Let Those Who Have Ears to Hear

Rating:
Summary: Defeat the Beat, Part II
Review: In this sequel to "Oh, Be Careful Little Ears," Smith further impales the heart of contemporary Christian music, then twists the stake. In a broader crusade against the worldly appeal of Christian rock and other "carnal" music, she makes this observation: churches that embrace contemporary music are far more likely to develop casual attitudes about God and worship. Accordingly in such churches, a worship service is no different from "hanging out" at the local mall, where slovenly dressed people can meet with friends to have some "laughs" and hear some "tunes" (emphases mine).

The book's subtitle provides much pause for thought: "If They Took Away the Music...Would You Still Follow Jesus?" It implies that upbeat contemporary music is the principal factor (perhaps the only factor) which keeps people, especially teenagers, in today's "cool" churches. But to Smith, "'Cool' is not a fruit of the [Holy] Spirit."

Smith devotes a large segment of the book (71 pages) to crushing some 50 additional excuses which proponents of contemporary music have offered in defense.

This book, together with "Oh, Be Careful Little Ears," should more than sufficiently convince discerning Christians to reclaim biblically sound music for their worship services. This includes opposing many forms of contemporary music, most especially rock music.

These two books should be mandatory reading for Sunday school programs and youth groups.

Rating:
Summary: Some Good Points, Some Wrong Logic
Review: It is difficult to argue with the main point of this book and its predecessor, Oh, Be Careful, Little Ears, which argues that contemporary Christian music is not appropriate for worship due to its similarities with secular rock music. Smith's main point is that CCM uses the same musical techniques as much of secular pop and rock music of the day. As such, believers should reexamine its value as a method of worship. She goes as far as to say that CCM is wrong for the church for this reason, and I would say that I could agree with that, in that music perceived as secular is not appropriate for worship service.

However, Smith also attempts to illustrate that certain musical techniques are evil by their very nature. (Jazz and some classical music are also on trial here.) In the predecessor to this book, Smith posits that there are acceptable standards for all music. The thinking is that there must be acceptable standards for the sound of a musical piece, since we worship a God of order and righteousness.

This is where her arguments break down. The author offers little other reasoning for her position besides that already mentioned, and one wonders exactly who it is that discerns whether an odd time signature is evil or unacceptable in and of itself, for example. Here's the rub: after making these claims, the author offers some suggestions of secular music that meet with her musical stamp of approval. While that is all fine and good, the adjectives used to describe the recommended pieces include the words 'nice' and 'cute'. If someone could please provide a more subjective term than 'cute', I would be interested in knowing what it is for my own education.

Would I want to play rock music while in the presence of a holy God in a worship service? Admittedly, no, but then again I would not want to be watching "The Jungle Book" or "Bambi" either. Movies that most would agree are family friendly, but not appropriate for worship.

I have a feeling that this book is for those that are already disgusted with the CCM movement. While I agree that CCM is not an appropriate style of worship, I take exception to the assertion that certain musical properties can be wrong in and of themselves. Smith has not made a very convincing or persuasive argument for her position on the moral standing of music as an art medium.

Rating:
Summary: Easy to put bitter for sweet, sweet for bitter in music
Review: Nowhere is it easier to "put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter" (cf. Isaiah 5:20) than in music. Certainly this book and its prequel by Kimberly Smith (and some of the customer reviews written about both) prove the point. Even more do some customer reviews of certain other products.

Nevertheless, every reader of this book and other books of this genre needs to face the fact that music has what the Greeks called =ethos= or "moral force". Whether we =enjoy= how a specific style of music affects us or not is absolutely beside the point. Different elements of music, and different combinations of those elements, have specific and predictable effects on human beings, many of them now clinically measurable. There may be no disputing about taste, but taste is an unreliable guide of itself as to what is "good" in music. Nor may we look to style alone, for styles change from time to time and from culture to culture.

I believe the most important point Mrs. Smith makes is that music, and especially so-called sacred music, that provokes the carnal, sensual passions of human nature should be avoided. Those who claim to be Christians and yet perform or listen to music that defies the instructions given in Romans 13:11-14 and elsewhere (usually on the poor excuse that they =enjoy= music that stimulates such passions) are living in a fool's paradise. We must not confuse mere sensuality with spirituality, and Mrs. Smith gives (along with many direct answers to objections from CCM supporters) many straightforward, practical guidelines for ensuring that we do not. (Her tables on pages 183-184 give a useful, if somewhat simplistic, summary toward that end.)

