Cluck, Darrell W., Catherine S. George, and J.
Clinton McCann, Jr. St. Louis, Missouri: Chalice Press, 1999. 141pp.
$16.99 (USD). ISBN 0-8272-1022-1.
[1] Facing the Music is a how-to guide for initiating conversations
about spiritual matters with youth and those outside the church, presenting
material that could be used for "sermon illustration . . . curriculum
development . . . youth and retreat programming, and possibly even
in liturgical settings" (8). It is, then, primarily a tool for pastors,
youth workers, and parents offering guidelines for "creative Christian
faith development" (119). It is argued that contemporary music offers
a helpful vehicle for presenting religious truths because "God can
be revealed in and through popular songs" (2). The authors model a
method for doing this and include a practical guide for leading discussions
(7; 119-35).
[2] This book does not offer critical analysis of song lyrics in
the traditional sense (e.g., attempting to recover authorial intent;
treating songwriters' lyrics systematically), nor does it explore
songs with a view to gaining biographical insights about the artists
concerned. On the contrary, Cluck, George, and McCann note that most
songs discussed were never intended "to be Christian or even religious"
(6). Further, they readily acknowledge that their individual perspectives
- as pastor, seminary student, seminary professor - have led them
"to hear things in popular songs that others may not hear and that
the writers or performers may not have intended" (7). Their readings
of songs are therefore rather unique.
[3] Also distinctive is the wide range of songs represented. Music
by such diverse acts as Metallica, Crash Test Dummies, Bruce Cockburn,
and Tracy Chapman are included, to name but a few, and their lyrics
are employed to illustrate a range of themes (e.g., the character
of God, implications of the incarnation, the urgent need for social
justice). And while the importance of such topics would not be in
dispute by those in the church, the authors appear to sense the need
to defend this form of presentation - for example, they correctly
anticipate that use of a Madonna video may prove to be objectionable
in certain church contexts (8). This book is clearly an apologetic.
[4] This last point is regrettable. While the idea of using songs
as springboards for discussions about theological and social themes
is fresh and creative, it is a shame that those who might enjoy and/or
benefit most from this material are not among the targeted audience.
Teenagers and those outside the church will likely find the material
in this book inaccessible or uninteresting. Theological questions
(e.g., should God be thought of as feminine? [28-30]), and much of
the vocabulary used, create an in-house, almost insular, tone that
would exclude the young or uninitiated. This seems a little odd given
that the authors are concerned "with how popular songs serve as a
witness to the Gospel" (15). The reflections on the songs treated
are really very good and it seems that the book could have been restructured
into an effective evangelistic tool, or one which teenage readers
might have enjoyed as music fans. The book could have been an outreach
tool in itself - not just a how-to guide for those involved
in church ministries. If that were done, the objective of convincing
church leaders and parents that popular music is valuable for initiating
spiritual discussion could have been accomplished just as effectively
(and perhaps the "Practical Guide" could have been distributed separately).
Instead, various theological matters are pursued with enough detail
that it would undoubtedly turn off those outside the church and the
overall tone of the book is academic enough that younger readers would
lose interest.
Michael J. Gilmour, Ph.D.
Providence College, Otterburne, Manitoba, Canada
(michael.gilmour@prov.ca)
