Christian music has become big business. It is one that can be either spiritually edifying or spiritually void. The choice greatly depends on how individual Christians and churches consider and choose to use the Christian music of the eighties.

Intelligent choices are dependent on both a full awareness of the existing potential, and the formation of a philosophy—or better still, a theology—of music ministry.

There are some major evangelical publications dealing with Christian music trends, philosophy, and practical application that can be of great assistance in helping anyone make intelligent choices in using Christian music. The following books and periodicals offer such aid in making those choices.

Books

Music in the Christian Community, by Dale Topp (Eerdmans, 1976, 205 pp., $4.95), should be read by the Christian church at large as individuals attempt to appropriate God’s gift of music. Says Topp: “We accept music as an aspect of Sunday worship, but generally fail to use its power to meet the challenges of everyday living.” Through such chapters as “Worshiping God.” “Serving Man,” “Choosing People,” “Music in the Christian Church,” “Music in the Christian Home,” and “Music in the Christian School,” this volume encourages the reader toward the use of the power of music in meeting the challenges of everyday living.

As the title would indicate, Ministry and Music, by Robert H. Mitchell (Westminster, 1978, 163 pp., $5.95), is a book about the philosophy of music ministry. Its perspective is that every minister can expect to be involved in church music and every church musician can expect to be involved in ministry. This book helps the minister relate his theology to the goals of church music, and it assists the church musician in relating his musical expertise to the broader concept of Christian ministry.

Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?, by Paul Baker (Word, 235 pp., $7.95), presents a spiritually sensitive, chronological review of the newer style of contemporary Christian music. He provides much food for thought as he opens to the reader some of the deep motives of the musicians of this new style, as well as some of the failings inherent in this music and its practitioners. The book gives readers an opportunity to form or reform a personal philosophy about the validity of the newer contemporary Christian music.

Church Music and the Christian Faith (Agape, 1978, 156 pp., $3.95) is by one of traditional church music’s most articulate spokesmen, Erik Routley. He challenges readers to consider the intrinsic value of music as a legitimate theological consideration. He believes much new Christian music is not worthy of the name, for it diverts from the true message of the Christian gospel.

In a day of unprecedented opportunity for Christian evangelism through music, Christian Music in Contemporary Witness, by Donald P. Ellsworth (Baker, 1979, 229 pp., $7.95), makes a significant contribution. The author not only deals in depth with the opportunities, challenges, and the pros and cons of musical evangelism efforts today, but also presents convincing historical precedents.

The Hymnal Companion, edited by Fred Bock and Bryan Jeffery Leech (Paragon, 1979, 258 pp., $12.95). was created as a companion to the popular Hymns for the Family of God. Even individuals and churches not using the hymnal will find this book a valuable and useful asset in creative worship planning. Recognizing the important place traditional and contemporary hymnody has in evangelical worship, the editors have provided many suggestions for expanded uses of hymns. For example, there is a section on the use of a hymnal at home, and sample worship services are given. Four unusual indexes are included: (1) a list of schools offering degrees in church music; (2) a list of church music organizations and workshops; (3) a list of church music books and periodicals; and (4) names and addresses of church music publishers.

One of the music ministry’s great opportunities today is the Christian musical. Church leaders who want to make the best use of this new repertoire must have at least a basic knowledge of theatrical techniques and terminology. There’s More to Musicals than Music, compiled by Grace Hawthorne (Somerset Press, 1980, 70 pp., $4.95), will assist them in doing that. Hawthorne says the book is designed to help in producing musicals “that look as professional as they sound, without hiring additional staff members, going back to school for a dramatic degree, or losing your sanity.”

An increasing number of churches, both large and small, are recognizing that proper electronic sound amplification and lighting can enhance their music ministries. This is especially true of special events such as musicals and concerts. Creative Sight and Sound for the Church Musician, by Fred R. Chambers (Convention Press of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1978, 62 pp.), is a primer of technical suggestions for sound and lighting, and presents solutions to problems. Such information, which is not provided to church musicians or pastors in their formal training for the ministry, is invaluable for an effective contemporary ministry.

Jubilate!, by Donald P. Hustad (Hope. 1981, 361 pp., $14.95) is aptly subtitled “Church Music in the Evangelical Tradition.” Hustad, long a recognized authority in evangelical church music, is convinced that church music should be approached “as a functional art,” and sets out the possibility that church music’s most important meaning can be safeguarded in the activities of the evangelical church. The book is both philosophical and practical, addressing such broad areas as musical languages in communication and conflict, music and worship, music and church renewal, as well as the narrower concerns of congregational singing, foreign missions, soloists, and small ensembles, even assessing professional opportunities for musicians in evangelical groups.

Often it is not until after they are involved in church music that many people discover how much they don’t know about it. A Choir Director’s Handbook, compiled by Andrea Wells Miller (Word. 1981, 211 pp., $9.95), seeks to bridge the information gap, and puts an abundance of material into the hands of people concerned with their church’s music program. Nineteen chapters, such as “How to Achieve Excitement and Momentum in a Choir Program and Keep It.” “Developing Good Repertoire and a Balanced Choral Library,” “Planning the Worship Service,” and four centered on what others—pastors, accompanists, teen-agers, and choir members—wish choir directors knew, deal with most contemporary problems. Contributors include Kurt Kaiser, Lloyd Ogilvie, John Purifoy, Richard Dinwiddie, and Cam Floria.

Periodicals

Creator, bimonthly magazine (Creator Publications, Number 25 Rolling Hills, Wichita, Kan. 67212; $16.95 per year), is geared to church music leaders, but its well-rounded approach to a total church music ministry will benefit anyone who is interested in using Christian music effectively. Since its inception two years ago, Creator has provided a high-quality, practical tool for people in music ministries. With thought-provoking editorials, how-to articles, interviews with composers and artists, news of the world of Christian music, and samplings of new music, it is a rich resource.

Contemporary Christian Music, monthly magazine (CCM, Box 6300, Laguna Hills, Calif. 92653; $15 per year), provides readers with a wide perspective on the new contemporary Christian music. There is an often-provocative editor’s corner, an in-depth interview with a well-known Christian artist, record reviews, album and singles charts, song charts, artists’ itineraries, and news of the contemporary Christian music scene. The magazine is increasingly giving attention to the related field of contemporary Christian radio. Its size, style, layout, and content cause some to consider it to be the Billboard (the music industry’s trade journal) of present-day Christian music.

First published in 1950, The Church Musician, monthly magazine (Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 237 9th Ave. N., Nashville, Tenn. 37234; $6.50 per year), is the senior member of Christian music publications. While published by one denomination and aimed at its constituency, the magazine transcends denominational boundaries as a planning, idea, historical, and spiritual enrichment resource for those with church music responsibilities.

Those interested in developing the church’s ministry to children through music will receive a wealth of helpful material through the Choristers Guild Letters, published monthly September through June for members (The Choristers Guild, Box 38188. Dallas, Tex. 75238; regular memberships: $15 annually). Such titles as “Songs for Very Young Children,” “Productivity in Rehearsals,” “Hymn Study in the Church School,” and “The Joy of Children’s Choral Tone” are a sampling of subjects from recent issues.

The ringing of handbells by children, youth, and adults is one of the fastest-growing forms of music ministry. Overtones, published bimonthly for members by the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers (Mary V. Kettelhut, Registrar. Yankee Hill Rd., R.R. #1, Box 118, Bennet, Neb. 68317; regular memberships: $15 annually), is a specialized publication that is becoming increasingly useful and popular with music leaders in churches of most every denomination and size. It is a practical aid to organizing and administering a successful handbell choir. Membership in AGEHR also brings added options of workshop and festival participation by directors and ringers.

When do you have family prayers? Have you ever considered that a good time might be after the evening television network news? Or after the morning news? Not only could we pray for our families and friends and local problems then, but we could bring to the Lord the various crises and events we have just seen portrayed on the screen.

What a difference it might make if each day, as newscasts conclude, a great wave of prayer could ascend to God from across the country on behalf of those in trouble and those making trouble!

We could pray by name not only for the individuals involved, but for each newscaster, each commentator.

Sidlow Baxter once said, “Men may spurn our appeal, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers.

The greater the diameter of our knowledge of human need, the larger will be the circumference of our petitions.”

John Newton, who wrote the well-loved hymn “Amazing Grace.” also wrote:

Come, my soul, thy suit prepare,

Jesus loves to answer prayer:

He Himself has bid thee pray,

Therefore will not say thee nay.

Thou art coming to a King,

Large petitions with thee bring;

For His grace and power are such,

None can ever ask too much.

Not every minister may be a Mike Wallace, nor every church a network, but churches in Shawnee, Oklahoma, are proving neither is necessary to produce a quality television newsmagazine. Their creative approach takes the camera out of the Sunday morning sanctuary and onto the everyday streets.

“Christian Magazine” is financed by three Church of Christ congregations in Shawnee. On a monthly budget of $750, ministers have interviewed authors and atheists, talked to survivors of a Las Vegas hotel fire, and covered events like the Little Olympics.

