Sects Love and Rock & Roll: My Life on Record: 2 (Experiences in Evangelicalism)

Description: If this book moves I hope it moves in the way pop songs do. There will be a lot of talk about songs but inasmuch as this is a book about listening to music its also about how listening to music makes us who we are or at least about how it makes me who I am and so it is an exploration an idiosyncratic and opinionated and particular one of a self shaped by the oddly intersecting forces of the American evangelical Protestant church and the American popular music scene. I dont mean for that to sound hoity-toity--if this were fifteen years ago I would say that this book was about Christian music and I would know exactly what I meant. My purpose now is not only to talk about Christian music. I am not here to explicate Christian music to explain why it exists and whether it is any good. Instead think of what youre about to read as like an iPod playlist a collection of essays and thoughts on listening to music and having faith and how they have made me and a lot of people like me and maybe you. Also there will be some jokes about Stryper. Endorsements: If you can name the exact musical connection between Michael W. Smith and Sufjan Stevens then you dont need to read this book. But you cant do that can you? None of us can. But Joel Hartse can and he does that kind of s#*! on Every. Single. Page. Im pretty sure he knows everything. Plus hes witty and wise. I cant imagine a better book on the weird world of Christian rock. --Patton Dodd author of My Faith So Far: A Story of Conversion and Confusion Part personal narrative and part cultural history Joel Heng Hartses musical memoir is a lovingly written ode to all that is weird and wonderful disturbing and divine about the world of Christian rock. Conversant in everything from White Town to Rebecca St James Radiohead to Michael W. Smith Hartse provides a richly observant nostalgic document of the shaping artifacts and sonic ephemera of his evangelical youth. His book paints a picture of the recent past that will be funny poignant and therapeutic for anyone who grew up in a similar milieu. --Brett McCracken author of Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide Joel Heng Hartse grew up during an era when Christian rock was actually kind of decent but he was never shy about exploring all music. He emerged equal parts Jesus freak and music geek. His memoir is utterly charming . . . but seriously dude Genesis? --Andrew Beaujon author of Body Piercing Saved My Life Joel Heng Hartses travels--and travails--through the world of rock and roll (spiritual secular and all those artists who aim to land somewhere in between) add up to something like a lesson in music history. But mostly its a warm witty and downright entertaining trek down one mans memory lane a lane lined with insight humor and of course just enough love and sects to keep the pages turning. Joel knows music and after reading this book youll feel like you know Joel--and thats a good thing. --Mark Moring Pop Culture Editor Christianity Today Theres so much to love here: nostalgia tempered by wry humor; a slice of rock and roll history rich in detail yet anchored in emotions we all share; a series of tart but ultimately generous insights into the foibles of a religious subculture. Joel Hartses memoir is a postmodern pilgrims progress the story of a young man in search of truth and beauty rendered in a voice that is at once self-deprecating and heartfelt. --Gregory Wolfe Editor IMAGE I basically stopped paying attention to Christian rock music right around the time Joel was getting into it. But even though I recognized only a handful of the bands he cites here I still found his account of growing up with church and pop music easy to relate to and fun to read. In an accessible opinionated and humorous way he gets at what the music means--and how that meaning has changed for him personally and for the culture