Crisis in Christian Music

by Jack Wheaton

Book Overview

Today there is a Crisis in Christian Music. Secular, pagan, and even occult musical styles have crept into the church, all dressed up with new Christian lyrics. Old, traditional hymns, tried and true, have been thrown on the scrap heap of church history. Naively, pastors, music directors, and younger members of congregations have often unknowingly embraced musical styles that can have spiritually negative effects on their listeners. Dr. Jack Wheaton,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1575580624
• ISBN13: 9781575580623
• Release Date: June 2000
• Publisher: Hearthstone Publishing
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Expose on CCM

Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) has invaded the evangelical churches of the past 10-20 years. Dr. Wheaton makes a case that some of CCM is not altogether bad, it just wasn't necesarily meant to be part of a worship service. I am not a trained musician like Dr. Wheaton so I appreciated his teaching on basic music theory and how lyrics and melody are supposed to complement one another. The book is certainly not hard-to-read and is practical since what is described is exactly what is going on in churches in America. Dr. Wheaton makes a case that the young people are gaining increasing influence in churches and crowding out the traditonal hymns so rich in scriptural truth and flowing melodies. I see this happening at my home church that anytime an old-style hymn is played, you can see the youth of the church grimace. What is most disturbing from this CCM trend is that the young people of our church are so biblically illiterate. Clearly music is the medium and solid bible exposition is boring and out-of-date. CCM plays directly into the methodology of the "seeker-sensitive" movement of Rick Warren and Bill Hybels because contemporary evangelical church services are deliberately superficial. The church is trying to market an offensive product (the cross of Christ) to a person who is purposely not told the whole story. The story they get is that church is fun, you won't have to hear you are a sinner, you will be entertained with music that sounds like the rest of the world, we won't throw a cross in your sightlines, and you will know that God is love and wants to answer your every selfish prayer. God help us from these charlatans who are slick salesmen who are selling the unchurched by leaving out the other side of the Christian decision. God is holy. You are expected to be obedient to His word. There is a hell. And this world is not necessarily about our felt-needs, but His will for our lives. Dr. Wheaton gives some practical exhortation that churches need to get back to lyrics and melodies that edify the body and facilitate a dignified worship of our Lord and Creator. Oh, if every church youth or music director had the courage to just read this book. We can only pray.