Sunday, May 24, 2020

How Popular Culture Affected Contemporary Christian and Worship Music - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2169 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/07/03 Category Culture Essay Level High school Tags: Pop Culture Essay Did you like this example? It is important to note that Contemporary Worship Music (CWM) is often seen as a sub-genre of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) however both intertwine and throughout history have developed along a similar path. Popular Culture’s influence on both types of music can be grouped together because artists can be easily found to cover both of these genres. Only in the last few decades has CCM and CWM become a world wide industry. Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) is a genre which is constantly changing and adapting its sound and approach to the music industry. Sounds adopted from Popular Music In the 1950’s and 1960’s, white evangelical leaders condemned rock and roll music. If one jumps 50 years later the CCM industry is a multi-million pound industry which is still growing to this day. It is important to add that this isn’t the first dramatic change in approach in the 20th century. Black Christians in America had a development in the earlier decades of the 20th century with the growing influence of popular culture on their worship. Afro-Pentecostalism incorporated European hymnody, black spirituals, blues and jazz. Afro-Pentecostal artists were at the forefront of establishing and advancing what is now black gospel music. This immersion of black gospel music acted as a precursor for what was about to happen with Christian Worship Music. In the 1980’s the Vineyard Fellowship, led by John Wimber began worshipping with influences from rock music and the worship band would use standard rock instruments as their basic set-up during times of worship . By the late 1980’s and early 1990’s this musical format began spreading across America and later on across the world. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "How Popular Culture Affected Contemporary Christian and Worship Music" essay for you Create order In his dissertation on the history of christian worship music in modern america, Wen Reagan states that the answer to how rock music made its way from being condemned to an intrical part of CCM and to church services is based around five different categories: ‘historical, demographic, theological, economic, and technological’. The Jesus People Movement in the 60’s was countercultural to the hippie movement and were reaching out to hippies who brought their guitars along to services and after they had established this, young people began writing new songs for the church with their influence of rock music. Reagan also states that ‘The emphasis lay on the exciting freshness of new songs and the belief that God was providing a new message through the music.’ This ‘freshness’ was attractive and even the evangelicals who had condemned rock music were softening their views when they saw this vibrant new music emerging. In the 1980’s as th e Vineyard Fellowship, led by John Wimber, emerged ‘Songs had no set ending and could be adapted to respond to the energy of the congregation and the cadence of the pastor.’ In the 1990’s, Record Labels and distribution companies, specific to CCM, began to pop up and by the 2000’s Christian music began to move into arenas and much larger venues. ‘The import of contemporary musical forms into the church has challenged the sermons preeminence in the liturgy as congregants are drawn to the affective power of rock music (contemporary worship music), its ability to create a powerful, emotional experience of quiet intimacy or loud, celebratory joy with God.’ Wen Reagan. The Vineyard Fellowship pioneered the growth and development of worship music, as it became such an important part of not only church services but of people’s daily lives. Their music was very simple and this was because the simpler the song, the more the congregation could engage and proclaim the words as truth. Music became a tool to lead people into intimacy with God. Travis Reginald Joseph Doucette writes in his thesis for Senior Honours that ‘In an effort to reach lost people and speak in relevant musical language, modern worship music found a home in churches embracing charismatic theology.’ Doucette explains it well with the phrase ‘relevant musical language’. Worship isn’t supposed to be something confusing and hard to listen or sing along to. It is supposed to be accessible for anyone to engage in worship. Sociological situations in the 60’s and 70’s The 1960’s and 1970’s were a time of massive social change which dramatically affected popular culture and the music industry and these two decades were home to many new genres. The counterculture in the 1960’s is difficult to break up into sections because the project aim for many people, involved in the re-shape of culture, was to merge politics, society and culture together. George McKay, in his book on the social and countercultural 1960’s in the USA, talks of radical culture and lists the things involved in the huge change of the 1960’s. ‘music, ways of living, youth and other social movements,’ The younger generation pioneered lots of the changes in society through protesting and there seemed to be a generation gap growing. The emergence of a drug culture played a part in the rise of the hippie movement. The hippie movement were also drawn to meditation, the occult and Native American spirituality and incorporated that into their lives. The movement however faced problems including overcrowding, crime and sexually transmitted diseases. A new wave of hippies began to pop up called ‘Jesus-Freak’ evangelists who encouraged people to follow Jesus Christ and forsake drugs and promiscuous sex. After integrating with a local baptist church, Ted Wise and other ‘Jesus-Freaks’ started a movement of people called ‘Street Christians’ with Pastor John MacDonald who created a coffeehouse called ‘The Living Room’ to help Hippies who were becoming homeless, hungry and sick. As this was going on in the late 1960’s others in the same area, near Haight-Ashbury where the hippies were pouring into, were beginning to preach on the streets. This grew at a rapid pace and by 1969, the interaction between hippie christians and evangelicals was happening all over the United States. The youth were drawn towards the Jesus People because they were very enthusiastic about the use of folk, rock and pop music. This was not the case in terms of the traditional church. In Fact the traditional church frowned upon the use of popular music and the integration of popular cultu re and Christianity. By the