okay that makes sense, so it was still after his spiral on Tucker but pre Alex Jones. Beyond that it was a good episode
thank you for listening! Our recent slate has been kind of an oddball assortment of interviews. I’m hoping to right the ship soon with more panels and topical conversations feel free to hit me up if you have any recommendations for things you’d like to hear discussed on the show or artists you want us to interview!
for me my christian music consumption these days are Switchfoot and anything on T&N and Solid State. so any podcast revolving around that ill check out. but back when i was in highschool and was in bible college i was on JFH like every day.
Not been around much since August but finally completed my end of year list and got it posted here. What was everyone's favourite releases tied in with the Christian music scene? What is everyone anticipating this year?
Nice write up! & congrats on the new baby! I'm also a new parent, our little guy just hit 6 months. It's truly a wild ride, but a good one. I listed my favorite albums here. As far as faith-related artists, it kind of depends on how you would categories a few of these, but definitely the Devil Wears Prada, John Van Deusen, Tyson Motsenbocker, and Kings Kaleidoscope.
I’ve still not managed to get into John Van Duesen even though everyone raves about his music. I’ve tried a few times. Milk Teeth is the first Tyson Motsenbocker record I’ve loved - I need to revisit his back catalogue as nothing stood out before but I liked this one a lot. I keep meaning to check out the Kings Kaleidoscope record too. I haven’t been a huge fan of the last few releases but this one seems to have a few themes I can relate more to.
Yeah, John Van Duesen really hasn't ever hit me like others. Need to give Kings more time, it's definitely very good but also didn't wow me on first listen.
It has come to my attention that Showbread secretly released an album last year in conjunction with Josh's new book. I got to the last page and there was a link to the album with a password. His book is an interesting take on deconstruction (and reconstruction). I generally agree with his points although I do think he minimizes religious trauma as a legitimate reason for deconstruction. It's a touchy subject that I'm still trying to figure out.
Yes I heard about this album on JesusFreakHideout (they posted a review) but annoyingly a physical copy of the book wasn’t available in the UK. The Kindle price felt excessive for an ebook so haven’t got round to it yet. Have you listened to any of his podcast? Interesting point about minimising trauma. The more I speak to people who don’t go to church anymore and / or don’t believe in God, the more traumatic situations seem to come up.
I know so many people who had had religious trauma, but I also know so many people who haven’t and also don’t seem to understand and sort of look down on those who had. Sort of like they think the traumatized people are being overly sensitive or wrong in how they are internalizing their experiences. Which makes discourse difficult between them.
Is that people who have left church / faith without trauma looking down on those who have left with trauma? Or people who haven’t been traumatised but are still within mainstream church looking down on those who have and left? Just checking I understand fully!
On a side note, anyone listening to HolyName? Debut album came out in January and I have enjoyed it, particularly as someone who has struggled with the mainstream ‘worship’ everything-sounds-the-same machine that Hillsong and Bethel created. The opening track really gets me. Enjoying a lot of the features too like Joe Musten from Advent / Beloved.
In my experience it’s folks who are still in the church looking down on people who have left. Or even looking down on people who had deconstructed/reconstructed.
I think it's common to have a sort of knee-jerk reaction, like "Well maybe you were never a REAL Christian to begin with." Or in Josh's book he kind of dismisses people as just being mad at their parents or intellectually incurious. Which is, of course, shitty. But I will admit I've done the same thing. And, of course, I ended up deconstructing/reconstructing myself.
and ordered his book. Coming tomorrow, haha. Need new Showbread in my life, going through a big phase with their stuff lately. Also was curious on the book anyway.
Yeah I definitely have witnessed and experienced it. It’s sad as a little empathy would make so much difference. Sad he dismisses people so easily, particularly with two things that could have nothing to do with it. I like that admission from you. I’m the same. When I was deeply entrenched in church and working for one I had the same mentality. I used to have the same feelings for people on the edge of people who had left entirely. Look at me now. The thing for me is that I feel spiritually enriched on the edge. I feel my perspective of God is bigger. I feel like I’ve learnt to see Christ in people more than when I was younger, more pretentious and full of self-righteous “look at me” vibes.
Sorry to go full self-promo in here, but this is probably the perfect place to plug my new album, where I lay my faith bare far more directly and explicitly than I have in any of my other albums to date. I hope everyone in here finds enjoyment and encouragement in these songs! Thanks for checking them out, if you do FFO: House of Heroes, Mae, Anberlin, Relient K, Jimmy Eat World, The Academy Is, Thrice/Dustin Kensrue, Switchfoot/Jon Foreman
Does anybody remember Fono? They didn't put out much but I've gone back to their stuff recently and it still hits that sweet spot of late 90s rock