NOT a debate thread but Christian music

dogs4thewin

dog lover
Christian Forums Staff
Hands-on Trainee
CF Ambassadors
Supporter
Apr 19, 2012
30,291
5,593
32
Georgia U.S. State
✟887,500.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Libertarian
This the NOT a debate thread should it turn into one I will asks for it to be cleaned and/or closed. I am placing this here because I wanted Non-Christians to be able to answer and staff told me this would probably be the most reasonable forum for that.

Now that that is all out of the way to the question.

For Non-Christians do you enjoy Christian music? I know I do which is why I am asking. For Christians ( particularly those who converted in their teens and up) DID you enjoy the music prior to coming to faith? I know I do which is why I am asking,

Again, This the NOT a debate thread should it turn into one I will asks for it to be cleaned and/or closed.
 

ViaCrucis

Confessional Lutheran
Oct 2, 2011
37,342
26,788
Pacific Northwest
✟728,246.00
Country
United States
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
In Relationship
Politics
US-Others
What are we defining as "Christian music"? Are we talking about the entirety of sacred song produced by the Christian Church over the last two thousand years, which includes everything from the ancient Phos Hilaron to Gregorian Chant (Plainsong) to the works of Bach? Or are we focusing more on the Contemporary Christian Music scene? Or the "Praise and Worship" genre? Or all the above?

My relationship with "Christian music" has changed over the years.

My parents were really into CCM, my mom listened to a lot of Twila Paris, Amy Grant, and Ray Boltz; my dad listened to a lot of Wayne Watson (as well as Ray Boltz). My parents started to get me into music fairly young, my favorite artist between about the age of 7 and 13 was Carman. I also got a little bit into Geoff Moore, Michael W. Smith, and Audio Adrenaline in my early adolescence.

The school I attended was a very conservative Fundamentalist Baptist school, and all the music I listed above was broadly classified as "Christian Rock" and was therefore regarded as evil, satanic music. So I tended to feel a bit like an outcast and a rebel at my school because my teachers and most of the other students were so adamantly against such things. It was one of several reasons I felt generally ostracized there.

So I grew up in such a way that "Christian Rock" was a way of rebelling against what I considered a harsh, repressive, and generally unwelcoming environment. As such I associated hymns with that environment. As such I hated hymns and "old fogey music" because it represented in my mind a deeply legalistic, authoritarian, oppressive culture. A sentiment that I held onto deeply well into high school, years after I stopped attending that school.

In high school my tastes started to shift toward Christian punk, Christian ska, and occasionally Christian metal. My favorite bands were the OC Supertones, Five Iron Frenzy, Plankeye, Dogwood, One21, and Zao. I also got really into the Praise & Worship genre, in particular the band Delirious? whose songs pretty much took the Evangelical worship scene by storm; there was also Chris Tomlin and others.

Again, I considered "old fogey music" to be the symptom of legalistic, oppressive, cold, dead churches that wanted to control their members. The stuff I listened to was "freeing" and proof in my mind that I could be a Christian without being relegated as some stuffy shirt something-or-other.

It wasn't until my 20s, that I began to look deeper into the roots of Christianity, questioned a lot of my Evangelical and Pentecostal preconceptions about Christianity, and came into contract with the wider Christian world, (Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant) and the traditional music of that Christian world that I began to gain a deeper appreciation for the historical music of the Christian Church. The great chants and hymns of both the Eastern and Western traditions. Simultaneously I started to find much of the "Christian music" that I had been listening to much of my life to feel more hollow, cheaper by comparison.

And that trend has basically continued with that momentum with me. I don't really listen to much of what is typically classified as "Christian music" these days. And I find myself fairly critical of what ought to be sung in church and what would be rather inappropriate--not on the basis of musical "style" but rather theological content.

So, I mean yes I do still listen to "Christian music", it's just that the "Christian music" I listen to these days sounds like this:

Of the Father's Love Begotten - traditional a capella chior - YouTube

Hail Gladdening Light, ??? ?????? (Phos Hilaron ) - YouTube

Stay With Us - Hymn Adore Te - YouTube

-CryptoLutheran
 
Upvote 0

Aryeh Jay

Gone and hopefully forgotten.
Supporter
Jul 19, 2012
15,312
14,321
MI - Michigan
✟498,114.00
Country
United States
Faith
Judaism
Marital Status
Married
When I was exploring Christianity during my teen years, all the members of my church youth group were into Amy Grant and Russ Taff. I could listen to them, but they were never going to be on my personal mix tape. I did like Stryper and their first album “The Yellow and Black Attack” and still occasionally listen to that album on my MP3 or 4 thing. Our church youth group attended the Ichthus music festival in Wilmore, KY back in 1987 and there were some groups I liked, but today can’t remember who they were. Our youth director attended the Methodist seminary there and had a hook up to get us in the concert with free food and lodging, all we had to do was get there. 682 miles and 15 hours from Brookhaven Mississippi to Wilmore Kentucky in an old bus that looked like a prop from the Muppet movie.


