Christian Rock Music in Ontario, 2008-2010
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CHRISTIAN ROCK MUSIC IN ONTARIO, 2008-2010 RIGHTEOUS ROCKERS…UP IN CANADA: CHRISTIAN ROCK MUSIC IN ONTARIO, 2008-2010 By ZACHARY HORN, B.A., M.A. A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements For the Degree Doctor of Philosophy McMaster Universtiy © Copyright by Zachary Horn, December 2019 Ph.D. Thesis - Z. Horn; McMaster University - Sociology DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (2019) McMaster University (Sociology) Hamilton, Ontario TITLE: Righteous Rockers…Up In Canada: Christian Rock Music in Ontario, 2008-2010 AUTHOR: Zachary Horn, B.A. (Wilfrid Laurier University), M.A. (University of Waterloo) SUPERVISOR: Professor. Graham Knight COMMITTEE MEMBERS: William Shaffir Christina Baade NUMBER OF PAGES: xii, 251 ii Ph.D. Thesis - Z. Horn; McMaster University - Sociology Lay Abstract This dissertation looks at Christian rock in Southern Ontario, drawing on interviews with over 30 Ontario based Christian rock musicians, as well as participant observation of close to a dozen Christian rock performances conducted from 2008 to 2010. The dissertation focuses on issues related to how Christian rock is practiced (with particular focus on performance), how Christian rock influences identity over time and how Christian rock reflects aspects of both subcultures and new social movements. The research adds to understandings of Christian rock, and the use of identity and practice in religion, music and youth culture. It also explores similarities and differences between subcultures and new social movements particularly in relation to issues around practices and identity. iii Ph.D. Thesis - Z. Horn; McMaster University - Sociology Abstract This dissertation, a study of Christian rock music and musicians in Southern Ontario, Canada, examines issues related to religion, music and youth culture. In doing so it explores similarities and differences between subcultures and new social movements particularly in relation to issues around practices, identity and authenticity. The dissertation begins with examinations of the literature on subcultures and social movements, followed by brief looks at the literature on fields, habitus, legitimacy, individual and collective authenticity and identity, issues of authenticity within popular music and Christian rock music literatures. Following this it looks at the research methods used, detailing the interviews with Christian rock musicians and participant observation conducted from 2008-2010. The substantive chapters of the study look at practices and the uses of space, Christian rock identities over time and finally the question of whether Christian rock should be categorized as a subculture or a new social movement. The first of these chapters examines how spaces, particularly performance spaces are used within Christian rock, how these connect to worship, entertainment and art, and how these attempt to manifest themselves as transgressive. The second substantive chapter looks at how Christian rock musicians enact their individual and collective Christian rock identity in recruitment, participation and exiting of Christian rock. In doing so, it looks at how identities iv Ph.D. Thesis - Z. Horn; McMaster University - Sociology and the goals associated with those identities connect to Howard and Streck’s Christian rock typologies of separational, integrational and transformational (Howard & Streck, 1999). The third substantive chapter examines whether Christian rock should be considered a subculture or a new social movement by looking at how it deals with recruitment, mobilization, insiders and outsiders, structure, leadership, strategies, goals, uses of space and material cultures. In doing so the dissertation argues that Christian rock is composed of many different identities and approaches. It then explores the specific identities and approaches of Worshipcore and Worship Rock. This is followed by a conclusion and brief post-script detailing speculation around the changes that have occurred since the research was conducted. v Ph.D. Thesis - Z. Horn; McMaster University - Sociology Acknowledgements The completion of this dissertation has been a long time coming. I would like to extend thanks to the following people, without whom I would never have completed. First I’d like to thank those I was able to interview for their participation and encouragement. I hope you recognize yourselves and your communities in my writing. Secondly I’d like to thank the members of my committee: Graham Knight (advisor), Billy Shaffir and Christina Baade. Thank you all for your patience and help in this long process; I am eternally grateful for the encouragement to complete I have continued to get over the years. I would also like to thank my