late 1970’s the Jesus People movement died down as that generation got older and ran out of steam but effect of the movement was enormous in terms of Christian music and the development of the evangelical church. The movement changed evangelical Christians attitude towards popular culture and the up-beat and rock influence of the Jesus people practically created the Contemporary Christian Music industry. As the years rolled on hymns, choirs and organs were replaced by worship bands and electric guitars. The Vineyard Denomination trace their roots back to the Jesus People movement. The Vineyard Denomination now have over 2,500 churches in six continents. During the 1960’s and progressing into the 1970’s there were numerous campaigns for civil rights, womens rights and gay rights. Small peace movements were energised by social activists and these small groups of students or activist grew into national marches, international campaigning, teach-ins on campus and many other large protests. The cold war, the Vietnam war and other political conflicts led to separation globally and at points things seemed hopeless. Lots of the push for social change came from the younger generation and American youth played a key role in the political protests if this era. The 1960’s and 70’s were a scary time for people in terms of politics and conflict. Along with protesting, people wanted to find an escape or a way out from the fears of the times which led to the youth experimenting with drugs and sex and other methods. This is where popular culture drastically changed and where evangelicals adapted, not because they were being changed by popular culture, but because they wanted to reach out to people who were surrounded by popular culture. One of the main ways the church did this was through music. This is why modern worship music and CCM can be so closely linked to popular music and rock music. Lyrical Content of Contemporary Christian and Worship Music It is important to remember CCM’s significance and individuality in the world of music. Where most art forms are marketed as a product, CCM is all about it being an activity something to join in with. Worship music is often portrayed as a congregational music and that the band who is leading the congregation is not performing but worshiping Jesus Christ. Obviously as popular culture progressed from the 1960’s so did worship music and Contemporary Christian Music. There are similarities in the lyrical content that run throughout the development of CCM and CWM however there are also many differences that can tie into the development of popular music but also relate to the decade of which any particular worship songs was written. The exception being hymns, that many contemporary christian bands and artists occasionally play during a time of worship. Even though there has been a massive development of the lyrical content in CCM in the last 60 years there is an overall residing theme that ties all of the music together. The word of God, The Holy Bible, is and will always be closely linked to Christian music. However CWM is a lot more lyrically based on the scriptures than CCM. Some Christians argue that CCM is so subtle that sometimes you cannot tell the difference between CCM songs and secular songs. For example, Todd Friel, a presenter on Wretched Radio, posted a video on youtube titled ‘Of course Ellen loves Lauren Daigle’. In this 11 minute long opinion piece he shared his views on, what was at the time, one of the top celebrity stories. Lauren Daigle, a CCM artist, topped the secular and Christian charts in the US in 2018 and appeared on the Ellen Show and sang one of her songs from her latest album. Ellen De Generes, the show host, praised the song by Daigle and Todd Friel argued that the reason Ellen loved the song so much, and allowed Lauren to perform on her show, was because the words were â€Å"written in such a way that the lyrics can’t be offensive† and he suggested that â€Å"no Christian can ever be fed by it† because of the lack of â€Å"robust theology†. This is a very one sided view as Friel misses a lot of details about Lauren Daigle and her performance. Many CCM artists write lyrics that don’t directly mention the words Jesus, God or Holy Spirit but are written in a way that reflects their personal journey with Jesus or that talks about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This makes the music a lot more accessible to secular audiences and also allows artists, such as Lauren Daigle, to perform at secular events and shows. The main point that Todd Friel missed is that CCM isn’t supposed to be just for Christians but is in fact a method of outreach and spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. Another incredible band, who write lyrics about God that secular audiences love singing along to, are Skillet. A Christian heavy rock band. They play at so many secular festivals and have a large following of secular audiences. Their songs such as Feel Invincible, Monster and Undefeated are all very popular and the lyrics are really powerful, written so that you wouldn’t realise they were singing about Jesus unless you thought about the lyrics and what they are trying to say in their songs. Contemporary Worship Music is seen as a lot more theological and is used more in church settings than outreach settings. The lyrics are insync with the scriptures and are often songs of praise, thankfulness, invitation, expectancy and surrender. Also, CWM is a lyrically based music because it is through the words that the congregation come together and worship the living God. Worship is also sometimes called sung prayer because it is praying to God through singing. During worship, followers of Jesus have deep encounters with the Holy Spirit where there is healing spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally and Christians believe that worship has the power to change things in their lives and in the lives of every single person who gives their life to Jesus and has a relationship with him. Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship with the living God. Popular culture and popular music’s influence on Contemporary Christian and Worship Music has changed the approach to evangelism and sharing the gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ. The change in the sound and approach to worship music made worshipping Jesus more accessible and more congregational. CCM and CWM are now two world wide industries that are growing and becoming more widely accepted among the global church and secular audiences. Closing this piece will be a quote from John Wimber, the founder of the Vineyard Movement. â€Å"Show me where you spend your time, money and energy and Ill tell you what you worship.†