The television magazine began when the former pastor of the Central Church of Christ, Dale Wade, formulated plans with layman Don McClintock. Both men were experienced in television and convinced it could be used effectively by the church. But before their dreams materialized, Wade left for another pastorate.

The minister of East Main Church of Christ, Don Preston, was inspired by the idea and stepped into Wade’s place to make it work. Today, three Church of Christ congregations finance the venture. “We don’t solicit funds for the program on the air as we don’t feel that biblically this is a correct procedure,” Preston said. The people who produce the program work voluntarily, without pay.

The most costly piece of equipment is a minicam (a camera setup that does not require film development). Preston estimates the start-up cost of a locally produced program at $65,000 to $75,000. “It’s very difficult to make a categorical statement on the cost,” Preston said. Factors involved include the charges for air time, and the varied costs of equipment.

A recent Federal Communications Commission decision may make church television even more feasible. The FCC, which regulates use of the airwaves, proposed last September to grant licenses for “low-power” stations capable of reaching audiences within a radius of 3 to 20 miles. That proposal unleashed a flood of applications, since licenses go to those who file earliest.

William Kitchen, president of Quality Media Corporation, claims a church can go on the air with its own station at a cost of $40,000—less if it buys used equipment. That amount, however, would not include the cost of locally produced programming.

Shawnee’s “Christian Magazine” is locally produced. And the churches have not begun a station, licensed or otherwise. Their only program, “Christian Magazine,” is broadcast by a Shawnee cable station. By law, cable stations formerly were required to provide free time for local programs, Preston said. Though the law is now void, many stations still offer free time. The Shawnee cable station is cooperative.

“Christian Magazine” airs weekly on Tuesday evening. Each episode begins with an outline, usually written by Preston or another minister. After that has been done, the interview is conducted (or event covered, as the case may be), and finally the program is edited. The production staff consists of four persons: three as filming crew and one “in front” of the camera.

The typical program takes from two to three days to prepare. Preston considers the program an extension of his ministerial duties and claims it has not made him any less efficient serving his congregation.

“Preachiness” is avoided, and the program attempts to appeal to unbelievers by demonstrating spiritual interpretations that are not obvious. The program on the Little Olympics, for example, drew on the apostle Paul’s metaphors of “fighting the good fight” and “finishing the course.” A segment on Shawnee Mills included a reference to the “Bread of Life.”

So far, “Christian Magazine” has kept clear of politics. But Preston intends to tackle homosexuality, teen-age alcoholism, and abortion. “We feel the moral and spiritual side is being ignored altogether,” he said. “I realize it isn’t too popular to speak out on some issues today, but we’re going to try.”

Because it is aired on the cable station, “Christian Magazine” possesses the potential of being seen by some 15,000 people—half of Shawnee’s population. A news station in nearby Oklahoma City has contracted to purchase newsworthy items from the churches. Four out-of-town congregations are interested in Shawnee’s innovation. In all of that, the program’s message has remained basic. “We want to challenge traditional and current thinking, as Christ did with the Pharisees, and cause people to think and examine the Bible for themselves,” said Preston.

VESTA-NADINE ROBERTSON¹Ms. Robertson is a free-lance writer and photographer from Shawnee, Oklahoma.

Public television knows about it. The rest of the mass media world knows about it. CBS, ABC, and NBC, the New York Times, Comsat, and General Electric have invested heavily in it.

Last spring my wife and I were invited to attend a conference sponsored by public television for independent filmmakers in the Boston area. Present were representatives from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (PBS), the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, public television in Boston (WGBH), and the Massachusetts Council on the Arts. I was curious as to why PBS should suddenly be so interested in independent filmmakers that they would offer lectures and discussions on grant writing, fund raising, and the inside story on the NEA and the NEH. I came away certain that we are on the verge of a technological revolution that, in the next decade, will significantly change our society.

It is a mass media revolution, and it is coming because of the “new technology” of transmission, reception, and recording: multipoint distribution, direct broadcast satellites, subscription television, cable television, two-way cable television, videocassette recorders, and videodiscs. It has involved billions of dollars already, and billions more will be invested. A recent report by the brokerage firm of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith states that by 1985, 12 million households will have videocassette equipment, 14 million will have videodisc machines, 30 percent of all households will have cable TV. The videodisc market alone will easily exceed $3 billion annually. The report further states that within 15 years these new media will be larger than the broadcast industry of the major networks.

It is certain that a mass media revolution is under way. The only uncertainty concerns the form it will take. Will the videodisc win out over the videocassette in the home video market? Will the VHS videocassette format win out over the Betamax format, or will they both exist side by side (like cassette and cartridge tape)? Will cable television survive the Communications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT) proposal to launch a satellite providing direct transmission to home viewers and thus eliminate the need for the costly and complicated installation of cables? Will the Federal Communications Commission regulate the COMSAT satellite when it is launched? Will cable television, COMSAT, and other potential transmitters be allowed to produce their own programming, or will that violate federal antitrust laws?

Narrowcasting

While these factors are being fought out in the highly competitive field of “software,” one factor seems non-negotiable. Broadcasting will change to narrowcasting. Broadcasting in the commercial sense is the practice of producing programs designed to reach the largest number of people, so that a product (soap, let us say) can be marketed and sold. Under the broadcast system, a potential market of 10 or 20 million viewers would be expected, enabling the major networks to charge vast sums of money for advertising time because they can deliver such audiences.

In narrowcasting, however, the program itself will be the product. This will probably not mean the end of mass-market approach, but programs without a mass-market appeal will then be able to find an audience. If 30,000 people are interested in ballet, that is a potential market. The large audience potential of the networks will undoubtedly change as programs designed for mass appeal and the “lowest common denominator” begin to lose out to programs designed for the specific interests of the individual. It will be interesting to see how the networks respond to this challenge.

What kind of programming will actually come from the narrowcasting shift? With a few exceptions, most programs designed for mass audiences have had a certain inane quality. This is bound to change. The limits of what types of programming people will pay to see will be searched out early in the game and capitalized on. It is doubtful that people will actually pay to view inanity.

As Christians, however, we may look back on the days of inane TV as a blessing. Over the last 30 years, television has been a great influence in our society and has been blamed for everything from the breakup of the family to current concern over children’s performance in school. But it has been heavily censored and regulated by the FCC. While television itself has been an influence, its programming has never been a great initiator of social change. Television has been a means by which we can measure social change by noticing, for example, what the censors will allow this year that they would not allow five years ago. But for all its potential, television has had very little to say. And a change is coming.

One reason why the new forms of mass media will have more to say is that their technology will be closely related to computer technology. The home video screen will undoubtedly be used for more than entertainment, and the distinction between entertainment and information will blur, at least slightly. Change will also occur because the new audiences under the narrowcasting system will demand change; narrowcasting will be consumer-controlled programming.

Film

Another reason for change concerns the mainstay of the entertainment side of the new mass media—feature-length films, uncut and uninterrupted. Film, almost by definition, has been at the forefront of social change in the U.S. At the very least, it has been a force in defining and perpetuating social change. Now it will be more important than ever. Those who will not go to a theater to see a film will be able to see it a few weeks later at home. If they like the film enough, they will be able to buy it on videodisc and view it over and over. Home film libraries will become commonplace, and film will take its place as an important art form—maybe the most important art form—of the twentieth century.

This is the reason PBS held its conference last spring. It recognizes the potential, and perhaps fears that the day will come when it will need independent filmmakers more than they need it. As Christians, we need to recognize the potential as well. Evangelicalism in general has had little use for filmmakers—unless, of course, they have been willing to make a certain type of film. Those Christian filmmakers who have tried cooperating with the church to produce films that reach secular audiences have come up against a seemingly insurmountable obstacle—a surprising lack of interest by the church. The church, however, can ill afford to be uninterested.

Evangelicals will be part of the mass media revolution, like it or not. They will be an important audience; their tastes and interests will be researched, analyzed, and marketed. Religious broadcasting and the “electronic church” will also be part of the new mass media forms and will probably face little difficulty in making the shift to narrowcasting, even though it is doubtful that any Christian organization will be able to compete at the hardware level of stringing cables and launching satellites.

The real challenge to the church, however, will not be in the shift of religious broadcasting to narrowcasting. It will be in the production of programs capable of reaching secular audiences willing to pay for quality programming in a highly competitive market. The key issue is whether we are going to become part of the mass media revolution in a vital way or concede a giant step toward the further secularization of our culture. Will the financial resources be available for that more creative involvement, or will the electronic church tie up the financial resources?

To be part of the new forms of mass media in a vital way should be a major goal. That means, almost by definition, involvement in dramatic film and video production. We need to pray that the Lord will raise up creative Christian filmmakers who are able to produce the kinds of films needed—films that present images of life and how it ought to be lived, but from a Christian world view. We also need to pray that the Lord will raise up those willing to take financial risks on such filmmakers. Film and video production is expensive, but it can be a worthwhile investment.

