orbiting
Diane sent me a link a few days ago to a post on a blog written by Daniel Radosh. He’s not a believer, but he’s written a book called Rapture Ready, favorably reviewed by most of the biblically-grounded, thinking Evangelical establishment, in which he discusses his experiences with “Christian pop culture.” I haven’t read it yet, but it’s certainly on the to-read list.
The link Diane sent addresses “Christian Rock” and specifically the question “Does it suck?” Even though he’s a self-described liberal humanist, Radosh argues “no” and lists some very compelling songs by Christian bands to support his argument. In addition, he posts a video of a debate between himself and another cultural critic about the above question. If you know me at all, you know I have several ready-made tirades against the majority of the Christian music industry and the worldviews that fuel it, so I was naturally very interested in the outcome of the debate. It’s crude in places, and Radosh’s assessment of Christianity (what current Christians make it, versus what it really is: propositional, historical, revealed truth) is off, but I was pleasantly surprised at how correctly he describes the mindset of a genuine, culturally-engaged (but not saturated) believer. It’s free from most of the usual cliches and stereotypes proffered by many humanists. Good listen.