What if I told you that listening to hip-hop could actually hone your skills in Biblical interpretation? In an article I wrote in September, I argued that there are at least 7 distinct similarities between the way the hip-hop genre functions and the way John’s Gospel is written (e.g., collaboration, double entendre, sampling). Well, weContinueContinue reading “The Gospel of John according to Hip-Hop, Vol. II”
Category Archives: Music
Why Switchfoot Sings Christians’ Songs
Can the word Christian be an adjective? We certainly have found plenty of things to slap it onto: Christian fiction, Christian movies, Christian music, Christian bookstores, Christian T-Shirts, Christian Dior, Christian Bale…okay, those last two don’t count. The point is, the word Christian is an adjective these days. Are we Christians okay with that? Switchfoot’s Viral QuoteContinueContinue reading “Why Switchfoot Sings Christians’ Songs”
Rap Redemption: How Not to “Redeem” a Genre
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past week or perhaps were in a turkey-induced coma since last Thursday, I am sure you have watched the NCFIC panel about “Reformed” Rap: Worship of God Q&A: Holy Hip-Hop And you have read these responses: “Did a NCFIC Panel Really Say That Reformed RappersContinueContinue reading “Rap Redemption: How Not to “Redeem” a Genre”
A Christmas Playlist for Everyone
It’s not yet Thanksgiving, but as I am sure you are quite aware, you must amass your Christmas season paraphernalia well before the end of November. As soon as Santa comes riding in at the end of the Macy’s Parade, it’s time to pull out the garland and Christmas tunes. It seems that everyContinueContinue reading “A Christmas Playlist for Everyone”
A Traditional Thanksgiving Hymn…about Election?
Today we sang the traditional Thanksgiving hymn “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” as a part of our worship service. This hymn sits in the “Dedication and Thanksgiving” section of our hymnal, and I suspect the editors of The Baptist Hymnal did not read past the first line of the hymn. Stranger still, the Evangelical LutheranContinueContinue reading “A Traditional Thanksgiving Hymn…about Election?”
“Signs and Symbols”|Beautiful Eulogy
Beautiful Eulogy just put out their latest offering Instruments of Mercy (download it at Noisetrade here). In the middle of the album, the song “Signs and Symbols” is a great reminder that we are to look to the Bible first and foremost for guidance in life. The song features Propaganda, one of my favorite hip-hopContinueContinue reading ““Signs and Symbols”|Beautiful Eulogy”
Seven Over the Rhine Songs So Good, Your Toes’ll Curl
My wife and I hardly ever agree on music taste, but there is one band that we both love and cherish deeply: Over the Rhine. There is something about husband-and-wife duo Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist’s sultry, soulful music full of grit, struggle, despair, and hope that has touched our marriage in so many ways. ContinueContinue reading “Seven Over the Rhine Songs So Good, Your Toes’ll Curl”