I don’t listen to today’s Christian music. Every time I search on the radio on a trip I inadvertently find several Christian music stations. To me now it just sounds jumbled, like every instrument ever invented, playing at the same time, at the same volume competing against the other instruments and it always seems to be a duet with a repetitive “sing praises to His name” for three minutes. I would rather listen to western Pennsylvania’s Catholic radio station that has a Priest and a Nun repeating the rosary for two hours at night. Oh, how I miss my drives across Pennsylvania and the tolls of the turnpike.




After reading the post by ViaCrucis I will add I do listen to older stuff like Gregorian chants and old shaped note hymns from the Appalachians/Ozarks.
 
Upvote 0

Jane_the_Bane

Gaia's godchild
Feb 11, 2004
19,359
3,426
✟168,333.00
Faith
Pagan
Marital Status
Legal Union (Other)
Politics
UK-Greens
How would you define "Christian music"?

Virtually all of Europe's recorded musical history up to the 1600s is ecclesiastical in nature, and it was only in the modern era that secular music reached an equal footing, corresponding to the waning religious influence in society.

I have a soft spot for historical music, have been a fan of "classical" music (which contains lots of Christian material) since childhood, and even enjoy traditional hymns I used to sing in church. Gregorian chants are interesting, Bach's music is perfection, Verdi's requiem is stunning, etc.


What I CANNOT stomach, however, are contemporary attempts at "musical segregation" and target group marketing, with vapid pop songs receiving a "Christian" make-over in order to appeal to an audience that wants to set itself apart from ordinary people, refusing to listen to regular pop.
To me, that's like opening a special food store that only sells "Christian food", with the only discernible difference being that every package has a cross, a portrait of Jesus or some other obvious symbol on the front.
 
Upvote 0

seashale76

Unapologetic Iconodule
Dec 29, 2004
14,001
4,395
✟171,309.00
Country
United States
Faith
Melkite Catholic
Marital Status
Married
I honestly haven't kept up with contemporary Christian music. Back when I did- the options were limited when it came to what I considered good music. I never felt guilty for not liking it and liking secular music more. From what I understand things have gotten better.

Now, when it comes to ancient and more traditional forms of Christian music (i.e. hymns) then I love it to bits.

Examples of the type of thing I'm talking about:

Trisagion (In English) - YouTube

Miserere Mei Deus - YouTube

The Monks Of Simonopetra Monastery Chanting - YouTube
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

VeroObscura

Newbie
Sep 18, 2014
75
1
UK
✟15,200.00
Faith
Seeker
Marital Status
Private
I was struggling to think of any modern Christian music that I like. Depending how recent something has to be to count as modern, I love some gospel music.

What I term "happy-clappy" is descended from gospel, but it doesn't have any of the real guts. It's not visceral in any way, and I think that kinda defines the difference between good and bad.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Zoness

667, neighbor of the beast
Supporter
Jul 21, 2008
8,384
1,654
Illinois
✟468,399.00
Country
United States
Faith
Pagan
Marital Status
Married
This the NOT a debate thread should it turn into one I will asks for it to be cleaned and/or closed. I am placing this here because I wanted Non-Christians to be able to answer and staff told me this would probably be the most reasonable forum for that.

Now that that is all out of the way to the question.

For Non-Christians do you enjoy Christian music? I know I do which is why I am asking. For Christians ( particularly those who converted in their teens and up) DID you enjoy the music prior to coming to faith? I know I do which is why I am asking,

Again, This the NOT a debate thread should it turn into one I will asks for it to be cleaned and/or closed.

Generally I think modern (as in, the last several decades) Christian music is pretty awful but is becoming increasingly self-aware and trying to improve. I think ancient Christian music like Gregorian and Byzantine chants are really awesome though.
 
Upvote 0