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

My Experience At Tuskegee University - 1658 Words

My experience began as early as college, when I used to volunteer with school going children in orphanages, and would advise them on the social problems they faced in school. That is when I decided that being a school counselor was the â€Å"perfect† job for me. Having started at an early age, I find that my expertise does in fact lie in helping students deal with social pressure, and helping them cope with the stress and frustration it brings. I have also been successfully able to help students improve their self-esteem by making them focus on past successes, so that they may be able to garner the strength for future aspirations. I don t think age has any role to play when it comes to warming up to students. As long as they can find a mentor, a guide and trust in someone, they are likely to open up to them. As I started my college career at Tuskegee University, where I double majored in psychology and English. I was passionate about creating social awareness and helping people, but I was unsure what career I was interested in after graduation. I thought about attending graduate school for Counseling Psychology, but I just was not sure about it. I spoke to a professor in the Counselor Education program at Georgia State University and discussed my interests with her. She suggested I look for a program accredited by Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) School Counseling. I enrolled in the School Counseling program at Clark AtlantaShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Tuskegee Airmen and Charles McGee1524 Words   |  7 PagesMany have heard of the Tuskegee Airmen and their accomplishments. They were a group of African American fighter pilots. They proved to be quite vital to the success of World War II. What many people may not know is the Tuskege e Airmen had several squadrons which fought throughout Europe during the war. The most famous squadron was the 332nd fighter squadron, they were commonly known as the Red Tails. Charles McGee was among those men apart of the Red Tail squadron. Charles McGee is one of most notableRead MoreI Had The Privilege Of Being One Of Dr. Miller s Students765 Words   |  4 PagesI had the privilege of being one of Dr. Miller’s students during my matriculation at Tuskegee University. Through her courses, I was able to learn more than I expected about composition and literature, by fresh, non-traditional methods. The majority of my writing and analytical skills and academic success can be attributed to her classroom experiences. One of the most important aspects of Dr. Miller’s class is the encouragement of revision. After submitting an essay, Dr. Miller gives her studentsRead MoreNon Systemic Testimonial Injustice By Miranda Fricker1287 Words   |  6 Pagesoccurs when a speaker receives less credibility and respect towards their knowledge than they deserve. 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He also uses the phrase â€Å"cast down your buckets† and stop hiring foreigners to do work blacks could do. His method fit many blacks who weren’t able to go to academic schools. W.E.B Dubois spoke from a northern black aspect that hadn’t experienced racism. It was when Dubois came to the south to study is when he experience true blatant racism. DuboisRead MoreEssay about Cultural Differences in the College Experience912 Words   |  4 Pagesdreaming about my future I disregarded my U.S history teacher as she began taking attendance. Should I attend Morgan State University, Tuskegee University, Howard University, Bowie University, or Jackson State University? These historically black colleges or universities (HBCU) all received applications for admissions from me early in my senior year of high school. Should I attend the University of Illinois in Urbana Campaign, Marquette University, or Northern Illinois University? 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My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I couldRead More Booker T. Washingtons Influence on Historically Black Colleges1908 Words   |  8 PagesBOOKER T. WASHINGTON: THE AMBIGUITY OF INFLUENCE ABSTRACT My paper will discuss the continuing influence of Booker T. Washingtons writings on historically black colleges. While my paper will focus on the ways in which the historically black college continues to adhere to the model provided by Washington, it will also explore the ways in which it diverges from the early Hampton-Tuskegee ideal. According to James D. Anderson in The Education of Blacks in the South, both contemporary observers

