On Praise and Worship Music: An Essay to its Cultured Despisers
“Praise and worship” music is one of the most oft-evoked and heavily contested markers of evangelical Protestantism in the United States. Its most vocal advocates herald praise and worship and its meteoric rise since the 1960s as nothing less than the rebirth of Western Christianity, citing its unique ability to attract an entire generation of “lost sheep” into the fold. On the other hand, its most virulent critics condemn praise and worship as dangerous or blatantly... Read More
Can Moving Music to the Cloud Drive Bring Christians Closer to Heaven?
Music has interacted with other media for decades—from film scores to television theme songs, radio music stations to news stories and podcasts—music rarely stands alone. When music does stand “alone,” as in perhaps the case of music for the sake of music such as with live symphony or rock music performances, it remains ever mediated. Jeremy Begbie, who has written much on theology through the arts, describes the experience of music as being “mediated through an extensive... Read More
Transmission Complete: Christmas Media and the Christian
What did you get for Christmas? Or better put, what did you receive this Christmas? It is easy for Christian consumers to forget that the real meaning of Christmas—the so-called season of giving—is that God is received among humans in Christ, the baby Jesus. This gift trumps even the most generous donor or the most perfect present given by Santa Claus under the tree. What does it mean to receive Christ in the world? There are plenty of clues—from the gospels to tradition,... Read More
Comments