Christianity: Details about 'Christian Punk'
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Christian punk is a form of Christian alternative music and a subgenre of punk rock played by bands where the musicians are openly Christian, their lyrics reflect their faith and they see their audience as the general public. The extent that their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands. Christian punk bands that target a Christian audience, explicitly state their beliefs, use Christian imagery in their lyrics may be considered a part of the contemporary Christian music (CCM) industry. Given the edginess of punk and some of its sub-genres, such as hardcore punk, many bands have been rejected by the Christian and CCM music industry. Some bands generally avoid specific mention of God or Jesus and may specifically reject the CCM label. Related genres are Christian hardcore and metalcore, Christian rock, Christian alternative music and Christian metal.
HistoryOriginsChristian punk's origins during the wider 1980s punk rock scene are somewhat obscure. As the Jesus Movement gave rise to cultural institutions such as Jesus People USA (JPUSA), these served as an incubator for various Christian subcultures including punk. Crashdog is one characteristically punk band that was rooted in JPUSA. In the 1980's many bands performed at Chuck Smith's Calvary Chapel in Orange County California. A particularly popular group with a cult following was Undercover (band), who proclaimed that "God Rules" with a combination of rockabilly and hardcore elements. Another early influencial group were the Altar Boys. The Cornerstone Festival provided an important venue for Christian punk bands.
Growth of an "underground" sceneDuring the 1990s the undergound scene grew, bands such as Officer Negative greatly influnced many bands. The term "JCHC" is often used by christian punks, and it means "Jesus Christ Hard Core". Pop punk bands like MxPx and Ninety Pound Wuss being important. Emergence into the mainstreamIn the 21st century developments in Christian punk parallels broader punk, with pop/punk bands such as Relient K and FM Static very popular with the mainstream crowd, but they started as Christian bands, playing at church groups and youth gatherings. Other bands with Christian roots that have become very popular within their genres are Zao (metalcore), Norma Jean (newer hardcore), and mewithoutyou (post-hardcore). Key record labels include Tooth & Nail Records and its subsidiaries Solid State Records and BEC Recordings; The Militia Group, which signs groups that straddle the boundary between Christian and secular music; Flicker Records, owned and operated by the members of Audio Adrenaline; Gotee Records, owned and operated by TobyMac of dc Talk; and up-and-comer Mono vs. Stereo.
FashionFashion is similar to normal punk fashion, with the Christian fish symbol, the cross, a crown of thorns,the JCHC symbol, etc. Chi Rho is a popular symbol amongst more anarcho-Christian bands, such as the psalters . In Europe the most used symbol is the anarchy symbol, modified as it might become an A and Ω. Christian and PunkAcceptance of Christian punk is at times challenged both amongst members of punk culture and in some Christian churches. Can a person be Christian and punk? For people active in both punk and Christianity it is not a question but a lived experience. There are strong elements of anti-authoritarianism in both. Challenging the uncritical acceptance of social norms in the church and the world. One illustration of this is seen in the concept of "anticonformity" to the world. This can be seen in a lot of Christian punk music, including the song "Anticonformity" by Krystal Meyers. Within this perspective, the Christian's view of anticonformity is different from the punk view. The Christian's reason for anticonformity is found in the book of Romans in the Bible: "Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed.." The Bible tells Christians not to conform, and punks are also strong non-conformists. Some may still argue, "But punk is against religion, and Christianity's a religion!" Many Christians punks do not agree with religion either. They say that real Christianity is not a religion because it's not supposed to be about rituals and rules. They believe true Christianity's a relationship with Jesus, not a religion. Many Christian punks are against religion like other punks, yet they are strongly in support of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ separate from rules and tradition. Many Christian punks are involved in Christian Socialism, Christian communism, Christian Anarchism and Liberation theology. Christian Queercore bands would espouse a Christian variation on queer theology and queer spirituality,while playing on the homoerotic nature of their relationship with Jesus. They may do this either seriously, or in a more comic fashion. List of Christian punk bands
PunkA-M
Left Out
N-Z
Spudgun
The Culprits
The Resistance
Pop Punk
Record labels
See also
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