Recommended Rag

Magazine
The Believer

Issue
June/July 2005

Article
"How to Become a Christian Artist"

Summary
Rick Moody explores the work of an eccentric evangelical music artist, the Danielson Famile, their compositions and recordings. Pulled towards their originality, it is a worthy piece for The Believer magazine that marries intellect, talent, and a lean from the beaten path.

Writer
Rick Moody

Swirlypine Significance
We find the greatest form of flattery for evangelicals as when a secular media source provides fair commentary on a Christian work without necessarily succumbing to its content or push. Similar to the Persian posture towards the Israelites previous to their return to Jerusalem highlighted by the perceived benevolence of King Darius to Ezra and Artaxerxes to Nehemiah. This somewhat philosophical acceptance of the importance and respect of the Judeo essence, but without giving into it. Of course there are many similar models in the Old Testament of such treatments of God's chosen, at least up until Christ came onto the scene. By that time the paradigm seemed to shift against the prophet, apostle, or follower. The new form of flattery was to be doomed to a beheading, body slice, flip and burn, stoning, and other gymnastic ways of torture and death.
So that leaves us with two forms of flattery - having a secularist respect your content and let you go on with your mission, or having the same acknowledge the importance of your God and subsequently make sure that you experience some type of twisted demise.

In this article Rick Moody provides the former of the two approaches in exploring the Danielson Famile. Sadly, given the condition of the most popular Christian Contemporary Music, maybe the latter fate wouldn't be all that bad.

Featured Quote
"... I have come somehow to identify with the Danielson Famile. I identify with them, in that rock and roll, and I am reassured by them. Here's why. Because in the literary community, at present, one of the worst career moves you can make is to admit that you are a person who believes, a person who goes to church and who finds value in it. To say both that you go to church and you consider yourself an intellectual is to skepticism and even disdain in your peers."