Theology and Music

I have always, always, loved music. I have never understood how people can not like music or place it in categories that diminish it. Back in the 70s (and later) when I was on staff at Sr. High church camps I would get into arguments with other staff members about kids bring their "boom boxes" and Walkman players.

"We're here to get away from that stuff," I would hear. "That's a distraction. It isn't about God. Yadda, yadda, yadda."

To which I would argue, "You are telling these kids that one of the most important parts of their lives, their music, is irrelevant and can be ignored. How can we reach them and interest them if we don't know, understand, and use their music?" [I would mention that as a former DJ it was also important to me.]

They would nod their heads in some non-committal agreement and ignore me. Since this was before the rise of what we know as Christian Rock and Contemporary Christian Music gave us a pale imitation of real contemporary and popular music, we had little recourse to the then popular folk-style camp songs. [If I never hear "He picked me up, turned me 'round..." again, it will be too soon. I won't even mention "Kum Bah Yah." - No hate mail, please.]

I always believed that we needed a new version of one of Karl Bath's famous lines. Barth had said that we needed to do theology and preach with the Bible in one hand and today's newspaper in the other. [Amen to that.] I would add that we should also have popular music and media playing around us to get the context into which our preaching and theology must fit.

This, then, is a long introduction simply to send you to another site for a great set of lists. Blogger/theologian/author/professor at Asbury Seminary Ben Witherington knows the music of our Boomer generation as well as continuing to pay attention to what music, culture and movies are up to. His blog is an eclectic source of all these things. (Even John Cleese suggesting that Britain repossess the United States.) --Link to Wikipedia about Ben.

On Friday he posted another of his lists and reflections on the greats in the history of Rock and Roll (at least from our Boomer perspective.) The Beatles and Stones top his lists- of course. All I would argue with- not enough Dylan, especially on his Desert Island records.

But hey, he's so right the rest of the way I'll let him get away with it.