Postmodernism and Religious Music-part 2

Postmodernism and Religious Music-part 2

            In the same article that we discussed yesterday, Docx went on to explain, “The apogee [i.e. the highest point of development] of postmodernism pop, though, is of course Madonna. She is Marilyn Monroe at one moment, Marlene Dietrich the next; she is sadomasochist, virgin, material girl, wearer of the cross; she is the iconoclast feverishly invoking iconography, the eternal shape-shifter obsessed with her body, the image maker; she is brilliant; she endures; and yet she is a terrible actor, a clumsy and effortful dancer and an unexceptional singer.”   

            The postmodernist Madonna is only one of many pop and rock musicians in the late twentieth and now the twenty first century who have had much influence on religious music.  It is of little wonder that they have been able to exert this influence on religious music since many church musicians have suffered and still suffer under the lack of epistemic certainty.  Epistemology concern the theory of validity and limits of “knowing”.  So, since a host of Christian musicians are plagued with much duplicity, they have been an easy prey for the shape-shifter nature postmodernism.  I am reminded of the musical discourse in Ephesians that is preceded by, Eph 5:10-16, “Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.  But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.  Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” 

            There is no doubt about it; Christian musicians are responsible to bring postmodernism under the scrutiny of the Lordship of Christ.  It will not be an easy task, but we must prove what is acceptable unto the lord when it comes to our musicing.  It is comforting that the Spirit filled musician has the help of the blessed Spirit to help him or her see postmodern philosophy in the light of the Word of God.  However, every musician must wake up and walk circumspectly and be aware of the philosophies that are now prevalent.