Dale McGarrigle, a staff writer for the Daily News, wrote an extended piece on Christian Contemporary Music. He turned to Calvin professor of communication arts and sciences Bill Romanowski for some assistance. But today's contemporary Christian music scene offers something for everyone even reggae, rap and heavy metal. Song lyrics must be about God, Jesus or some other aspect of faith life. Christian music is unique in that it is the only musical genre defined by its lyrics, rather than its musical content.
Blues is the blues, or rock is rock, with the words secondary.
Contemporary Christian music got its start during the cultural upheaval of the 1960s. Romanowski e-mailed from England. Most Christian lyrics are largely redundant and generally superficial. This is in part because of the restriction to confessional themes, but also because the song lyrics are more reflective of an American sentimentalism than a Biblical vision for all of life. For more information contact Phil de Haan .