Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!lll-winken!sun-barr!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: daemon@garage.att.com (Joseph H. Buehler) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Some thoughts on "Christian Music" Message-ID: Date: 22 Feb 90 09:23:08 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Lines: 29 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu The rose-coloured glasses of time have led us to forget our history. DeRosa indicates that in the early 1600's the songs sung at mass in St. Peters were so lascivious that the Curia discussed whether singing ought to be banned altogether from mass! The stuff you're talking about has nothing to do with Gregorian! In short, any style of music can appeal to what ever level you let it appeal to you. And any style of music can be used by God or the devil. Modern rock music would never work in a monastery. You can't live the contemplative life and listen to that stuff. That's why monasteries have always kept the Gregorian. It's a treasure from the past. There is also this: we are not living in a particularly Christian era. 50% divorce rate, how many million babies murdered each year, etc., etc. It is highly doubtful that much in the way of specifically Christian cultural beauty should come from such a time. Not when compared to past ages, when genius for this sort of thing flourished. We live in a technological era, not an artistic one. Beethoven is probably my own favorite secular composer. But as far as music characterized as "Christian", I think #1 should be Gregorian. As for the hard rock stuff, I side with the Protestant fundamentalists: anathema sit! Joe Buehler jhpb@granjon.att.com