external examiner Joe Kotarba for his suggestions, criticisms and excellent discussion. I’ve been working on completing this degree since 2006. I wish to thank the following grad school friends for their continued support: Nicki Brown, Becky Casey, Christina Desroche, Coralee Dreschler, Athena Elafros, Stephanie Howells-Shipton, Erica Rae-Speakman and Ally Stokes-McLevey. I would also like to thank the following people from the sociology department for their help and encouragement: Corinne Jehle, Olga Cannon, Dorothy Pawluch, Neil McLaughlin and David Young. Fourth I’d like to thank those friends who’ve helped by reading over the dissertation in full or in part: Sara Borkowski, Jacob Earl, Jenny Drewitz Eisener, vi Ph.D. Thesis - Z. Horn; McMaster University - Sociology Francesca Fiore, Nate Kosub, Kathy Matte, Sarah Morrison, Krista Shackleford- Lye, and Jennifer Vandermarel Prouse. I’d also like to thank my friends Blake Sproule and Don Baker who’ve always been willing to lend an ear or spend time talking music, movies, books or baseball. Fifth I’d like to thank everyone at St. Joseph’s Health Hamilton who have helped me on my way to better mental health. Without their ongoing help I would not be here. Sixth I’d like to thank my parents for their amazing support: without your help, encouragement, and editing skills I would never have finished. I would also like to thank my siblings and their families: Kyle, Meaghan and Daniel, Jaime, Mike and Claire: thanks for being there. Lastly I’d like to thank my small family unit. Thomas, you probably won’t read this for awhile (if ever), but this is what I spent all that time working on when you were little. Thanks for letting me get work done and thanks for being you. You’re an awesome kid and I look forward to seeing who you will become. And finally for Sarah: thank you for your love, support and encouragement. You are the everything. vii Ph.D. Thesis - Z. Horn; McMaster University - Sociology Christian Rock Music in Ontario Table of Contents Descriptive Note ii Lay Abstract iii Abstract iv Acknowledgements vi Table of Contents viii List of Abbreviations xii Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Introduction 1 20th Century North American Christianity 1 Jesus Freaks and Youth Evangelism in the 1960s 4 1970s and the Struggle for Christian Rock 8 Fear of Christian Rock 10 In Defence of Christian Rock 15 1980s and the Rise of Contemporary Christian Music 18 The Rise of Christian Celebrity 20 The Rise of an Alternative 21 Success in the 1990s 23 Conclusion 26 Chapter 2: Subculture and Social Movement Literature 30 Introduction 30 Subcultures 31 Early Musical Subcultural Research 33 British Musical Subcultural Research 34 Criticisms of the CCCS Approach and Subculture Alternatives 36 Scenes and Neo-Tribes 38 A Better Understanding of Subcultures 40 Social Movements 44 New Social Movements Theory 47 Comparing Subcultures and New Social Movements 51 Recruitment and Mobilization 52 Separating Insiders from Outsiders 54 Structure and Leadership 54 Strategies and Goals 54 Use of Space and Material Cultures 57 Conclusion 58 viii Ph.D. Thesis - Z. Horn; McMaster University - Sociology Chapter 3: Theoretical Perspectives 60 Introduction 60 Bourdieu, Field and Habitus 62 Practices of Legitimacy within Fields 63 Authenticity & Negotiating Individual Identity 65 Negotiating Identity in Subcultures and New Social Movements 71 Identity and Authenticity in Popular Music 77 Christian Rock Music Literature 81 The Splintered Ideologies of Christian Rock 84 Conclusion 90 Chapter 4: Methods 92 Introduction 92 Background 92 Research Questions 93 Ethics 94 Interviews 95 Recruitment 95 Conducting Interviews 96 Issues Related to Interviewing 98 Local Christian Rock Events 101 Secondary Research 101 Transcription and Coding 102 Conclusion 104 Chapter 5: Practices and Spaces 105 Introduction 105 Christian Rock in the early 21st Century 106 Non-Performance Spaces 109 Christian Book Stores 109 Youth Groups 111 Radio & Television 112 Homes & Bedrooms 113 The Internet 114 Performance Spaces 115 Christian Rock Festivals 117 Christian Rock in a Large Church Setting 121 Christian Rock in a Small Church Setting 125 Christian Rock in Secular Rock Clubs 126 Christian Rock in Coffee Houses 128 Issues of Gender in Practices 131 ix Ph.D. Thesis - Z. Horn; McMaster University - Sociology Meanings of Practice 134 Worship 135 Entertainment 137 Art 138 Issues of Scale 139 Issues of Music vs. Lyrics 141 Performance Scripts 143 Transgression Through the Mundane 147 Conclusion 150 Chapter 6: Christian Rock Identities 152 Introduction 152 Christian Rock Roles 153 Christian Rock Musicians 154 Audience/Fans 155 Youth Leaders, DJs and Promoters 156 Recording Industry Employees 156 Retailers 157 Recruitment 158 Active Participant Identity & Authenticity 164 Religious