In addition, we need to be involved at local and federal levels in monitoring controls and legislation to see what restrictions will be placed on these new mass media. Pornography, for example, should not be allowed unrestricted access to our homes. It needs control, but there has been little movement in that direction. More important, we need to see to it that the federal government rules concerning its antitrust laws: that the same group cannot legally both produce and transmit programs. Such a ruling will make room for independent producers to work and still prevent control of programming from falling into the hands of the giant corporations. This will be an important issue in the coming decade because the new forms of mass media will be responsible for creating new sources of political and economic power. We should be vigilant to see that this power remains diversified.

The mass media revolution will probably be in full swing by the end of the 1980s; the ultimate significance of what that means in terms of the cultural, economic, political, and moral implications is still uncertain. We may be certain, however, that the church must play a part. It can offer moral guidance to the new mass media firms, yes; but will it be able to set standards in other ways? Will it be able to use the new mass media effectively?

We can preserve the ministry of music by taking down the “for sale” signs over sacred music and revering the ministers, not the merchants, of music.

Pastors, church musicians, and Christian leaders are increasingly concerned about commercialism in the ministry of music. Merchandising sacred music, and gospel music in particular, has become big business. The ministry of music is for sale. The moneychangers are setting up shop in the house of God again, and people are rushing to patronize them. The problem extends into every area of sacred music.

• A certain gospel soloist refuses to accept Sunday engagements in churches that prohibit the sale of records on Sunday.

• A well-known composer who has made a great deal of money during the past half-dozen years writing songs with an explicit gospel message—songs that have been a blessing to many Christians—admits he is not a believer.

• A popular gospel musician’s fees skyrocket, not only because of inflation, but also because his booking agency takes 40 percent of his fee as commission.

• The winner of a commercial religious artist award is disqualified because of unethical procedures in soliciting votes.

• Gospel music “acts” are booked as entertainment on the show business circuit.

• Secular entertainment conglomerates diversify into the newly lucrative gospel music field by buying up control of Christian publishing and recording companies.

• Individuals are chosen for music ministries as much for their “video appeal” and radiant personalities as for their spiritual commitment and musical talent.

• Christian artists’ homes break up at an alarming rate, but Christians seem to be unconcerned about whether or not an individual’s character supports his message.

Contamination

The Christian “star system” has been with us for a number of years, but more recently it has expanded to include all the trappings and symbols of commercial entertainment success. Christian artists and organizations use the same buzz words as the secular music industry: “shows,” “acts,” “making it to the top,” “gigs,” “charts,” “hits,” “number one,” “stars,” “product,” “market,” and “crossover”—just to name a few. Marketing strategies are designed to parallel those of the secular business world as closely as possible, including promotions, sales incentives, display merchandising, and advertising hype. Marketing image is often too important in relation to spiritual content.

Many contemporary Christian artists strive to imitate certain secular artists. Dress, physical mannerisms, vocal style, and even manner of presentation are carefully contrived to create as close a similarity as possible to the image of the popular model. Some arduously seek the approval of the secular music world.

The commercial music industry is cutting itself in on the new profits to be made from the rising interest in gospel music. Such entertainment giants as ABC, American Variety International, MCA, and Columbia have either purchased controlling interest in leading Christian companies or are considering plans to do so. Allan Parachini recently wrote in the Los Angeles Times, “There is the distinct rustle of dollar-hungry corporate predators preparing to devour and be nourished by a new bit of helpless, yet lucrative, prey.”

Parachini goes on to point out that Christian record companies now gross $100 million a year on record and tape sales, that sheet music sales reach $75 million a year, that the 500 Christian artists on the road take in total gate receipts of $50 million a year, and that the 1,400 commercial Christian radio stations sell over $40 million worth of time annually. Some “Jesus music” artists sell 200,000 to 300,000 albums a year, and a Jesus concert can turn a profit in excess of $200,000.

Matters may be getting out of hand. Many artists now employ booking and personal management agencies to develop their “careers.” Fee structures have escalated to the point where many small churches are not able to bring in a quality artist. In some instances, an artist’s fee equals the church music budget for an entire year; in extreme cases, it may even exceed the pastor’s annual salary. Some gospel artists demand fees of $10,000 and up to as much as $20,000 per concert. Fees of $500 to $2,500 are increasingly common. Such high fees “weed out” smaller churches in the name of being “good stewards” of the artist’s time. Some smaller churches are dismissed out of hand as a “waste of time,” and are told to consider taking artists of “lesser quality.” When I told one agent that the board members of my former church would never authorize a fee of $2,000 for one of her agency’s artists for one evening—an amount far in excess of any honorarium paid a visiting statesman of the pulpit—she protested, “But I thought your church was a big church.”

The structuring of fees often is quite overtly commercial, with flexibility predicated on “whatever the traffic will bear.” One agent acknowledged that as some new artists “begin to see it work, they get incredibly greedy.” There is an attitude of “get it while you’re ‘hot’.” Often the fee is based on who initiates the request for the artist. One leading agent, speaking at a seminar last year on artist booking, said, “If you call them [the agency], they set the price; if the agency calls you, you can cut the fee in half.” Fees are also sometimes adjusted downward out of desperation—an artist will accept a substantially reduced fee rather than have an open date with no income at all.

Airplay of a particular artist’s recordings on Christian stations has become almost an obsession within the industry. Some companies have revealed that they want to see more Christian radio stations—so that they can get more exposure for their artists and their “product.” Company representatives hustle the stations and Christian bookstores to play their artists’ records. The bookstores are aggressively courted, because they sell 80 percent of all “Jesus music” albums purchased—mostly to young people. As artists’ sales increase, says one agent, “the demand increases for the acts to work.” Says one promoter, “the key is record play.” Promotional tours are arranged to encourage sales of records and tickets for area concerts. Record tables are a prime consideration by the artists at many concert engagements. Airplay also means royalty revenue for the companies and the writers (the artists get royalties only on record sales, not on how many times the record is played on the air). Christian stations are spending more and more money every year for blanket licenses to play music covered by ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC gospel music copyrights.

The growth of Christian television has intensified the problem. Image considerations for television have resulted in such practices as using one group to tape record the music for a telecast, but using a younger-looking group to lip-synch the actual program. Some artists now contend for visibility on certain especially desirable programs, and are hurt if they are passed over for someone else. Competition and jealousy are all too prevalent in the commercial Christian music industry.

There are some publishers and recording companies that not only try to meet a genuine need, but may even create a “need” in order to increase sales. One company states that its record and music divisions “are in the product- and demand-generating business.”

We are dangerously near surrendering our gospel music heritage to secular control. The profit level is determining which copyrights will continue to be available to the public. As more and more familiar gospel song copyrights come under the control of secular corporations, the continued availability of these songs may depend on what cut-off level of sales units is programmed into the computer. The availability of what music is published and recorded, and what artists are allowed to record, is increasingly being determined not only by what sells, but by what sells best. The result is a lack of creativity, a dilution of the message, and the substitution of image for reality.

Consequences

The real and potential effects of all this are chilling. Not only is the kind of music available being determined in the marketplace as much as in the sanctuary, but the very integrity of the ministry of music is at stake. Christian devotion is being manipulated for corporate and personal profit. Many people who started out with high ideals are being subtly deflected from what should be their primary purpose—the glorification of God in their lives and ministries. Success, fame, lifestyle, public approval, influence, image, and money—the motivations of the commercial world have all encroached more deeply than we want to admit upon the holy ground of the ministry of God’s Word through music.

As religious music ministries become more closely patterned to the secular world, artists and producers send confused messages to both unbelievers and Christians alike. I recall hearing a university professor who was not a Christian express his dismay that, except for the words, he was finding it increasingly difficult to tell any difference between contemporary religious music and what he heard on “top 40” stations. His comment was, “If Christianity isn’t any more different than that, who needs it?” (Of course, through gospel music, many people have heard and responded to the gospel who otherwise might not have been receptive to it.)

The confusion is compounded as more and more gospel music artists “cross over” from Christian stations and church ministries to secular sales charts, radio stations, and television programs. This threat to the integrity of the message is overt and real. Former TV game show host Bob Eubanks, now manager for Andraé Crouch, candidly states that the success of achieving crossover depends on choosing music that “is not overly loaded with the message.” Record company agents increasingly are trying to get their artists played on secular stations; yet the cost may be greater than we can afford to pay. Parachini states that leading music programmers agree that “most strictly secular stations will not program Jesus music unless its lyrical message is veiled, or at least largely unintelligible.” In recent years, some popular Christian songs have made “top 40” charts because references to Christ were either diluted or deleted.

Confusion also has resulted from the familiar tension between ministry and entertainment. “Ministry” has itself become a code word that may or may not be taken at face value; it is sometimes a cover for the real, commercial motivation. Although we may enjoy the ministry of music, the primary purpose must not be entertainment. George Frideric Handel’s classic statement in 1741 after the premiere of his Messiah is still valid: “Sir, I should be sorry if I only entertained them; I had hoped to make them better.”

Noted church music authority Donald Hustad has said that it is so easy “to mistake physical pleasure for spiritual blessing.” That a person has been emotionally excited does not automatically mean that God has been glorified. An aesthetic “high” is not necessarily a spiritual one. One of the great powers and simultaneous dangers of music is its ability to stir the emotion directly without first having to go through a rational process.

