(RNS) — God gave rock ‘n’ roll to everyone, as the British rock band Argent once sang.And everyone includes the religious-right powerhouse James Dobson, as well as the legendary rock band Kiss, both of whom tried to reach the souls of teenagers through the power of rock ‘n’ roll.
Both Kiss and Dobson get a mention in “God Gave Rock & Roll to You,” a new history of the cultural power of contemporary Christian music from religious historian Leah Payne. The book traces the rise of CCM, which Payne describes as “part business, part devotional activity, part religious instruction,” from its humble beginnings to its 1990s heyday — when Amy Grant’s “Baby Baby” was a monster hit — and then to the current dominance of a handful of megachurches.
She also looks at how Christian leaders like Dobson, Billy Graham and concerned evangelical moms known as “Beckys” sought to harness the power of rock music to keep their kids Christian and to shape the broader culture.
“The story of CCM is the story of how white evangelicals looked to the marketplace for signs of God’s work in the world,” she writes.
Payne draws on interviews with artists, fans and record executives as well as her own training as a religious historian to trace the rise and fall of CCM. The book is filled with sharp insights and small details about the role that Pentecostalism and Nazarene holiness codes played in shaping Christian music for decades. Rather than being built on generic evangelical beliefs, she argues, Christian music wa …
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Both Kiss and Dobson get a mention in “God Gave Rock & Roll to You,” a new history of the cultural power of contemporary Christian music from religious historian Leah Payne. The book traces the rise of CCM, which Payne describes as “part business, part devotional activity, part religious instruction,” from its humble beginnings to its 1990s heyday — when Amy Grant’s “Baby Baby” was a monster hit — and then to the current dominance of a handful of megachurches.
She also looks at how Christian leaders like Dobson, Billy Graham and concerned evangelical moms known as “Beckys” sought to harness the power of rock music to keep their kids Christian and to shape the broader culture.
“The story of CCM is the story of how white evangelicals looked to the marketplace for signs of God’s work in the world,” she writes.
Payne draws on interviews with artists, fans and record executives as well as her own training as a religious historian to trace the rise and fall of CCM. The book is filled with sharp insights and small details about the role that Pentecostalism and Nazarene holiness codes played in shaping Christian music for decades. Rather than being built on generic evangelical beliefs, she argues, Christian music wa …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]