Contemporary Christian music

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Christian music
Stylistic origins: A variety of genres evolving from Jesus music.
Cultural origins: 1960s United States
Typical instruments: Electric guitar, Bass guitar, Drums, Keyboard, Synthesizers
Mainstream popularity: Continuous from 1990s
Subgenres
Christian alternative rock - Christian bubblegum pop - Christian electronic music - Christian hardcore - Christian hip hop - Christian metal - Christian punk - Christian rock - Christian soft rock - Christian ska - Cprog
Other topics
Christian entertainment industry - Christian girl group - Worship music


Contemporary Christian Music (or CCM) is a genre of popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The term is typically used to refer to the Nashville, Tennessee-based pop, rock, and worship Christian music industry, currently represented by artists such as Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Jars of Clay, MercyMe, Petra, Keith Green, Michael Card, Third Day, Relient K, Jeremy Camp, Avalon and a host of others. The industry is represented in Billboard Magazine's "Top Christian Albums" and "Hot Christian Songs" charts,[1] as well as the iTunes Music Store's "Christian & Gospel" genre.

The term "Contemporary Christian Music" originated in the late 1960s in reference to the emerging pop and rock "Jesus music", the musical outpouring of the hippie Jesus Movement of the time.[2] Artists such as Larry Norman, 2nd Chapter of Acts, and Love Song were among the first to express their Christian faith in the form of rock music.

There is also a great deal of popular music which lyrically identifies with Christianity but is not normally considered Contemporary Christian Music.[2] For example, many underground punk and hardcore bands deal explicitly with issues of faith but are not a part of the Nashville industry (e.g., Seattle-based Tooth and Nail Records). Also, several mainstream music artists sometimes deal with Christian themes in their work, such as Bob Dylan and U2, but fall outside of the CCM genre.[2]

Contents

[edit] Controversy

Contemporary Christian Music has been a topic of controversy in various ways since its beginnings in the 1960s.[2]

Some conservative Christians feel that the medium of popular music is unholy, and thus unfit for Christian participation. For example, Bob Jones University prohibits its dormitory students from listening to CCM.[3] Other noted Christian critics of CCM include John MacArthur, Dan Lucarini (the author of the book Why I Left the Contemporary Christian Music Movement), and Kimberly Smith (author of the books Oh Be Careful Little Ears and Let Those Who Have Ears to Hear).

CCM also draws criticism from those who feel it is simply a "Christianized" imitation of mainstream music, thus lacking originality and creativity. On Reformation Day (October 31), 1998, in homage to Martin Luther's 95 theses, CCM artist Steve Camp sent out 107 theses calling for a "Reformation" in contemporary Christian music,[4] challenging Christian artists to "recover Biblical Christianity in the arts"[4] and bring a new level of excellence to the field.

Also, often CCM draws criticism from those who simply find the concept of Christian pop/rock music to be an unusual phenomenon, since rock music has historically been associated with themes such as sexual promiscuity, rebellion, drug and alcohol use, and other topics normally considered antithetical to the teachings of Christianity.[2] (For more on this topic, see: Social effects of rock and roll.) Perhaps the most well-known (and humorous) defense to this criticism is a quote from a 19th century Methodist minister Rowland Hill: "Why should the devil have all the good music?" (Note: this quote is often incorrectly attributed to Martin Luther).[citation needed]

[edit] Further reading

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Best Selling Christian Singles and Albums. Billboard Magazine. Retrieved on February 28, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d e Powell, Mark Allan (2002). Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music, First printing, Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 10-13. ISBN 1-56563-679-1. 
  3. ^ BJU ~ Residence Hall Life. Bob Jones University. Retrieved on February 28, 2007.
  4. ^ a b Camp, Steven John (1997). A Call For Reformation in the Contemporary Christian Music Industry. Worship.com. Retrieved on February 28, 2007.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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