There are dangerous deceptions for the artists themselves. Any public ministry can be seductive, and the ministry of music especially so. The ego is deeply involved when one expresses oneself through music. The siren sounds of adolescent adulation can be a strong narcotic to a musician whose spiritual character is not sufficiently mature to be sure the glory goes only to God. A concern to “make it to the top” may indicate that one’s motivation has become compromised by a subtle acceptance of a secular value system. More than one artist has seen his ministry dry up and wither away because he lost sight of his priorities.

As Christians identify with various soloists, they want to hear these same people and their music in their churches. In his book, Live Like a King (Moody), Warren Wiersbe has pointed out that once the appetite for religious entertainment is created, it has to be fed with celebrities and sentimental music. In some situations, the economic power generated by the record-buying youth has given them a shaping influence in church music that is often inimical to the church overall. Gradually, church music begins to take on the shape dictated by commercial interests. Rather than setting the pace, church music directors allow it to be set for them. They imperceptibly lose control of the destiny of their own ministries.

Certain marketing considerations are cruelly logical. Music publishers know all too well that they cannot continue to minister if they do not continue to exist. They, too, must pay their bills and meet their payrolls. Even in ministry, good stewardship of limited resources requires good business procedures. The problem is to maintain perspective. Hollywood attorney Al Schlesinger told a gospel music seminar recently, “For many of you, the bottom line is the ministry. For many [others] of you, the bottom line is the bottom line.”

Record companies study sales charts and profit margins to determine who will be allowed to record, what music will be recorded, and whose recordings will be promoted. The cost of record making continues to escalate with ever-higher fees for union musicians, recording studio rates, paper for album covers, artwork and printing, distribution, and petroleum-based vinyl for making the records and tapes themselves. A $10,000 budget for a record production is now almost a minimum, with budgets of $35,000 to $50,000 becoming more frequent. Record companies are not very interested in recording an artist who is not going to be selling records on the road in live appearances. A company cannot afford to release many albums that do not generate enough income to repay fairly rapidly the investment required to produce them. Music publishers face much the same dilemma. Escalating costs of paper and printing force the prices of choral and sheet music higher with almost predictable regularity.

Faced with spiraling costs, many churches are confronted with the choice of either substantially increasing their music budgets or cutting back their music ministry. Some solutions are clearly illegal and unethical—for example, the wholesale use of the photocopier to reduce the cost of printed music. (Ironically, this is often more expensive than the cost of purchasing the music.) When a church music library is filled with photocopies made without the consent of the publisher, not only is the publisher defrauded, but so are the authors and composers who depend upon their rightful royalties if they are to continue to produce the much-needed quality music. More often than not, for a modest royalty charge publishers will grant special permission for limited reproduction of some of their copyrights.

Containment

In spite of the spreading problem of commercialism in sacred music, there are some positive alternatives. There are ways to withstand the pressures.

There must first of all be total commitment to Christ and consequent purification of motives. Mixed motives always compromise both individuals and their ministries. Jesus said, “No one [not even a musician] can serve two masters … You cannot serve both God and Money” (Matt. 6:24, NIV). Artists, producers, publishers, and record companies ought to be concerned with being good and faithful servants in God’s kingdom, not with building their own empires. This commitment also must be reflected in the artist’s personal character. Ralph Carmichael has said, “It’s important to us what an artist is, not so much what he can do. We want him to be a committed, responsible Christian communicator and minister, who will exercise the artist’s authority to communicate God’s Word.”

Committed artists of integrity will be proper role models for young people. Youth seek to emulate their role models: Christian music leaders should provide them with positive examples. Whenever it becomes apparent that these models do not live the lives they sing about, young people become confused.

Upon This Rock

I have traded all my dreams of comfort

For something hard and spare.

I am obsessed

By narrow words that man has never

spoken—

By tighter thoughts than ever man

expressed.

I had leaned on neatly quilted phrases

To rest my soul’s dilemma.

I conspired

with every stylish vanity

to clothe my mind,

And rued the ravelling!

None of man’s desire

Can measure to the silent promulgation

That flows from Heaven’s cavity.

I read

His Words

etched deep

Upon the stones of Sinai,

And all my longings fall before

my need.

JUDITH DUPREE

Each musician should be certain that he is in the ministry because God has called him to it, regardless of whether he is full-or part-time. One reason God does not bless the ministry of music in some churches is because the minister of music has mixed motives—or is not even truly called to that ministry. He may have taken on the responsibility primarily for pay, and has no real love or concern to feed his people. Some evangelical churches are all too willing to hire individuals with questionable spiritual commitment if they are musically acceptable and willing to work for a part-time or minimal salary. Too often they are the people who allow the commercial shapers to determine the substance and consequent merit of their church music.

Christian musicians must keep in mind John the Baptist’s dictum, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30, NIV). This can be difficult for an artist, for, to quote Donald Hustad, “The essence of art is self-expression; the essence of ministry is self-crucifixion.” Performers need to be willing not to be in the spotlight. They must make sure that people see Jesus in them. They need to control the “hype” that an overly zealous management team may employ to boost their careers, egos, and income.

Christian musicians are to be ministers first, musicians second. Such a priority does not release them from the obligation to be the best musicians they can be; instead, it increases that obligation. Their motivation for excellence should be the very highest, because, unlike the artist who serves the art, they serve the God who created that art. The Old Testament makes it clear that musicians for the temple ministry were selected because they were “trained and skilled in music for the Lord” (1 Chron. 25:7, NIV). However, no matter how technically qualified, God does not even hear anyone of us if our motivation is not right. “Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps” (Amos 5:23, NIV). Even singers apparently can honor God with their lips while in reality their hearts are far from him (Matt. 15:8). God should be able to use us because of the depth of our spiritual commitment—not in spite of the lack of it.

We should be thankful for the many who do serve Christ with high motives and integrity. For example, when John W. Peterson was first getting started as a composer, he refused to change his lyrics to “Over the Sunset Mountains” in order to accommodate a crossover to the secular charts. Word vice-president Kurt Kaiser told me that he believed he should produce certain quality records “because they need to be made, even if they don’t sell.” Don Wyrtzen recently stated that he believes a part of his responsibility as a publisher is to preserve our musical heritage, and to be concerned for the theological integrity of everything he publishes. This integrity extends to business ethics as well. Stan Moser, senior vice-president of Word, recently said, “We cannot get airplay [on secular stations] because we will not buy it [illegally] and we will go out of business before we do.”

Although there are many who are exploiting the ministry of music for personal advantage, there are thousands of dedicated musicians with varying degrees of talent who want nothing more than to offer all they have to Christ for him to use in any way possible. Some of them are well-known virtuoso performers; many are anonymous volunteer choir directors, church soloists, and accompanists. Some are executives in the Christian music business whose primary concern is to build up the body of Christ, and to proclaim the gospel. To them, the business is only the means to achieve these ends, not the end in itself. The ministry of music and music publishing have gone hand in hand since the early nineteenth century. We need the publishers, recording companies, composers, artists, and the broadcast media to continue to enrich and support the ministry of music.

However, the responsibility for protecting the integrity of sacred music lies not only with those who are called to the ministry, but with all Christians. Every church member ought to be willing to pray consistently and to express concerns in a responsible manner to those who make the decisions regarding the ministry of music.

Christian bookstores need to exercise prayerful discretion in their use of Christian records and music. Christian radio and television stations need to be sensitive to the fact that they have significant influence on sacred music. They should be leaders in encouraging high standards in sacred music, instead of being interested in following ratings and playing only the artists they think are the most popular.

Finally, Christian musicians need to be grateful for whatever ministry God gives them. None has the “right” to a particular ministry. God grants them the privilege of serving him through music. For some, it is a very exciting and pleasant ministry; for many, it is difficult and frustrating. If it is delightful, they cannot take the credit for it; if it is difficult, they cannot despise it. Their spiritual obligations are the same in either case.

Of course, we need to deal fairly and honestly with guest artists and church musicians. The old bromide, “Lord, you keep him humble, we’ll keep him poor,” has been far too true to be funny. Such thinking lies at the root of many of the procedures that now are too easily abused. Agencies exist in large measure because churches and promoters exploited artists too often in the past. The agency protects the artist in the arrangements with the host organization, but it must never manipulate either the artist or the host.

As we apply these standards to all areas of the ministry of music, and as we insist on the primary motivation of God’s glory combined with a biblical lifestyle and sacrificial excellence, we can preserve the ministry of music with purity and effectiveness. Performers will not see themselves as Christian “stars”; worshipers will not see them, but Christ. They will be more likely to be ministers, not merely merchants, of music. Even if we cannot take down all of the “for sale” signs over sacred music, at least we can take them out of the ministry and out of the sanctuary.

Prayers To End All Prayers

The best part of my newest book—Contemporary Pastoral Prayers for All Sorts of Situations—is the section on the theology of the “closing prayer.” Now, I realize that many pastors do not have a “closing prayer” because they simply follow the ancient custom of bestowing a benediction. However, for those who need help with their “closing prayers,” I offer the following classifications.

