222. The Rise and Fall of the Christian Music Industry // Leah Payne, PhD.

The New Evangelicals Podcast

Summary

In this conversation, Tim Whitaker and Leah Payne, PhD. discuss her book, God Gave Rock and Roll to You, that outlines the origins and impact of contemporary Christian music (CCM). They explore the power of music in religious experiences and the potential for manipulation in revivalist moments as well as the complicated relationship with problematic artists and the ethical dilemma of singing their songs.

Takeaways

Contemporary Christian music (CCM) has a diverse range of genres and subgenres, making it difficult to define and categorize.

The use of music in political and nationalist movements can be both inspiring and concerning, as it can rally people around a cause.

The Christian music market has become more complex, with different subgroups of

genres.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and New Year's Recap

06:25 The Book: God Gave Rock and Roll to You

09:15 The Origins of Contemporary Christian Music

22:23 The Manipulative Potential of Revivalist Moments

25:21 The Use of Music in Political and Nationalist Movements

29:25 The Complicated Relationship with Problematic Artists

36:30 Navigating the Ethical Dilemma of Singing Problematic Songs

41:28 The Rise of Worship Bands

43:04 The Impact of the Internet on Christian Music

56:06 The Influence of Aesthetics on Evangelical Culture

59:39 The Decline of Christian Bookstores

01:02:28 Where to Find Leah Payne

Read Leah Payne's Book: God Gave Rock and Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music

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The New Evangelicals exists to support those who are tired of how evangelical church has been done before and want to see an authentic faith lived out with Jesus at the center. On this channel, you'll see videos from our founder Tim Whitaker and our incredible guests as they react and respond biblically to topics such as Christian Nationalism, church hurt, terrible Christian movies, bad conservative Christian takes, and MUCH more!

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