This is not to say (as Mrs. Smith apparently does) that there are some things that are =inherently evil= in music. Medieval theorists rejected the dissonant tritone interval, whether melodic or harmonic, as "the devil in music". Mrs. Smith rejects the anapestic (weak-strong) rhythmic foot out of hand as likewise inherently evil (because its =constant repetition= is indeed sensual). But the original music of the Hebrew Bible -- to which she alludes very, very briefly while citing another publication that features it (p. 109 and footnote: "The Music of the Bible Revealed", sold elsewhere on Amazon.com) -- not only uses at times the tritone, but the Hebraic equivalent of the anapest, in order to bring out the meaning and expression of the words. Simply because our rock and rock-derived music ultimately draws its anapestic rhythms from African and Caribbean pagan music does not mean that the anapest, of itself, is evil. That would be simply ascribing guilt by association. The anapest, like the tritone, is merely =agitating= by nature -- and there are times when such agitation for effect is appropriate.

Moreover, not all styles of contemporary music are totally out of keeping with biblical example and principle. With appropriate revision, they can be used to Godly effect. In the words of one of my own Bible teachers: "Usually it is not the thing, but the =use= of the thing, that is good or evil." The moral force of music lies not in any one element, but in how those elements are combined and in what order. With that clarification, Mrs. Smith's thought-provoking and generally helpful book would be greatly improved.

Rating:
Summary: Easy to put bitter for sweet, sweet for bitter in music
Review: Nowhere is it easier to "put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter" (cf. Isaiah 5:20) than in music. Certainly this book and its prequel by Kimberly Smith (and some of the customer reviews written about both) prove the point. Even more do some customer reviews of certain other products.

Nevertheless, every reader of this book and other books of this genre needs to face the fact that music has what the Greeks called =ethos= or "moral force". Whether we =enjoy= how a specific style of music affects us or not is absolutely beside the point. Different elements of music, and different combinations of those elements, have specific and predictable effects on human beings, many of them now clinically measurable. There may be no disputing about taste, but taste is an unreliable guide of itself as to what is "good" in music. Nor may we look to style alone, for styles change from time to time and from culture to culture.

I believe the most important point Mrs. Smith makes is that music, and especially so-called sacred music, that provokes the carnal, sensual passions of human nature should be avoided. Those who claim to be Christians and yet perform or listen to music that defies the instructions given in Romans 13:11-14 and elsewhere (usually on the poor excuse that they =enjoy= music that stimulates such passions) are living in a fool's paradise. We must not confuse mere sensuality with spirituality, and Mrs. Smith gives (along with many direct answers to objections from CCM supporters) many straightforward, practical guidelines for ensuring that we do not. (Her tables on pages 183-184 give a useful, if somewhat simplistic, summary toward that end.)

This is not to say (as Mrs. Smith apparently does) that there are some things that are =inherently evil= in music. Medieval theorists rejected the dissonant tritone interval, whether melodic or harmonic, as "the devil in music". Mrs. Smith rejects the anapestic (weak-strong) rhythmic foot out of hand as likewise inherently evil (because its =constant repetition= is indeed sensual). But the original music of the Hebrew Bible -- to which she alludes very, very briefly while citing another publication that features it (p. 109 and footnote: "The Music of the Bible Revealed", sold elsewhere on Amazon.com) -- not only uses at times the tritone, but the Hebraic equivalent of the anapest, in order to bring out the meaning and expression of the words. Simply because our rock and rock-derived music ultimately draws its anapestic rhythms from African and Caribbean pagan music does not mean that the anapest, of itself, is evil. That would be simply ascribing guilt by association. The anapest, like the tritone, is merely =agitating= by nature -- and there are times when such agitation for effect is appropriate.

Moreover, not all styles of contemporary music are totally out of keeping with biblical example and principle. With appropriate revision, they can be used to Godly effect. In the words of one of my own Bible teachers: "Usually it is not the thing, but the =use= of the thing, that is good or evil." The moral force of music lies not in any one element, but in how those elements are combined and in what order. With that clarification, Mrs. Smith's thought-provoking and generally helpful book would be greatly improved.

Rating:
Summary: A great help for parents of teens
Review: We recommend this to Christian parents who have any doubts, no matter how small, about the CCM industry and the place of rock music in our lives. With three teens of our own who sometimes 'push the envelope' of music styles, we appreciated Kim's plain-spoken message and her warnings. The information about music she shares was easily understood by us and our teens.