The Symphonic Prayer. This one never ends. It seems to end at certain points, but keeps on going. Like a symphony, the same themes are repeated, but not in different ways. You keep waiting for that roll of drums and blast of trumpets, but it never comes. When the prayer does end, it’s not with a shout, but a grateful sigh.

The Recapitulation Prayer. This prayer is especially helpful to latecomers who missed the choir anthem, the solo, or the Scripture readings. The pastor closes his eyes and relives the entire service, reporting what happened over the Lord’s shoulder. “Thank you for the choir anthem! Indeed, we say ‘Hallelujah for the Cross!’ And we give thanks for the solo by Sister Kennicott. [The congregation gave thanks when the solo ended.] And for the Scripture readings from Isaiah 40 and Mark 6, we give thanks.” On and on. One preacher I know keeps the Sunday bulletin before him so he does not miss anything. Once he forgot to give thanks for the ushers who took up the offering and he almost had to resign.

The Announcement Prayer. This one is just the opposite of the Recapitulation Prayer, because it reminds you of what is coming next. “Thank you for this service,” it begins; but then it continues; “And I pray for the Ladies’ Aide committee that is meeting in the parlor right after the service; and for the two o’clock meeting of the choir captains; and for the missionary tea at 4:30; and the preservice prayer meeting at 6:00; and then, Lord, especially for the evening service at 7:00. Give thy servant power to preach on ‘Giants and Midgets in a Cookie-cutter World.’ ” Again, it helps if you have the bulletin before you.

The Sermon Prayer. Here you have another variation of the Recapitulation Prayer, except that you rehash the sermon. Point by point. With emphasis. This is especially good if you have a guest preacher; it proves to him that you were listening and taking notes. (Actually, you were balancing your checkbook, but who could tell?)

The Scolding Prayer. This one needs no explanation. “Lord, I pray for those young people who talked all during the service. I pray also for the PA system—help us to get the bugs out of it. And for the people who are missing today, I pray. Some of them are just being unfaithful to the church.” Give it to ’em!

Of course, the purists might question whether or not these are really prayers in the biblical sense. Perhaps not, but why bring the Bible into it? After all, some of the best-known preachers have been known to use these kinds of prayers, and who am I to quarrel with success?

EUTYCHUS X

You Can Bank On It

With all the concern about genetic engineering, it is high time evangelicals give attention to a movement whose importance cannot be oversestimated. As the responsible head of the organization. I have given it the name Spiritual Superiority.

Our mission is clear. We propose to set up a National Evangelical Sperm Bank to which only spiritual giants will be allowed to contribute and from which we intend to breed a race of super spiritual saints.

We need your help.

First, of course, we solicit your prayers. The ramifications of this idea stagger the mind. No more hours of Bible study for the next generation. No necessity to spend time in prayer. No fight to overcome temptations. No reluctance to witness to overcome. Your spiritual giant ancestor will have conquered these matters and will pass along the victory to you. All will be in your giant genes.

As we improve the race we can improve our theology. Immediately we can do away with that pessimistic doctrine of apostasy. Indeed, we might even be able to eliminate the future tribulation period and do away with all the debate over the time of the Rapture. Certainly, premillennialism will have to be discarded, for the super spiritual saints will inaugurate the kingdom by themselves. (And I may win a Nobel Peace Prize for starting it all!)

Second, we need your money. True, the bank will be a parachurch organization, but think how much it will help the church. No more carnal Christians. Guaranteed ecumenical success. Everybody a tither, at the least. We can even arrange an annuity that will pay your descendants in the bank.

Third, we solicit your nominees. Your own name should not appear on your list, since that will indicate you are not humble, and all spiritual giants are humble. If you want your name submitted, try to get a close friend to do it. On second thought, not too close. Come to think of it, that very point may spell the doom of my organization. Didn’t someone say that every organization has in it the seeds of its own destruction? I guess Spiritual Superiority is no exception, for the only people qualified to join wouldn’t.

Alas.

But I did learn something. It has become obvious to me that the real reason I don’t like to pray or study or engage in healthy spiritual activities is that my genes are wrong. All the self-discipline in the world won’t help me. I’m really not to blame. And I shouldn’t feel guilty.

You see what freedom Spiritual Superiority can bring?

In the spirit of Eutychus,

GENE D. PRAVITY

Founder and President

“Science Fiction Nightmare”?

The article by Fay Angus, “The Promise and Perils of Genetic Meddling” [May 8], raised questions about genetic manipulation that need to be considered, but I found her article misleading in several respects.

At least twice she makes statements I think are contrary to what the majority of science journalists and scientists believe. For example, to claim that the ability to incubate a fertilized human ovum or embryo to term in an “artificial womb” in the laboratory will occur in the “very near” future for human babies is very unlikely. In fact, this feat has never been accomplished for any mammal, not even laboratory rodents or marsupials. I believe Angus’s statement is irresponsible and deliberately exaggerated for its shock value.

I urge readers not to believe that genetic advances are hurtling us into the bizarre science fiction nightmare that Angus conjures up. Rather, Christians who uphold biblical principles should seek to keep abreast of progress in this area in order to influence the application of these findings for good and not evil. In this hope, Angus and I heartily concur.

JOHN K. CRANE

Charlottesville, Va.

It seems to be an unfortunate human failing to rush headlong through any newly opened door to a promised wonderland, only to discover later that there is often a terrible price to pay for scientific cleverness. This is not to say that science has not benefited man beyond compare, but that the more knowledgeable we get, the more caution we should employ.

This is no more apparent than in genetic engineering. While its promises are golden, surely there are risks when it comes to creating new forms of life never seen on earth before.

I believe that research in genetic engineering should be carefully monitored and that the public is entitled to know what direction such research is taking. Genetic engineering, especially when new life forms are contemplated, raises a number of questions of morality, faith, ethics, and safety. Such questions and answers should be explored publicly; there is always someone willing to take risks not only for himself, but for all the rest of us. There is always someone who will weaken under the pressures of ambition and/or greed. The scientific community has not been altogether immune from such temptations in the past and surely will not be in the future. Therein lies the hazard for us all.

CLAUDE A. FRAZIER

Asheville, N.C.

Progress In Dialogue

You are to be commended for one of the finest editorial statements on evangelical-Jewish relations I have seen. The very fact that you decided to write a major editorial piece on the subject is an indication both of how far we have come in the dialogue and how much we have yet to accomplish.

While the statement may not be the watershed event that the Nostrae Aetate Catholic document of Vatican II Council 1963–65 was, the notion that anti-Semitism is abhorrent to Christian sensibilities and true doctrine is central to both documents, and is, therefore, most welcome. To be sure, we Jews may not agree with the editorial in its entirety. Of special concern to many of us is the subject of Messianic Judaism, which was treated at length in the same issue. And yet, while there is very little if any common ground on the subject of Messianic Jews, the thoughtful manner in which the editorial was written and the sincerity it conveys cannot but open up further possibilities for mutual understanding.

RABBI YECHIEL ECKSTEIN

Anti-Defamation League

Chicago, Ill.

You have done the Christian world a real service by sharing these thoughtful comments. For obvious reasons you were focusing on the Jews alone, although your frequent references to anti-Semitism provided an excellent opportunity for expanding your comments. Perhaps you would rather share others at a later date.

It is easy to forget that the Jews are not the only Semites and that they are not the only persons who suffer discrimination and injustices. In fact, Palestinians, Christians as well as Muslims, suffer injustices at the hands of Jews as well as at the hands of the rest of the world.

HAROLD V. SMUCK

Richmond, Ind.

Paisley’S Efforts Lauded

I was keenly disappointed by J. D. Douglas’s article concerning Ian Paisley [“Clubbing Catholics with the Gospel,” April 24]. At a time when political issues of great importance are current in America, Christian people need to be enlightened, not confused.

The greatest inaccuracy was probably the statement, “Toward Roman Catholics his attitude is ambivalent.” It is unthinkable that a man who should have the discernment of a Scottish Christian would fail to understand the difference between the system of Rome and the people of Rome. The former is suspect because of the political threat it musters against the Britishness of Ulster; the latter are, as properly stated by Douglas, fairly treated as constituents by Ian Paisley, and they are continually led to the Lord in Free Presbyterian circles.

Having lived for several years in Ulster, the situation there without Ian Paisley is unthinkable, even though many American fundamentalists could not completely agree with his efforts. These efforts are a product of a unique situation into which has come a strong-willed, loud-speaking, Bible-believing Christian whose crusade is certainly worthy of a more scholarly and practical consideration than it was given by Douglas.

BILL JACKSON

San Jose, Calif.

Setting A Precedent

Your editorial, “A Bill to Ban Abortions” [May 8], presented Stephen Galebach’s legal theory by which Congress might overturn the Supreme Court’s 1973 abortion decision. Several issues are crucial for Christians to consider before supporting the theory.