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

A Sample Position Paper Free Essays

A SAMPLE POSITION PAPER Globalization: A Transition to What? Barber, Benjamin R. Introduction to Jihad vs. McWorld (New York: Ballantine Books, 1996) Kobrin, Stephen J. We will write a custom essay sample on A Sample Position Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Back to the Future: Neomedievalism and the Postmodern Digital World Economy,† Globalization and Governance (London: Routledge, 1999. After the bloody clashes between anti-globalization protesters and the police in Genoa, globalization is once again on the world’s agenda and it is here to stay. A dream to some and a nightmare to others, globalization is a widely debated issue among journalists and scholars, among intellectuals of all profiles, business people and decision-makers alike. Benjamin R. Barber, Walt Whitman professor of political science, and Stephen J. Kobrin, professor of multinational management, both join the discussion, each giving his own vision of what the post-modern future of this globalized world might look like. In â€Å"Jihad vs. McWorld† Barber’s fragmented and at the same time integrated world is â€Å"terminally post-democratic† (20). It is pulled apart by two opposing forces: disintegrating ethnic hatreds and unifying mechanisms of global economy, none of which cares much for civic society and civil liberties. In Barber’s terminology Jihad stands for the blind parochialism of any kind, but primarily for tribal instincts that tear countries apart and cause bloody wars. McWorld epitomizes the world of consumerist capitalism unified by commerce, entertainment and consumerism that knows no borders. Although Jihad seems like a more obvious threat to democracy, McWorld is no less dangerous because both are enemies of the sovereign nation states and of democracy. Barber warns that democracy might be collateral damage from the confrontation between globalization and parochial fragmentation. While Barber is primarily interested in the fate of democracy, Kobrin gives a great deal of attention to the problem of state sovereignty in the increasingly integrated world. In â€Å"Back to the Future: Neomedievalism and the Postmodern Digital World Economy† the key issue is the anticipated transformation of state sovereignty into new forms of political loyalty. Kobrin argues that sovereign state as we know it-firmly defined within certain territorial borders-is about to change profoundly, if not to wither away. National markets are too small to be self-sustainable which challenges the meaning of territorial boundaries between states. Both authors acknowledge that sovereignty, defined as unambiguous authority, is threatened. Whereas Barber finds that alarming, Kobrin takes this as a historical inevitability; modern state system, based on mutually exclusive jurisdiction, may be an anomaly rather than a historically privileged form of political organizations. Kobrin argues that we should look at the medieval world for the answers to how the future might look like. Medieval analogy offers a world of overlapping multiple authorities and absence of fixed boundaries. It is a world of multiple political loyalties-to emperors, to the pope, to feudal lords-which are complex rather than linear. Kobrin’s modern analogy is European Union, with its overlap of national, regional and supra-national authorities. The medieval metaphor seems attractive, but Kobrin forgets that the world of the Middle Ages was highly decentralized rather than unified, and in that sense radically different from our own. Medieval feuds, as economic units, were self-sufficient and isolated-everything that modern markets are not. Kobrin himself argues that the integrated economy requires a strong central authority, perhaps not yet in the form of world government but certainly through stronger international organizations such as WTO. Clearly, this is a different kind of authority than a pope or an emperor might have had in medieval world. Is medieval analogy applicable at all? If we follow Kobrin’s reasoning, it appears that the new world will require more rather than less authority. Nation-state’s sovereignty may be eroding, but, as a result, we have an increasing supra-national authority instead of a loose authority of the medieval type. Barber, on the other hand, may be launching an artificial dichotomy. While McWorld sounds like an apt metaphor for globalization, Jihad seems to be a superficial, emotionally charged term with multiple meanings. Barber draws on Yeats and Mary Shelly to define this â€Å"heritage of race,† the force of tribal instincts, ancient hatreds, and fundamentalism. Although doubtless poetic, the concept of Jihad, as described by Barber, is confusing. He takes a few examples of ethnic conflict, such as Bosnia or Rwanda, and declares they are but a manifestation of the tribalisation phenomenon, but he does little to support his thesis. Did Bosnia really fall apart because of ancient, tribal hatreds? Barber overlooks the fact that peoples of Bosnia have been living peacefully with one another much longer than they have waged wars. Reducing complex conflicts to an oversimplified, poorly defined phenomenon such as Jihad helps Barber support his shaky Jihad-McWorld dichotomy but does little to persuade the reader that Jihad exists as such. Barber’s and Kobrin’s views seem diametrically opposite whereas it may simply be that they are considering different issues. There is little common ground between them in terms of problems they are interested in. They both take McWorld for granted, though. Neither challenges globalization nor tries to imagine the world as something other than globalized, digital, and integrated. Even Barber who laments over the destructiveness of Jihad admits that McWorld is the winner in the long run. Although they have different agendas, they are telling essentially one and the same thing-the future belongs to McWorld. What with democracy, Barber asks? Everyone will be a consumer, but what will happen to citizens? For Kobrin, however, the problem does not exist; just as we have civil societies within states today, in the future they will be replaced by global civil society with its mixture of state and non-state actors, NGOs, transnational movements. Are Barber and Kobrin debating at all? Their visions of the world in the future are not mutually exclusive. Barber comes up with a bold notion that not even nations constitute main players today, but tribes. His description of balkanization, tribalization and awakening of atavistic forces among peoples evokes images of dark Middle Ages. Barber warns that our civilization is beginning to resemble medieval past in which the world consisted of warring fiefdoms unified by Christianity; in our world, Bosnian Serbs and alike wage their ethnic conflicts while both the aggressors and the victims eat the same BigMacs, wear jeans and watch MTV. It seems that he is also looking at the world through medieval prism, albeit from its dark side. It is precisely the dark side that Kobrin avoids confronting. He is intentionally focused on the practicalities of managing the world in the future so he lefts out of the picture the unpleasant details. Fragmentation is one of the issues that he chooses not to consider although he acknowledges that some authors, such as Kaplan offer a less optimistic vision of the world torn by refugee migration, private armies, collapse of nation state and civil order with it. Kobrin’s only response to this grim prophecy is little more than hope: â€Å"One hopes that such an age is not part of the neomedieval metaphor, hat a new and more terrifying barbarian is not on the horizon† (183). Walled communities and private security forces that he admits appear increasingly today could be, Kobrin still hopes, only â€Å"ephemeral products of a world in transition and not a permanent characteristic of the postmodern era† (183). Barber, Benjamin R. Introduction to Jihad vs. McWorld (New York: Ballantine Books, 1996) Kobrin, Stephen J. â€Å"Back to the Future: Neomedievalism and the Postmodern Digital World Economy,† Globalization and Governance (London: Routledge, 1999. How to cite A Sample Position Paper, Papers

