Outer Rim Territories

Townhall.com :: Columns :: Christ as commodity

Townhall.com :: Columns :: Christ as commodity by Nathanael Blake - May 12, 2006

Modern “Christian music” is neither good music nor good Christianity.  Musically it’s bland and derivative, lyrically it’s banal, and the general artistry is slightly below an intoxicated lemur clambering about a toy piano.  Of course, most music of any sort isn’t very good, but the Christian variety has managed to secure a reputation for especial atrociousness.  The reason is that the industry which produces it isn’t much interested in musical quality.  Rather, it is by definition more concerned with spiritual content than auditory standards. But despite this focus, the spiritual value of the products of the Christian music industry (henceforth the CMI) remains minimal.  The primary reason is that the construct is inherently flawed.  Mark Salomon of the band Stavesacre makes the case elegantly in his book Simplicity, explaining why he left the CMI, “Christianity as an industry is a conflict of interest.” However, it’s also a profitable industry.  And so we get Christian™ bookstores stuffed with Christian™ books (not just Bibles, theology, and devotionals, but Christian™ romances, and Christian™ action-adventure books, and Christian™ westerns…), Christian™ music, Christian™ movies, Christian™ clothing, Christian™ keychains, Christian™ action figures, and Christian™ nightlights.  Christianity isn’t a religion, it’s a brand name.