First, Galebach’s interpretation of the Roe V. Wade decision is questionable. While passages in the opinion say the court is not deciding when life begins, the result prohibits state legislatures from criminalizing abortion. In making abortion a crime, the legislature must decide when life begins. So the result is that state legislatures may not decide that life begins at conception. Since no reason exists to permit Congress to decide this issue while not allowing it to a state, the basic premise of Galebach’s theory is weak.

More important, evangelicals need to consider the precedent that would be set if a majority of Congress is allowed to overturn a Supreme Court decision. The Bill of Rights protects individuals and minorities from ill-intentioned majorities of our legislatures. Evangelicals constitute such a minority, and even though the political trend presently appears to be running in our favor, that could easily change. The Bill of Rights would become vital to protect our interests.

Do we want to set a potential precedent whereby a majority of Congress could limit these rights? Are we willing to pay this price? Perhaps we are, but we must realize the implications of the Senate bill before we support it.

JOHN ADAMS, JR.

Columbus, Ohio

Correction

I wish to correct several errors that appeared in a brief news article in your April 24 issue. The National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. has never at any time encouraged the Metropolitan Community Church to apply for membership. No one on the NCC staff has ever stated that there would be no difficulty in accepting this denomination into membership. In fact, the Metropolitan Community Church has not as of this date applied for membership.

CLAIRE RANDALL

General Secretary

National Council of Churches

New York, N. Y.

On a recent Friday morning, I attended a memorial service at Columbia Bible College for Chester Bitterman, class of 1974. It was a short, simple ceremony in the hot Carolina sun: a very brief eulogy for him and three others who preceded him to a martyr’s grave, a word from his surviving brother, a beautiful and appropriate passage of Scripture, and a prayer. That was all.

In the afternoon I wandered over to Memorial Hall and reverently gazed up at the small plaque already in place: “Chester Bitterman, 1974. As a hostage in a terrorist protest against missions in Colombia, 1981.”

But as I finished reading, my eye swept on to the broad space of wall as yet unassigned. Unassigned? I suddenly remembered my own son now corresponding with a mission board about service in Central Africa. A sharp pain shot through me. There would be another and another and still others. As God unveils his plan for his witnessing church, those empty spaces on the wall will be assigned. His Assignments!

Whose sons and daughters will God call to meet those assignments? Once again the cost of discipleship pressed overwhelmingly upon my heart and mind. But then came almost instantaneously the equally vivid reminder of the reality of the cross of Calvary and the strength that flows from knowing a God who loves like that.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.… Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.… Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord (from Rom. 8 and 1 Cor. 15).

Scripture contains a surprising number and variety of references, direct and allusive, to time. Many are concerned with historical dates, and among other purposes, serve to root biblical revelation in known historical data. This historical rootage is a major feature of Judeo-Christian faith, and one that sets it apart sharply from other religious systems of mankind.

Alongside the specifically historical references to time in Scripture are other uses of the term and its related elements. Holy Writ takes for granted that each human being is not only surrounded by temporal elements, but also shaped by the considerations that belong to temporal sequences.

In a deeper sense, time is God’s gift to each of us. Long ago Augustine said that time was probably created at the same point in the divine career that the visible universe was called into being. Time is, to use an overworn term, part of mankind’s “existential predicament.”

The involvements of time in man’s placement are more numerous than we realize at first thought. Time relates man to the rhythms of his environment. Time is intimately involved in his daily work, his leisure, and his use of opportunities. It shapes his attitudes toward things about him and toward the contingencies of his physical life. And time is also vital to man’s stewardship.

Men and women need constant reminders—constant prodding—at the point of the vital importance of time in their moment-by-moment existence. It was with this in mind that the psalmist prayed, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

Many of the activities and routines of our existence threaten to obscure or blur our view of the significance of time. Too frequently the issue is forced into the background of our awareness, where it has little or no effect upon the quality of our living. It is ironic, perhaps, that even Christians have needed the prodding of the sometimes offbeat existentialists who call attention to the major significance of time in today’s living. These have given expressions to what Christians ought to have been recognizing all along.

As noted, the involvements of time in the larger ranges of human life are many. Recent writers, for example, have called attention to the relation between the use of time and the gaining and exploitation of material things. The Swedish scholar and statesman, Staffen Burenstam Linder, calls attention in his volume, The Harried Leisure Class, to the manner in which the use of time in our industrialized age leads to an increase in production of goods, with a concomitant increase of emphasis upon the amassing and consumption of material commodities. A corollary is that a merely quantitative view of time leads to a crassly materialistic view of life.

Again, such a view of time makes work a mere means to an end, rather than an opportunity to glorify God in the pursuit of a calling. This leads many to view their occupation as something to be used solely for personal gain. Vocation (i.e., calling) is reduced to mere type of employment. Too infrequently today does one hear, “My vocation is …” Failure to relate work to life results too often in a loss of the deeper meaning and significance of time. When the clock becomes our master, the tyranny of goods lurks in the shadows.

The question of the use of leisure, or non-vocationally related time, is too large to discuss here. It is, however, increasingly obvious that such leisure grows less meaningful in a goods-oriented culture, and in turn makes possession of things the hallmark of “the good life.” Such a distortion of the stewardship of time warps one’s outlook upon the whole of existence.

Those with leisure time on their hands constantly face one of two temptations: either to fill up such time with additional work (demanding in turn a greater consumption of goods), or to busy themselves with nothingness. The first option absorbs consumption time; the second distorts the biblical provision for rest and recreation that can glorify God in giving tone to the body, ideally the temple of the Holy Spirit.

A decade ago, John R. Silber, president of Boston University, delivered his inaugural address titled “The Pollution of Time.” In this masterly message, Silber pointed out the contemporary peril of corrupting time by demanding all sorts of immediate elements—instant food, instant success, instant prosperity—and in religion, even instant ecstasy. What is involved in the demand for an “instant culture” is really the “destruction of the meaningful order of time.” The net result is that meaning becomes lost in the demand for the instantaneous and the immediately relevant.

One feels that there must be some guidelines within Scripture for the attitude of believers toward time and its use. Perhaps the following may suggest some such guidelines.

God clearly takes time seriously. That by the divine forecouncils the eternal Son came into our common life and dwelt in time suggests his high evaluation of time.

Again, the Book of the Revelation indicates clearly that God is the Lord of time. It follows that all finite time is meaningful. Believers are urged to “redeem the time,” to buy up the opportunities time affords. Or again, our Lord enjoins his own to “also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour [i.e., time] when you do not expect Him” (Matt. 24:44, NKJB). Clearly, the futuristic aspect of Scripture in general, and of the words of our Lord in particular, suggest the high significance God places upon man’s time.

Parables, such as those of the talents and of the pounds, likewise point to the major significance of time, and demand the most careful attention to the employment of time, abilities, and opportunities. And that the element of time ought to enter meaningfully into all aspects of life is made clear by the famous passage by the author of Ecclesiastes. He notes that there is “a time to every purpose under heaven” (3:1).

Too many in our day apparently fail to perceive real meaning in life. One might feel that such persons have failed to order their lives in a manner suitable to their temporal natures. To say it another way, these have not assimilated the elements of a well-structured intellectual and spiritual outlook. More important, they have not seen the way in which vital elements—especially time and material factors—interlock in the life situation. Such a lack can lead to a feverish and sterile pursuit of possessions.

Such people are but conspicuous examples of problems and temptations that beset us all. This is especially true given the temporal situation in which we find ourselves in today’s world. Men and women of every placement urgently need to take to heart the words of our Lord: “a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

HAROLD B. KUHN¹Dr. Kuhn is professor of philosophy of religion, Asbury College, Wilmore, Kentucky.

Manmade Men

Cloning: Miracle or Menace?, by Lane P. Lester with James C. Hefley (Tyndale, 1980, 156 pp., $4.95), is reviewed by Martin LaBar, chairman, division of science, Central Wesleyan College, Central, South Carolina.

In 1978, Science writer David Rorvik’s book, In His Image: The Cloning of a Man, drew wide public attention to the possibility of asexual reproduction in humans. This was followed by the 1978 birth of Louise Joy Brown, the “test-tube baby,” and a 1979 report of successful transplantation of human nuclei into human egg cells (no attempt was made to place these eggs into a uterus). In January of this year, the first successful experimental asexual production of adult mammals (mice) was announced. The rapidity of these developments makes it appear that humans may soon be born who have only one genetic parent.

People of many religious and philosophical persuasions have examined the wisdom and propriety of extending nuclear transplantation techniques to humans. Cloning is the only book on the subject written from an evangelical Christian perspective. As such, it fulfills a definite need. The book is written clearly, is physically well-produced, and would be easily understood by the general public. Lester, a geneticist at Liberty Baptist College (Lynchburg, Va.), and writer James C. Hefley have produced a book that shows an understanding of science and scientists, does not claim to have all the answers, and demonstrates a reverence for God’s Word. Possible reasons why human cloning might be of use are presented and dismissed, and the book comes to the conclusion that there are no substantial benefits to be gained from human cloning.

