Gray Sabbath: Jesus People USA, the Evangelical Left, and the Evolution of Christian Rock

by Shawn David Young

Formed in 1972, Jesus People USA is an evangelical Christian community that fundamentally transformed the American Christian music industry and the practice of American evangelicalism, which continues to evolve under its influence. In this fascinating ethnographic study, Shawn David Young replays not only the growth and influence of the group over the past three decades but also the left-leaning politics it developed that continue to serve as a catalyst for change.

Jesus People USA established a still-thriving Christian commune in downtown Chicago and a ground-breaking music festival that redefined the American Christian rock industry. Rather than join "establishment" evangelicalism and participate in what would become the megachurch movement, this community adopted a modified socialism and embraced forms of activism commonly associated with the New Left. Today the ideological tolerance of Jesus People USA aligns them closer to liberalism than to the religious right, and Young studies the embodiment of this liminality and its challenge to mainstream evangelical belief.

Genres: History, Religion

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 11, 2015

Reviews

[Greg]

This book is an academic reflection on the history and ideological direction of the Chicago Christian commune Jesus People USA. This includes a chapter on JPUSA's well-known Christian music and arts festival Cornerstone which shut down in 2012. Other than that chapter, and occasional references to Rez Band, a Christian rock band which came from JPUSA, there is not much information or reflection on "the evolution of Christian Rock." I was disappointed in that the subtitle seems misleading. However, if you're interested in the history of JPUSA, this is a valuable read.