Monday, May 4, 2020

Election of 1900 Essay Example For Students

Election of 1900 Essay Election of 1900The presidential election of 1900 was between candidates William McKinley, William Bryan, John Wooley, Eugene Debs. Although the race only really consisted of McKinley and Bryan it was still a close race by far. McKinley was born in Niles, Ohio, on January 29, 1843, the seventh child of William and Nancy Allison McKinley. Young McKinley grew up a serious boy, possessed of a quiet determination to succeed. He attended school in Poland, Ohio, and then went to Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania. William Byran was born March 19, 1860. He was unsuccessful candidate for President of the United States, at 36 he was the youngest person ever nominated for that office by a major political party. He was nominated a total of three times but never attained the office. His statue represents Iowa in Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol BuildingThe campaign itself was largely a replay of the race in 1896- with Bryan campaigning rigorously and McKinley not venturing from the White House. The issue of currency and silver was no longer relevant, and instead the campaign issues were whether the United States should give independence for the territories received in its war with Spain. Although not a landslide shift comparable to election swings in the 20th century, McKinleys victory ended the pattern of close popular margins that had characterized elections since the Civil War. McKinley received 7,218,491 votes (51.7 percent) to Bryans 6,356,734 votes (45. 5 percent)-a gain for the Republicans of 114,000 votes over their total in 1896. McKinley received nearly twice the number electoral votes than Bryan did. In congressional elections that year, Republicans held fifty-five Senate seats to thirty-one for the Democrats; and the McKinleys party captured 197 House seats compared to 151 for the Democrats. Indeed, the Republican Party had become the majority political party in the nationAfter four years in office, McKinleys popularity had risen, primarily because of his image as the victorious commander-in-chief of the Spanish-American War. McKinley was elected as president of 1901. This was his second term as president. But not to long into his term he was shot. He spent eight days in the hospital before he died. Teddy Roosevelt his vice president became president after that to finish of his term. The election was very close and either candidate could have easily won. In the end McKinley became president and did a very good job the short time he was in. He helped shape our country to what it is today and he very well deserved to be elected.