Conversely, Cloning discusses the substantial dangers present if it is used. Principally, Lester and Hefley argue, cloning bypasses God’s plan for the family. Also, there would be losses of potential human beings during the development of the technique. In addition, we would expect psychological harm to at least some of the humans produced asexually—both because they were “copies” of someone else, and because of publicity. The authors assume that if clones are produced, God will give them souls, so “soullessness” is not raised as an objection.

Unfortunately, Cloning has some serious flaws. The authors have made some errors of fact, which, while they do not affect the argument, detract from its credibility. The book is not only about cloning, but about humanism, evolution, genetic engineering, eugenics, and other matters. Some good books have been written about these things, and Cloning suffers by comparison. Also, the tone is strident enough at times to turn off some potential readers. There are, for instance, born-again Christians who do not believe all abortions to be wrong.

The book’s lack of depth makes it possible to deal with a lot of issues. It also means there is not as much information about cloning (or other subjects mentioned) as a serious reader would require. Specific gaps include no proposals for preventing the development of the technique, and no analysis of the legality of cloning.

I sum up with a quotation. One of life’s little ironies, considering all Lester and Hefley said about humanists, is that it is not from Cloning, but from The Cloning of Man (New American Library, 1978), which is more complete, cheaper—and by self-confessed humanist Martin Ebon: “Any effort to clone a human being, to create a man-made man, is, in my opinion, immoral, tragic and totally unnecessary.”

Marriage: Priorities And Problems

Straight Talk to Men and Their Wives, by James Dobson (Word, 1980, 217 pp., $8.95), is reviewed by Stanley Clark, pastor, Huntsville Bible Church, Huntsville, Texas.

Doctors are not usually prophets. Dr. James Dobson dons prophet’s garb, however, when he writes, “The Western world stands at a great crossroads in its history. And it is my opinion … that our very survival as a people will depend on the presence or absence of masculine leadership in millions of homes.” And with that he sets out to deliver some Straight Talk to Men and Their Wives.

Dobson is equipped to deliver the message. As a father and child psychologist, he has a personal and professional grasp of the problems confronting homes today. But more important, his wisdom and convictions are rooted in an excellent spiritual heritage that surfaces throughout the book.

Dobson takes aim at two things: priorities and problems. To him the ultimate priority of a Christian father is to “pass the baton” of salvation and spiritual convictions to his own children without dropping it. The problems are the temptations the world is hurling at men (and women) which distract them from that priority: the temptation to place job above family, to become overscheduled, to seek happiness in material things, to live for self, to philander with one’s secretary, and so on.

Every father and husband will find himself mirrored in this book—to his great conviction. For that reason, it is an excellent tool for communicating biblical truth in a style that is not preachy to those men who need a nudge to live the truth they know. The book could be a gift for husbands and wives to read together, a topic to build a Sunday school class or preaching series around, or the basis for a retreat or seminar on the home.

Real Manhood?

The Mark of a Man, by Elisabeth Elliot (Revell, 1981, 176 pp., $7.95), is reviewed by Shirley Stephens, an author who lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Mark of a Man consists of 44 short chapters. These seem to be a series of articles put together in an effort to develop the theme of what it means to be a real man in the biblical sense. The book is addressed to Pete, a nephew of the author. She proposes to challenge him to be a real man and to tell him what is involved in reaching that goal. In the introduction, she tells Pete that her wish for him and two other nephews is that “God will make you real men and give you for wives—if He wants you to marry—real women” (p. 9).

Although the book is titled The Mark of a Man, the author deals primarily with the relationship of husband and wife. Sexuality, according to Elliot, is a mystery that is acted out in two theaters: the Christian home and the local church. “The casting of the characters in this play was done by God Himself. Men, He decided, were to hold the position of authority. Women were to be subordinate. Men actually … represent Christ—play His part in the two earthly theaters as they relate to women. The man ‘represents the very person’ of God” (pp. 69–70). In this reviewer’s opinion, Elliot has overstated her case and violated some basic biblical teachings, namely the equality of all persons in Christ and the priesthood of all believers.

The author says some good things about commitment to Christ as the test of being a real man: “The real test of manhood, it seems to me, is not the Boston Marathon, but ‘the race that is set before you’ ” (p. 90), and “That’s what it takes to be fully a man, Pete. You must share the life of Christ. Without Him you can do nothing” (p. 95).

Although an able representation of a traditionalist point of view, not everyone will agree with all the author’s conclusions. Some will consider many of her statements to be dogmatic and based on a superfical look at the Scriptures.

Recent Books For Religious Education In The Home

Several children’s books available to parents are reviewed by Mary K. Bechtel, librarian, Hawthorne Elementary School, Wheaton, Illinois.

Early nurture and teaching is of the essence in the spiritual well-being and maturation of a child. Fortunately for contemporary parents, there is a wealth of printed material—bright, imaginative, and well-produced—to aid them in the task of home religious instruction. One of the classics, now in its thirty-first printing, is The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes (Moody) by Kenneth Taylor. It still retains the charm it had when it was first published in 1956. The simple story with accompanying questions provides an orderly and understandable lesson of appropriate length, and has been read with pleasure by countless parents to their children.

For any child from about third grade to age 73 or so, the Who, What, When, Where Book About the Bible (Chariot Books, 1980), by William Coleman, should be irresistible. A fascinating compendium of Bible facts from Bible times in the manner of the Guinness Book of World Records, it should quickly dispel for the reader any lurking notion that the Bible is a dull book. Facts about medical treatments, unusual things that happened in nature by God’s command, habits of angels, what heaven is like, guessing games, stories, riddles, rhymes, and so on, are all set to the tune of colorful illustrations and suprises on every page.

And then there is the Muffin family. In From Castles in the Clouds (Moody, 1980) by V. Gilbert Beers, they appear in the fifth volume of the popular Muffin Family Picture Bible. Nineteen more books will complete the thematically arranged set, which began with Over Buttonwood Bridge, Under the Tagalong Tree, Through Golden Windows, and With Sails to the Winds. For primaries, the Muffins offer well-told Bible events alternating with imaginative stories of Mini, Maxi, and family to provide contemporary applications of scriptural truths. Readers sometimes identify so closely with the characters that they send fan mail to them in care of the author. Thought questions follow each story, with a statement of what the story teaches. Mini and Maxi appear to be kindergarten-aged children in the illustrations, though the interest level is first through third grades.

Another Bible story book that uses the thematic approach is Bible Stories to Grow By (Christian Herald, 1980), retold by Mary Batchelor. Published in England as The Lion Book of Bible Stories and Prayers, it treats by means of a story, prayer, and Scripture such subjects as friends, excuses, the new baby, and promises. There are devotional thoughts for 30 days, as well as for special days such as Christmas and Thanksgiving.

When 8- to 12-year-olds ask questions about their faith, a book to hand them is I Wonder: Answers to Religious Questions Children Ask (Concordia, 1980), by Allan Hart Jahsmann. It will include questions they never thought of asking. As with many such books, not everyone will agree with everything that is said. Harold Myra’s books, Easter Bunny, Are You for Real? and Santa, Are You for Real? (Thomas Nelson, 1980), offer a balanced perspective on two other controversial questions children often ask.

Bible doctrine for children is the subject of a four-volume series, Children’s Bible Basics (Moody, 1980), by Carolyn Nystrom, and illustrated by Wayne A. Hanna. Who Is God?, The Holy Spirit in Me, Who Is Jesus?, and What Is Prayer? are the titles. Written in the first person as though by a primary-aged child, they explore doctrine in simple language. In Who Is God?, the small child ponders, “Can God see in the dark? Will he hurt me? How can he hear me if someone else is praying to Him at the same time?” The author has successfully met the challenge of explaining for the child such weighty theological concepts as God’s omniscience, immutability, omnipresence, and holiness. She does this by adhering closely to the Scriptures, giving references on each page, and letting the truths fit naturally into the life experience of the young reader. In What Is Prayer?, the child speaker tells of talking to God as a friend in prayers of gratitude, petition, and contrition.

The Holy Spirit in Me is perhaps the most unusual of the four, since it is seldom that a book about the Holy Spirit appears for this age. His part in Creation, as the Author of the Word of God, and his appearance as tongues of fire at Pentecost precedes a description of his function in the life of the Christian. As the temple of the Holy Spirit, the child wants to be healthy for God and he will eat “even the green vegetables.” The Holy Spirit helps the child resist temptation and protects him from unknown dangers. Who Is Jesus? helps the child identify with a Boy who liked to help his daddy, was happy or sad, but never sinned, and “grew up to be a man just like I will.” The four books should be a basic choice for a home library.

Church history has been a much neglected area in books for children, so it is nice to have An Illustrated History of the Church translated from the Italian and published in the U.S. in 1980 by Winston Press. It brings to life the centuries from the end of the biblical narrative to the present. A ten-volume set, it is designed for the teen-aged reader. Only the first volume, The First Christians, from the Beginnings to A.D. 180, was sent for review. Created and produced by Jaca Books, Milan, the set seems to have the endorsement of both the Catholic church and the National Council of Churches. Beautifully illustrated and very well written, it makes absorbing reading; I could find nothing objectionable from the evangelical point of view.

