Think Christian
How our favorite pop, rock, hip hop, and country songs echo the wisdom Pop literature of the Bible. Psalms Table of Contents 1 Introduction by JOSH LARSEN 2 Truth Hurts — Lizzo by CHAD ASHBY 4 (What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding — Nick Lowe by ABBY OLCESE — Kanye West 6 All Falls Down by D. MARQUEL — Bruce Springsteen 8 Badlands by ROGER NELSON — Lorde 10 Royals by KATE MEYRICK — OutKast 12 Ms. Jackson by AARIK DANIELSEN — Dolly Parton 14 9 to 5 by JOHN J. THOMPSON — Alicia Keys 16 No One by JOYLANDA JAMISON — U2 18 One by SARAH WELCH-LARSON ( ) — Beyoncé 20 Run the World Girls by KATHRYN FREEMAN — Talking Heads 22 Once in a Lifetime by JOEL MAYWARD — Kendrick Lamar 24 Alright by CLAUDE ATCHO Introduction by JOSH LARSEN In the introduction to his study guide, Psalms: Prayers of the Heart, Eugene Peterson wrote, “People look into mirrors to see how they look; they look into the psalms to find out who they are.” Sometimes, they also listen to pop music. That’s the guiding idea behind this collection of essays from some of Think Christian’s best writers: that like the wisdom literature of the Bible—not only Psalms, but also Proverbs and Ecclesiastes— our favorite pop, rock, hip hop, and country songs reflect the wide range of the human experience. These “pop psalms,” as we’re calling them, run the gamut from joy to sorrow, ecstasy to angst. And even if they’re not intentionally directed at God, as the biblical songs are, we believe that God hears each one.
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