Jesus Rock
A Revival of Religion
by Dr. Hargus Taylor
Chowan Chaplain
Fourteen thousand attend a Youth
for Christ-sponsored Faith Festival
in an Evansville, Indiana, stadium,
featuring folk singer Gene Gotten,
black soul songster Jim Bolden, and
Pat Boone .... 3,000 teen-agers pay
$2.00 each, filling the Hollywood
Palladium to hear rock, folk, and
soul tunes, with the theme “pure
Jesus" .... 3,000 mostly "street
types" gather in a Stanford
University amphitheatre for a five-
hour "Sweet Jesus Roll Away the
Stone (or Rock) Concert" ... .Young
people from four Grand Rapids
(Michigan) Christian Reformed
churches raise $1,000 a month to
place sixty-second Gospel "spots"
daily on the city's three major rock
stations.
These—and similar phenomena—
are being assessed as indicative of a
new religious mood; as a "revival"
of religion which promises to sweep
the country. Its subjects and chief
promoters are adolescents, most of
whom would profess—at best—a
very marginal relationship to any
"established" church. Its gospel is
"joy," "ecstasy," "freedom to
live": a gospel which is related—
however vaguely—to the life and
ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. Its
major medium of communication is
"pop" music.
The so-called "establishment" has
taken note of this new religious
mood within the youth culture, and
has done so with varied response.
NBC-TV's "First Tuesday," a
documentary-type program,
devoted a large segment of a recent
program to the "Children of God,"
an adolescent community
headquartered in Texas, but with
"branches" in at least three or four
major cities in the country. The
February 9 issue of Look introduced
most of its readers to the "Jesus
Movement," centered in southern
California. Billboard and Variety
have predicted that the drug and sex
themes—dominant on the pop music
scene during the decade of the 60s—
will be replaced during the coming
decade by religious themes:
especially songs about Jesus.
On the other hand, a recent con
vention of National Religious
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Broadcasters heard much debate
over the propriety of rock music as a
vehicle for communicating the
Gospel. Some owners of radio
stations dedicated to the
proclamation of the Christian
message are reported to have
contended that such music was too
"suggestive"; "desecrating" ;and
tending to dwell too much upon
individual experience, to the ex
clusion of sound doctrine. Many
churches have probably remained
"turned off" to most of the new
sounds in music for similar reasons.
But the sounds are there;
religious-sounding lyrics are there.
Among the top tunes in 1969 and 1970
were at least two with strikingly
evangelical lyrics: "O Happy Day"
and "Spirit in the Sky." Who would
have thought that a folk-and-ballad
singer like Judy Collins could turn a
two-hundred-year-old hymn into a
best-seller—a feat she has ac
complished with her rendition of
"Amazing Grace"? Who would have
thought that the composers of a rock
opera, based upon the Passion
Narrative in the Gospels, would be
able to sell Broadway and movie
rights to their musical score? Such
is the case with "Jesus Christ,
Superstar." The over-30 generation
may find it difficult to imagine
former Beatle, George Harrison,
singing about "My Sweet Lord," or
Bob Dylan singing praise to the
Creator and lamenting man's
disregard for the spiritual—as he
does in a recent album entitled
"New Morning."
Moveover, there is a kind of
missionary zeal identified with
many who have been caught up in
the new religious sounds. Con
versions are reported at religious
rock festivals. It isn't uncommon
for "name" talents to make open
confession of their religious com
mitment. A forty-voice gospel
choir—organized by students in a
Detroit high school—reportedly
outdraws the regular school choir at
concerts. According to
Christianity Today, entire rock
groups have deserted the drug
circuit and have dedicated their
lives and music to Jesus. There are
increasing indications (as with the
"Children of God" and the "Jesus
Movement") that youth are "Turing
off" hard drugs as they "turn on" to
Jesus.
Does all of this trend towards a
concern with religious themes
portend a genuine revival? A
spiritual awakening among the
youth? Or, is it merely a "fad," a
"kick," which has been—and will
continue to be—promoted to the hilt
simply because it is profitable to do
so? What about the charge of doc
trinal shallowness among the
devotees of religious rock?
In a succeeding article I shall
attempt to address the questions just
raised, with some words of caution
for both the traditionalist and for
youth. Meanwhile (for my over-30
associates); It might be wise to
start "taking stock of Jesus rock."
It's liable to be around for some time
to come.
The Chowanian
Salutes . . .
GRADY
NUTT
for a
meaningful
Religious
Emphasis
Week
Private Colleges
Need Help
Private colleges, most of them church-related, are ir
deep financial trouble. They need help.
This is recognized as a widespread condition. In fact,
some 20 states have already instituted programs aimed
at helping the private colleges to meet their financial
crisis brought on by dwindling private gifts and the
great increase in operating costs due to inflation of the
economy.
Because of the increased costs, most private colleges
have been forced to raise tuition rates and increase their
fee charges to the extent that they are no longer nearly
competitive with public, tax-supported institutions.
Chowan College is an excellent example of this. The
cost of attending Chowan College is greater than it is for
North Carolina residents to attend any of our own state
institutions. The same thing is true of most other private
colleges. This places a severe strain on the recruiting
and admissions offices at the private schools. Con
sequently, most private colleges this year have empty
dormitory rooms.
At the same time, tax-supported institutions are
flooded with applications and need additional facilities.
It has been suggested, with considerable merit, that
the North Carolina Legislature set up a system of tuition
grants to private colleges from state funds to help
equalize the financial situation of the private colleges,
which admittedly have an important place in our total
scheme of education. They should not be forced to
price themselves out of reach of the students they seek
to serve.
The presidents of the alumni associations of 41 private
colleges and universities have petitioned Gov. Bob Scott
to support such a program.
It is argued that it would be much better to place the
vacant dormitory rooms at private institutions finan
cially within reach of the students than it would to
construct additional dormitory facilities at state schools
— a position which appears logical.
But one major state university official has said he
believes such a program should be one for the federal
government rather than for the state. Of course, he has
made application to the Legislature for huge sums for
his own institution and he wants these approved —
regardless of the plight of private colleges.
But, already 20 states have inaugurated such plans.
Besides, we know that it is an unhealthy thing for our
country to turn to Washington for the solution to every
need. We also know that when tax money goes all the
way to Washington only a small portion of it ever gets
back down to where the real need lies.
We have been to Washington for too many things
already. It is time that the state and the local govern
ments accepted responsibility and did the job which
needs to be done, rather than relying on the federal
government and at the same time turning over to
Washington control of state and local affairs.
—Ahoskie Herald
PAGE FOUR
The Chowanian