In her fine introduction, Joan Mitchell comments: “This history of the church offers young Christians an account of their faith ancestry as an inheritance for their own becoming. The Christian community spans centuries, leaps national boundaries and expresses itself in diverse cultures and lives today. Its history introduces us to cultural, racial, ethnic and national groups unlike our own, yet sharing, as the Letter to the Ephesians says, ‘one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.’ ”

These are but a few of the many titles available for the enrichment and spiritual nurture of children. The many Arch books (Concordia), Little People’s Paperbacks (Seabury), and the Follow the Leader series (Zondervan), are also enjoyable, colorful Bible stories in separate format. They, too, are good purchases in beginning a home library.

What Is Calvinism?

Are Five Points Enough?, by Leonard J. Coppes (Reformed Educational Foundation, Manassas, Virginia, 1980, 197 pp., $5.95), is reviewed by L. John Van Til, professor, Department of History, Grove City College, Grove City, Pennsylvania.

Coppes raises the question as to the adequacy of the traditional summary of Calvinism through the use of the acronym TULIP. He proposes ten points of his own to replace it. In setting out his view, several serious errors emerge.

The principal difficulty arises from the fact that no distinction has been drawn between the views of Calvin and Calvinism. This omission flaws the whole study, for one cannot tell whether the author intended to reflect the ideas of Calvin or some particular phase of historic Calvinism.

A second difficulty emerges in an exposition of scriptural doctrine. While most of the traditional elements of the doctrine are mentioned, one crucial item is absent, namely, Calvin’s high regard for the role of the Holy Spirit in the functioning of Scripture as Revelation. This absence reflects a tendency among some Calvinists toward scholasticism, a stance clearly not evident in Calvin himself.

A third difficulty appears in the discussion of the covenant. Coppes attributes a greater role to the covenant in Calvin’s thinking than the record allows. Covenantalism flows from Zwingli and others rather than from Calvin. A due regard for the role of covenant in Calvin saves one from making him a legalist in his social and political theory. Some latter-day Calvinists may be such legalists, but Calvin was not one.

A fourth problem is Coppes’s claim that for Calvin and Calvinism, the only acceptable scriptural polity was Presbyterianism. This claim has never been substantiated by scholars. It probably reflects the author’s experience in the Scottish tradition.

Finally, Coppes claims that the church and the kingdom are coextensive and, thus, he reaches the conclusion that the kingdom includes both believers and unbelievers. There has long been a semantic difficulty with the term “church,” but that is no reason to conclude that unbelievers may be found in the kingdom.

This volume may be a guide to the thinking of the author, but it will probably not be helpful to Calvin and Calvinism.

Strong Medicine

Bring Forth Justice, by Waldron Scott (Eerdmans, 1980, 318 pp., $9.95), is reviewed by Marshall Shelley, student at Denver Conservative Baptist Theological Seminary, Denver, Colorado.

After years of emphasizing private, personal Christianity and separation from the world, evangelicals recently have discovered their clout. Now they are urged to use that clout to Bring Forth Justice.

Waldron Scott, formerly general secretary of the World Evangelical Fellowship, argues that the Christian gospel is a three-sided entity, involving discipleship, mission, and justice. Soul winning and follow-up traditionally have gotten the most attention, but he argues that unless mission and discipleship include the struggle for justice, only a truncated gospel is presented.

Scott’s approach in attacking this issue is not so much a well-planned frontal assault, but more like the unleashing of a swarm of bees. Though not an orderly presentation, Scott’s rambling, quotation-filled arguments get their point across.

Tracing the theme of justice through the Bible, Scott appeals to “the politics of Jesus,” namely his attacks upon the Pharisees, who, by their pretext of piety, exploited the common man. “Rich men can afford the luxury of Sabbath regulations prohibiting labor,” Scott writes. “Hungry men cannot. Jesus took the side of the hungry and in so doing placed himself squarely against the leaders of the Jewish people.”

Moving perhaps to slightly more solid hermeneutical ground, Scott points out that the biblical meaning of being called is inherently to be given a task. Thus election is not primarily to salvation, but “a call to live for others.”

Scott observes that Western Christians tend to present the gospel primarily in terms of psychological benefits—meaning and direction for life, peace of mind, freedom from guilt, and so forth; these are the only needs rich people have. Unfortunately, this same pitch is made to Third World people who find a psychologically oriented gospel irrelevant.

Scott is not content merely to describe the problem and prick evangelical consciences. He presents as well a number of suggestions for action on individual, community (church), and international levels. He courageously endorses for Christian support such groups as Amnesty International and the New International Economic Order. While he may be a bit strong for many evangelical stomachs, he asserts that this kind of statement is necessary to return the Christian mission of “rectification”—justice—to its proper balance.

Martin Luther insisted, “If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not professing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ!”

Scott’s application: “It is evident that the biggest issue of our time, the point at which the world and devil are subverting the Kingdom of God, is social justice in a global context.”

This book is strong medicine, but I suspect the cure to the world’s ills will have to be.

BRIEFLY NOTED

Numerous new works are appearing that are related to the early and medieval church. Perhaps we will see better today in the light of yesterday.

Early Church Studies.The Christian Sunday (Baker), by Roger T. Beckwith and Wilfrid Stott, argues biblically and historically that the fourth commandment requires a day of rest. The Early Christian Church (Baker), by J. G. Davies, is a history of the first five centuries, and called by K.S. Latourette, “the best survey of the period.” H. B. Workman’s excellent Persecution in the Early Church has been reprinted in paperback by Oxford University Press. Holiness and the Will of God (John Knox), by Gerald Lewis Bray, is a full-length study of Tertullian’s theology. A penetrating study is The Nicene Creed (Eerdmans), by Geddes MacGregor. Howard A. Slaatte takes a conservative look at The Seven Ecumenical Councils (Univ. Press of America). The Revolt of the Widows (Southern Ill. Univ.), by Stevan L. Davies, postulates a woman’s liberation movement in second-century Christianity.

Medieval Church Studies.Christian Spirituality (John Knox), by Rowan Williams, is a fine study covering the early church up to Luther, focusing on the doctrine of God. A new printing of the standard work Constantinople in the Age of Justinian, by Glanville Downey, has been made available by the University of Oklahoma. A marvelous new study of Byzantine civilization is Byzantium (Scribners), by Cyril Mango. Time, Work, and Culture in the Middle Ages (Univ. of Chicago), by Jacques LeGoff, argues definitely for “another middle ages,” focusing on the coping behavior of medieval people. A major new work is Christian Iconography: A Study of Its Origins (Princeton), by Andre Grabar, containing over 340 illustrations. The Cult of the Saints: Its Rise and Function in Latin Christianity (Univ. of Chicago), by Peter Brown, argues that the educated developed the cult, not the semipagan illiterate masses. Man and Transformation: Papers from the Eranos Yearbook (Princeton Univ.), edited by Joseph Campbell, contains some excellent essays on medieval themes.

Three excellent studies are: The Northern Crusades (Univ. of Minnesota), by Eric Christiansen; The First Crusade (Cambridge Univ.), by Steven Runciman; and The Reign of Chivalry (St. Martin’s), by Richard Barber. The latter two are beautifully illustrated.

The Book of Kells (Knopf), by Peter Brown, is also an excellent work, beautifully illustrated.

Primary Sources.Breakthrough (Doubleday/Image), by Matthew Fox, is a fresh translation of 37 of Meister Eckhart’s sermons, with penetrating commentary by Fox. Irene Edmonds continues a series with Sermons 67–86 in Bernard of Clairvaux on the Song of Songs IV (Cistercian). Westminster Press offers Late Medieval Mysticism, edited by Ray C. Petry, and Augustine: Later Works, edited by John Burnaby. Source material is offered in: The Trinitarian Controversy (Fortress), edited by William G. Rusch, and The Christological Controversy (Fortress), edited by Richard A. Morris.

Thomistic Bibliography, 1940–1978 (Greenwood), compiled by Terry L. Miethe and Vernon J. Bourke, lists over 4,000 books and articles. It is an invaluable book.

Biographical. A readable new study is Augustine: His Life and Thought (John Knox), by Warren Thomas Smith. Two excellent books from Paternoster on Saint Boniface are: The Greatest Englishman, edited by Timothy Rueter, and Boniface of Devon: Apostle of Germany, by John Cyril Sladden. Albert the Great (Univ. of Oklahoma), edited by Francis J. Kovach and Robert W. Shahan, is a technical collection of commemorative essays. Thomas Merton on St. Bernard (Cistercian/Mowbray) is exceptionally fine, as one would expect.

Two books on Francis are: Grey Friars (Franciscan Herald), by Harold Goad, and The Francis Book (Collier/MacMillan), edited by Roy M. Gasnick. The latter is more popular, and illustrated.

Rather tart is Saints: Their Cults & Origins (St. Martin’s), by Caroline Williams. A monumental work is Dictionary of Saints (Doubleday), by John J. Delaney, which contains 5,000 short biographies.