I’ve taught on this subject before, and maybe I got it all wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve taught something inaccurate! It’s a discussion of definitions, somewhat subjective, and a murky area for people. Like many of my theories, it’s… a theory. I like controversial theories because they produce interesting dialogue. Disagree if you’d like!
I see folks bandy around phrases like these on a regular basis:
– Worship music
– Praise & Worship (P&W)
– [Contemporary] Christian music
– Christian art/songs/albums/movies
– Christian artists & musicians
I understand people get a bit touchy about these phrases, and about my opinions of them. After all, I generally know what people are talking about when they say these things. We generally “know it when we see it“. But what about when we disagree about the definitions, or when we’re talking to people who don’t belong to our religious culture? What if people using these phrases cause people – even within the church – to feel guilty and confused?
Let’s start by attempting to define “Christian music”.
What is Music?
As it turns out, it’s hard to define. We use it all the time without bothering to think about what it means. From this article on defining music:
Many authorities have suggested definitions, but defining music turns out to be more difficult than might first be imagined. As this article will demonstrate, there is ongoing controversy about how to define music.
John Cage has famously created music that falls outside our typical definitions. So let’s use the dictionary for now:
vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion
Do you notice how subjective that is? What is “beauty”? It’s in the eye of the beholder! What constitutes “expression of emotion”? Does banging two pieces of wood together communicate beauty and emotion? Who decides? Does context matter? If it’s composed and written down, does it become more musical?
Let’s take an example from art. “In December 2004, Duchamp’s Fountain was voted the most influential artwork of the 20th century by 500 selected British art world professionals.” This is the famous piece of art:
Yep, it’s a rotated and signed urinal. That’s the most influential piece of art of the 20th century. Maybe it doesn’t speak to you, but it has to a lot of people. It communicates emotion, just like music. In a similar way, there’s probably lots of “music” that doesn’t convey beauty or emotion to you. Maybe you have even said, flippantly, that it’s not music at all. You probably meant that it didn’t “speak to you” in the slightest. And that’s ok.
THAT’S OK. Not all music will speak to you. You will not appreciate every song like other people do. You may despise a certain genre of music. That’s ok too. You are free to not like rap, classical, country, or even “modern praise and worship”.
People have a long history of judging others because of their musical preferences. Christians are certainly guilty of this, but not just us. Even in high school groups of friends rally around common musical interests, while looking down at people who like the “bad” music. My student loves music of many genres, but yesterday he and I poked fun at teenage girls who liked a certain artist. How could they like such drivel? Silly people!
The point here is that music is highly subjective in its definition and interpretation. The same song can communicate two completely different things to different people.
What is a Christian?
Great, this section will be much easier. Or not. It’s a bit hard to pin this down, too, depending on who you talk to. Let’s use the dictionary again:
a person who has received Christian baptism or is a believer in Jesus Christ and his teachings
That’s pretty subjective too. Many denominations have a slightly different spin on what that actually means, the process of coming to faith, specified beliefs, and subsequent way to live it out. But that’s not the subject of this article.
What we can all agree on is that a Christian is a person. Not a building, organization, or piece of fruit.
Some Implications
This seems like a silly distinction but has big implications. It makes sense to say a doctor is a Christian. It does not make sense to say the chair in which I am sitting is a Christian. Other things that do not make sense:
– Christian record labels
– Christian songs
– Christian albums
– Christian music
– Christian art
Bach was a Christian. He composed music. But his music is not “Christian music”. That makes no sense.
What do people really mean when they say, “I just bought a Christian album?” I hear this kind of thing often. Do they mean:
– The lyrics communicate Christian truths
– The artist is a Christian
– The company that produced/released the album is a Christian label
Do all of those have to be met? If only one of the above criteria is met, is it a Christian album? How do you know if the second one is true? Do you know the songwriter? Does he practice what he preaches, or is he a hypocrite? What if he writes the song while walking the straight and narrow, and later falls away? If only the first one must be true, how many of the songs on the album have to mention these Christian ideas? To what extent must they mention them? Can the lyrics mention other things? Do at least some of the songs have to present the gospel, or mention Jesus? What is a Christian label?
As you can see, there’s no standard or agreed definition here. But we throw the words around. We call Thomas Kinkade a “Christian artist” but U2 is a “secular band”. We like these categories because they help us decide what music is “appropriate” to listen to, and what is “safe” for our children. I believe a better system is called for. A better definition and use of words. And a better way of discerning what is good for us and our children.
So if music and art are never “Christian”, then how do we know what to listen to, or buy, or recommend? It takes more judgment and discernment on our part.
Ideas for Thought
Since music is so subjective, each person can experience the same song differently. One person can be disgusted while another can be uplifted. After playing the same genre in church for years (light rock, or modern P&W, or whatever you call it) I got very sick of it. I now like very few songs in that genre. I avoid music in church because it’s always the same bad music (subjectively speaking). Very few of the songs turn my heart to God.
And that’s the key.
Your personal response to music & art can be thought of in three categories:
1) Those that turn your heart and thoughts toward God (not necessarily happy or solemn!) (Colossians 3:1-2)
2) Neutral stuff… entertaining, funny, dramatic, without a lot of personal spiritual value
3) Bad stuff. Encourages you to sin, turns you from God to the world (1 John 2:15-16)
Remember how subjective those are. Each person interprets each work like this gauge:
Your personal category for a particular song, piece of art, sculpture, or whatever may vary greatly from others – even people you think you know well (ever try recommending movies to a friend?). Even “secular” works by “secular” people can turn someone’s heart toward God. This often happens to me. And even the most “Christian” of music can turn people away from God.
Ever since I’ve realized this, it’s made me feel free to enjoy God in the music I see him in. I listen to that music, and the neural stuff for fun (I like 70s lounge music, for example), and avoid the “bad stuff”. Same with movies and art!
I’m trying to be sensitive to others, and how they interpret the things I like, and realize they may not view things in the same category. More than once in my life I’ve showed something to someone – something in category #1 or #2 – and for them it was #3. And I’ve totally regretted that. I should have asked sooner and avoided showing it to them.
I’ll end with a few tracks of music in my #1 category – stuff that makes me think of godly things. Songs that make me feel “worshipful”, that make me think about God in some way. There’s so many it’s hard to stop 🙂