Religious Rock 'N' Roll: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

by Jimmy Swaggart, Robert Paul Lamb

Book by Swaggart, Jimmy, Lamb, Robert Paul

188 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Jimmy Lee Swaggart was an American Pentecostal televangelist, pastor, media mogul, author and gospel music artist.
Swaggart was ordained as a pastor by the Assemblies of God. He went on to become one of the most well-known televangelists in America. During the 1980s, his crusades were a major part of his ministry—drawing large crowds and receiving significant media attention. Swaggart founded Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, which owns and operates the SonLife Broadcasting Network (SBN). He also founded the Jimmy Swaggart Bible College. Swaggart was the senior pastor of the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Swaggart was known for scandals involving prostitutes and revolutionary groups accused of war crimes in southern Africa. One prostitution scandal gave rise to a televised February 21, 1988, speech by Swaggart known as his "I have sinned" speech. After Swaggart was defrocked by the Assemblies of God due to sexual immorality, he moved on to become a non-denominational minister.
Swaggart wrote about 50 Christian books offered through his ministry. He sold over 15 million records worldwide as a gospel artist and he also received one Grammy Awards nomination.

Reviews

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yet another fundy-paranoid book from a preacher on the old end a generational divide.

"Without question, what has happened in the last thirty years has been nothing more than the youth of this world being possessed by demons -- through rock music." (p31)

[Jeff · Rating 1 out of 5]

I marked it 1 star - did not like it - for it's hysterical content and bad theology.
But I would also mark it a 3 stars - liked it - just for the goofy ironic fun of reading a dumb book...

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I say, I'm only about half way through so far, but bravo my good sir! Its high time, albeit almost 30 years ago, that someone called to task the heathenistic likes of Stryper, Amy Grant, and Michael W. Smith. Good show, old boy!
I shall check back in once completed.

The first half of my review was, characteristic of my generation, snark without actual content. Apologies.
What this book honestly has to offer is a fascinating view into the mindset of my parents and those like them at the church that raised me and assistance in illustrating the Culture of Fear without exploration, that is, censorship versus screening, that influenced my upbringing. Brother Jimmy does not ever honestly attempt to understand anything put before him. He simply tries to cram them into his own preconceived molds of How Things Should Be and does not adjust for cultural paradigm shifts or changing of "The Times," even with a Christian bent.
This book is not a proper examination of a new cultural shift or an attempt at reaching out to Today's Kids by meeting them "halfway" (or really anywhere other than the HERE of Brother Jimmy's world,) and, at least to me, comes across as a 200ish page justification of why the Strange and New will always seem wrong (and apparently sinful) by the Old Guard.

Great source of Talking Points with my family, but not worth much else beyond that other than a reference for How Things Once Were in our fundamentalist protestant community.

[James Langston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful ... necessary and needed for today's 21st Century Christian! We'd better awake to what we and our kids are feeding into their spirit!