Julie Fuller
Really I'm not sure what the answer is myself. This is just me thinking out loud."What makes a band Christian?" would be their walk with Christ and the example they lead. I would rather them sing clean lyrics and lead by example in behavior than sing "obviously Christian lyrics" and live like the devil.
What makes a song Christian? Obviously the "correct" answer would be any song that would glorify Jesus Christ and point the way to Him. But could it also be a song that just happens to be written by a Christian artist from a Christian viewpoint? I don't know.
Sometimes it's just hard to label everything. The songs on the CD that I am getting ready to release may not be considered, out there and in your face, "Christian songs" and they may crucify me and label me a heretic. What I do know is I am a Christian artist that wrote these songs filtered through the lens of faith.
Vince Wilcox of VanLiere-Wilcox Management
Our management company, VanLiere-Wilcox, works with NewSong, Todd Agnew, and Nate Sallie, among others. Our experience is that each artist needs to understand their own calling and equipping. They also need to understand the business that their record labels are in. Some artists are called and equipped to minister to the church, others are aimed at the mainstream. So it is with labels as well. Different labels often have very unique—and often varied--sales, marketing, and distribution models.We need to understand our own callings, respect the callings of others, and help each another build the Kingdom accordingly. You wouldn’t necessarily criticize a medical missionary for not preaching enough, nor would you readily criticize a pastor for not offering medical treatments during a worship service. Their calling and equipping are different, but equally valuable when offered in obedience and humility.
Finally, we want to suggest that these discussions about what constitutes a Christian song, a Christian artist, or a Christian label are somewhat off the mark. A Christian is a follower of Christ. Therefore, only people can be “Christian”...not music, not radio stations, not record labels, not magazines or websites. Let’s reserve the adjective “Christian” for its highest use: a person who has been transformed by the blood and Spirit of Christ.
Austin Cline - About Guide to Agnosticism & Atheism
When I think "Christian band" and "Christian music," I assume that the music will contain at least some overt Christian messages - messages about Jesus, salvation, God, etc. Maybe not every song would contain such message, but at least a majority would.Now, that's probably not something I want to hear. I don't read explicitly Christian books, go to explicitly Christian movies, or listen to Christian radio. The books, movies, and music might be very good, but I'm not interested in the genre. I also don't read romance books, listen to romantic ballads, or go to romantic comedy movies. Those books, songs and movies might be very good, but I'm not interested in the genre.
Side Note - I had a couple of Stryper albums when I was a teenager. I was a Christian at that time in my life and even then wasn't interested in "Christian" music, but I overlooked that with Stryper because I liked the music part enough.
I don't think that a Christian band is necessarily "obnoxious" or beating people over the head with fire and brimstone. However, I would be rather annoyed if I discovered that a Christian band was going under some other genre. It's not because I'm afraid of hearing Christian messages, it's simply false advertising. Would you be happy going to a movie and only finding out after it started that it was a Western (or just pick some other genre that doesn't interest you much, but doesn't offend you)?
Most people don't want to be surprised at the genre of music they listen to or movie they are seeing. They really don't like getting the impression that someone has deceived them in order to sneak a particular message, content, or genre to them without their realizing it.
Consider this - imagine that there is a genre known as "Muslim music" or "Buddhist music" which conveys messages promoting Islam or Buddhism. Now, what if a band that should be so categorized tried to avoid that label so that people would listen to their music without realizing what the content was until after hearing it? How would Christians react? OK, obviously Christians are diverse and reactions will be diverse, but I think you know what I mean: a lot of Christians would complain very strongly. They'd have a valid point.
