Not only has the U.S. experienced the rising profile of Christian lobbyists within the political spheres, now a growing religious trend is also notable in the U.S. media and culture.
The Christian music scene is firmly established in the US, but alongside the regular Christian pop music, a new interest in church songs is emerging with popular artists taking the familiar church song lyrics and re-doing them in a contemporary music style, be it jazz or gospel. Amy Grant’s cover of church songs sold 465,000.
Singer Bart Millard, who also released an album of church song-makeovers, explained why: “I wanted to create something special for my son. So with this music emerging as it has, it is possible that my son won’t have to look back to outdated songs, as was the case when I was young”.
Singer Ashley Cleveland gave a completely different explanation for the recent revival of old church songs: “It’s about the assumption that church songs are old fashioned, outdated relics from the past that have nothing more to say to us.
“For me, though, there is nothing more meaningful than these old songs. In our culture and even within the Christian community discord sometimes dominates. But when you sing together a church song that everyone knows, then all of sudden we are all one heart and soul,” he said.
The model industry has also not been left untouched by the growing influence of Christians. Former Dressman for the Ford agency, Jeff Calenberg, founded “Models for Christ” with the aim nurturing in models a more spiritual orientation.
Mr Calenberg explained in the New York’s “Independent” the thinking behind the organisation: “In our sector there are many people who have fallen into crisis because of the pressure put on them”. Models for Christ supports models to recover from crises or addictions, and works to strengthen them in order to overcome personal difficulties as well as to set young models aside as mentors.
Calenberg also encourages his models to decline any contract that goes against their beliefs and convictions.
In England too, there have been inroads made in the printed press. The recently founded street paper “The Son”, by journalist Hugh Southon, continues to go from strength to strength. On its first release, it sold 40,000 copies but had already risen to 62,000 by its second release.
“Our goal was to bring out a self-aware and provocative newspaper that would be successful in bringing Jesus back to the centre of society. But it had to be entertaining and fit in with today’s widespread celebrity culture”, explained Southon.
The newspaper is currently released every second month, but in 2006 it is set to become a regular monthly print.
