Faith, God and Rock 'n' Roll
By Mark Joseph
Baker Books
Review by Mark Weber

Since my name is Mark Joseph Weber, I was intrigued to find out that there's an author named Mark Joseph. And then, when I found out he wrote all about Christian music, just like I did, I was blown away. Amazing.

Mark Joseph's informative book, Faith, God and Rock 'n' Roll, is the kind of book I wish I wrote. Joseph obviously did his homework, because he manages to give the reader the details about lots of artists who are "people of faith transforming American popular music." It seems like most of the major players who've made spiritual noise outside the walls of Christian music (and once in a while inside those guarded walls) are profiled here.

Want to know more about P.O.D., Creed, Nickel Creek, Pedro the Lion, Lifehouse, Dashboard Confessional, Lenny Kravitz, 12 Stones or Alice Cooper? How about Lauryn Hill, Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary or Destiny's Child? Faith, God and Rock 'n' Roll is one of those rare up-to-date, inclusive books that covers truly important music makers--the kind who are actually on the pop culture radar screen.

What's most interesting to me, and anyone else reading, is the book's overall thematic idea that one can be Christian and make music that matters to everyday people, Christian or not. Joseph tends to think that the idea of a Christian music sub-culture where music is labeled as "Christian" is not a good idea, because it alienates non-Christians. Through his writing, specifically about the Christian rock band Jars of Clay, the reader gets a peek into the business of music. It's a world where being carried in a gospel section of a music store, instead of the more general pop/rock section, means fewer overall sales and a lot less influence on the very people Christian rock bands try to reach.

Perhaps the struggle between preaching to the choir and being salt and light in a dying world is what makes Christian music so compelling to write about, and, consequently, to read about. It may not be a VH1 "Behind The Music" special, but Mark Joseph's Faith, God and Rock 'n' Roll certainly takes the reader to the intersection where faith meets music, and helps them figure out what's going on there.

Mark Weber is a freelance writer from Buffalo, New York. Find out about his free
e-zine, as well as his book, Christian Music Makers at www.geocities.com/zeebozine.