WHY I LEFT THE CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC MOVEMENT
By Dan Lucarini
Evangelical Press. 142 pages. £7.95
ISBN 0 85234 517 8
This book will not be easy for many British evangelicals to relate to, especially the sort who are likely to be reading EN (a dangerous statement I know!). The author writes from his experience of what he calls the Contemporary Christian Music Movement in North American churches, churches which appear to be much larger than is usual in Britain and have a much more developed music ministry. Via a roundabout route he has now come to the view that a 'traditional form' of music is right for Christian worship.
He argues fervently for Christians to abandon the use of 'contemporary' music forms in their meetings. He means by this not 'new songs', but modern styles or genres of music, i.e. 'Christian soft rock, Praise and Worship tunes, hard rock, country rock, easy rock, pop rock rap hip-hop, reggae, ska blues, big band and all other forms influenced by rock.' As he says 'If it's got that swing, it ain't good to sing!'