Educational Media Reviews Online

The video God's Rock: Building a Business"documents the tremendous changes that have occurred in the Contemporary Christian music scene. Gone are the days when "Christian" artists recorded only Gospel standards or inspirational ballads for some small-time music label. Taking a cue from their secular rock and pop brethren, Contemporary Christian music has diversified and expanded. Groups like Out of Eden, Grace Girls Group, St. Peter's Vision, Worldwide Message Tribe, and Plankeye run the musical gamut from the traditional ballads to the latest techno-pop and grunge styles. Concert events like the Creation Festival are organized ala Woodstock, Live Aid and Lollapalooza, complete with campsites, multiple stages, and tons of merchandise (albeit Christian in nature). The televised ceremonies for their music achievement award, known as the Dove, have all the glitz and glamour of the Grammys or Academy Awards.

The result of these changes is that Contemporary Christian music is now a billion-dollar industry. Record and merchandise sales have grown by 22% every year over the past several years. Producers of the Dove awards can now attract major sponsorship for their televised ceremonies. There are even Christian nightclubs, such as the Foundry in Nashville, Tennessee.

Though the producers of God's Rock paint a fairly positive picture of the Contemporary Christian music scene, they also show that there is trouble in paradise. Rock critic Robert Oermann points out that Christian pop and rock music tends be rather conservative and judgmental in its lyrics, especially when it comes to the issue of homosexuality. Members of a local Metropolitan church in Nashville then echo this feeling of judgement and persecution. Homosexuals aren't the only ones; however, who have felt the wrath of this new musical force. Michael English was the "poster boy" for Contemporary Christian music until he had an extramarital affair. He was then banished by the establishment, resulting in the removal of his records from Christian music stores. At the time of the video recording, Michael had apologized for the affair. He's now attempting a musical comeback, but without the backing of the Contemporary Christian music scene.

The creators of this behind-the-scenes documentary strove to be fair and impartial towards their subject, an approach at which I believe they have succeeded. While the video deals with popular music, it is better suited for supporting courses in contemporary religion or sociology.