Review: Body Piercing Saved My Life - Andrew Beaujon

Imagine for a moment, if you will, stepping off of an airplane and finding yourself in a foreign land that you have little to no knowledge of. The dress of the people is familiar yet somehow different, their language also similar but filled with terms that causes your brow to furrow. And the things that excite them, well, you just can't fathom where this excitement is coming from! This must be exactly how rock journalist and author Andrew Beaujon must have felt as he entered into the subculture of Christian music along with all its trappings. Beaujon, a senior writer for Spin magazine, noting the rise of such groups as P.O.D. and Switchfoot, thought it an interesting challenge to enter into this world that he self-admittedly did not understand. And enter into it he does. From traveling to the Cornerstone Festival, the GMA Awards and convention and more, Beaujon immerses himself in the culture known as ccm as finds himself a bit different on the other end.

The book begins with what is lacking in some music fans knowledge base, namely an adequate understanding of the rise of Christian music and it's subsequent culture. Covering territory that begins with the Jesus Movement and working through the rise of the Calvary Chapel movement, Beaujon brings his readers right up to Jesus Freak, offering a solid history that shows the industry's past, warts and all.

Once a basic history has been established, the book essentially consists of chapters devoted to the various idiosyncrasies found within the Christian community such as the worship movement, warehouse sanctuaries, and pro-life organizations as well as a series of chapters interspersed between in which the author interviews those he's dubbed, "Christian rock lifers." He interviews folks such as hard rock scribe Doug Van Pelt, who opens a number of doors for Beaujon, to original rocker and imagination machine Steve Taylor, to EMI/CMG President and CEO Bill Hearn. Also interviewed are CCM Magazine editor Jay Swarztendruber, and Stavesacre frontman Mark Salomon. The interviews all provide some very interesting insights into the industry from very different points of view. While Swarztendruber is upbeat and encouraged about the future of the industry, we are also presented with the view of Salomon who rejects much of the Christian industry all the way around, despite it's obvious results.

Yet, it is the interviews and relationship that Beaujon seems to have struck up with another ccm "prodigal" that provide the most insight and interest, that person being none other than Pedro the Lion's David Bazan. Bazan unpacks his story to the listening author, noting his Pentecostal upbringing and his growing disillusionment with institutional Christianity, and provides a much-needed voice within the community of interviews. Bazan is the sort of guy who, when asked the question of whether or not he is a Christian, will take the far more difficult road of responding in the negative, due to the fact that his definition of a "Christian" differs from what the overall culture views it as. Bazan pops up in several other areas of Beajon's book, the two meeting up during GMA Week as well as a Faith and Culture Conference at Calvin College.

Beaujon deals with a number of issues and experiences in the book. He finds himself in the midst of a throng of teenagers at a concert at Cornerstone and as the one individual sitting down during a worship service at GMA. He even follows around the leader of a pro-life organization at demonstrations in Washington as they battle the women from NOW. All in all he deals with each experience in, to coin Fox news, a fair and balanced manner.

Dealing with the explosion of the worship scene is perhaps the second most interesting area that the author addresses. After having experienced some elements of the worship gathering through his travels, Beaujon finds himself confused by the explosion of the genre. Describing the music he writes that "much - not all, but enough to tar the whole genre - of it sounds like Christian pop scrubbed of any remaining hint of menace." He also offers that "worship music is the logical conclusion of Christian adult contemporary music - not just unappealing but unbearable to anyone not already in the fold." Ouch. But, if we're very honest with ourselves, he's right. And he grabs hold of what more and more worship music is becoming as he adds, "this isn't music to appreciate; it's music to experience." Beaujon has some good words for the world of Christian music to hear, words that should be heeded. In all fairness, though, we must also add that he finds himself a great fan of the rock 'n roll extravaganza known as the David Crowder Band. In fact, it is this experience that helps Beaujon soften to the industry.

There are many people, most of them Christians, who might avoid this book with the thinking that it can only be negative. We tend to give in to that martyrdom complex every now and then. But this reviewer encourages you: give Body Piercing Saved My Life a chance. It just might challenge you, might anger you, and yes, might even teach you something.