What you think of Christian pop music

[Sirona]

I must admit that dragging singing after a sombre music from an organ was one of the main factors that drove me away from the Catholic Church. If there had been Christian pop back then, I might have stayed. I hate regular traditional church music. It makes me feeling depressed, but maybe that's what they want. Lately, they are learning and are even doing a service with "modern" music now and then, after all the newfangled churches are taking away their flocks. As for sacred vs. profane music, I read that Johann Sebastian Bach used his sacred melodies to recast them as songs of praise to his secular ruler. But perhaps princes and noblemen were something like "miniature gods" in those days, so the transformation of sacred music into secular praise songs may have had its justification.

 

[SomeRandom]

Not totally familiar with Christian Pop. But I did listen to Flyleaf in my teen years. And the lead singer often sings about her faith. She’s probably the nicest American fundamentalist Christians I’ve encountered. Take that as you will

 

[Glaurung]

What makes a form one or the other? Sounds like a rather arbitrary distinction.

Genre music such as pop, rock and jazz are profane by nature and intention. It is music intended to entertain and evoke the baser passions. It's not that you can't have genre songs which touch on philosophical or spiritual ideas, but attempting to use these forms of music as vehicles of religious edification or even prayer is IMO attempting to mix contradictory things. Think of it as musical shatnez. I dislike hymns for much the same reason. Hymn singing as a part of a liturgical service is a Protestant innovation I wish never infected the Catholic Church.

Chant on the other hand, is by intention and design ordered towards prayerful edification. To hear monks praying the breviary in Gregorian chant is a very different and IMO a much more profound experience than listening to some Protestant style 'praise and worship' which is a mere attempt at an emotional experience. I believe the attempt to present Christianity in a garb of modern culture is misguided at best, positively cringe-y at worst.

 

[Father Heathen]

Genre music such as pop, rock and jazz are profane by nature and intention. It is music intended to entertain and evoke the baser passions. It's not that you can't have genre songs which touch on philosophical or spiritual ideas, but attempting to use these forms of music as vehicles of religious edification or even prayer is IMO attempting to mix contradictory things. Think of it as musical shatnez. I dislike hymns for much the same reason. Hymn singing as a part of a liturgical service is a Protestant innovation I wish never infected the Catholic Church.

Chant on the other hand, is by intention and design ordered towards prayerful edification. To hear monks praying the breviary in Gregorian chant is a very different and IMO a much more profound experience than listening to some Protestant style 'praise and worship' which is a mere attempt at an emotional experience. I believe the attempt to present Christianity in a garb of modern culture is misguided at best, positively cringe-y at worst.

So just a subjective, personal taste thing?

 

[Glaurung]

So just a subjective, personal taste thing?

Both are music, but the experiences evoked are so different that they're not remotely the same thing.

Likewise, 'Jesus is my Superhero' and 'Testamentum Eternum' are both Christian, but it's obtuse to pretend they're the same thing. The intent and experience could not be more opposed. But hey, I live in an age where an unmade bed stained with bodily fluids is deep and profound art. Why should modern Christianity be any less idiotic?

 

[Father Heathen]

Both are music, but the experiences evoked are so different that they're not remotely the same thing.

Likewise, 'Jesus is my Superhero' and 'Testamentum Eternum' are both Christian, but it's obtuse to pretend they're the same thing. The intent and experience could not be more opposed. But hey, I live in an age where an unmade bed stained with bodily fluids is deep and profound art. Why should modern Christianity be any less idiotic?