is a member of the Nazarene church and serves on his church's ministries board. Shea has a B.A. in English literature from Nyack College, a college of the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Nyack, New York. He also has earned about 41 credits towards a Masters of Professional Studies in Ministry at Alliance Theological Seminary, also in Nyack. Shea currently resides in his home state of New Jersey in the town of West Milford. He is single. Shea has written for two college student newspapers, a college magazine, Poet Magazine (one poem published), Airliners Magazine and his Church's newsletter, From The Vine to the Branches.
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