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| CATEGORIES ABOUT CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC | |
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| popular musiccontemporary christian music | |
| christian music genres | |
| popular music | |
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Contemporary Christian Music (or '''CCM'''; also by its Religious Neutral term '''Inspirational music''') is a genre of Popular Music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian Faith . The term is typically used to refer to the Nashville, Tennessee -based Pop , Rock , and Worship Christian music industry, currently represented by artists such as Steven Curtis Chapman , Michael W. Smith , Amy Grant , Jars Of Clay , MercyMe , Petra , Third Day , Jeremy Camp , Avalon and a host of others. The industry is represented in Billboard Magazine 's "Top Christian Albums" and "Hot Christian Songs" charts,1 as well as the ITunes Music Store 's "Christian & Gospel" genre. The term "Contemporary Christian Music" originated in the late 1960s in reference to the emerging Pop and Rock " Jesus Music ", the musical outpouring of the Hippie Jesus Movement of the time.2 Artists such as Children Of The Day , Larry Norman , Barry McGuire , The 2nd Chapter Of Acts , and Love Song were among the first to express their Christian faith in the form of rock music. There is also a great deal of Popular Music which lyrically identifies with Christianity but is not normally considered Contemporary Christian Music. For example, many underground Punk and Hardcore bands deal explicitly with issues of faith but are not a part of the Nashville industry (e.g., Seattle -based Tooth And Nail Records ). Also, several mainstream music artists sometimes deal with Christian themes in their work, such as Bob Dylan , Creed , Nirvana , U2 , and Relient K , but fall outside of the CCM genre. CONTROVERSY Contemporary Christian Music has been a topic of controversy in various ways since its beginnings in the 1940s. Opposition to popular music Some conservative Christians feel that the medium of popular music is unholy, and thus unfit for Christian participation. For example, ). Generally speaking, contemporary Christian music has found greater acceptance in Protestant denominations rather than Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians. Indeed, Protestant Christians make up the vast majority of such artists. "Christianized" pop and uncreativity CCM also draws criticism from those who feel it is simply a "Christianized" imitation of mainstream music, thus lacking originality and creativity. Some feel CCM music does not allow for music with subject matter outside of overtly "Christianized" topics. And those Christian artists who have attempted to tackle these "tangent" subject matter have often been met with harsh criticism within the Christian circle. What makes a song "Christian"? Another frequently discussed issue are the principles of what constitutes a Christian song. On Reformation Day ( October 31 ), 1998 , in homage to Martin Luther 's 95 Theses , CCM artist Steve Camp sent out 107 theses calling for a "Reformation" in contemporary Christian music,4 challenging Christian artists to "recover Biblical Christianity in the arts" and bring a new level of excellence to the field. According to the Reformed Protestant Regulative Principle Of Worship , man-made lyrics (whether in hymns or other music) as well as instrumental accompaniment of any kind must never be included in the worship of God. Some Reformed believers see Contemporary Christian Music as simply the inevitable and lamentable declension from Biblical worship.5 FURTHER READING
NOTES SEE ALSO
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