Soteriology (From the Greek word for salvation – how a person is saved)
Often hailed as a contemporary theological treatise, Kanye West’s ‘Jesus Walks’ does contain some interesting and thought provoking lyrics but it falls down towards the end with its glaringly erroneous doctrine of salvation. 16th Century reformer Martin Luther would turn in his grave at Mr West’s works-based soteriology:
‘If I talk about God my record won’t get played, huh?
Well if this take away from my spins
Which will probably take away from my ends
Then I hope this take away from my sins.’
Translation: Because he’s mentioning God, Kanye’s song will probably get less plays resulting in less money for him but he hopes the sacrifice of less pay will take away his sins. Kayne West wrongly assumes that his sacrifice or good deed contributes to the salvation of his soul. As any good Christian knows, the removal of sins occurs solely through what happened at the cross of Christ and not through any self-generated activity.
Recommendation: The Jesus Walks-rapper could learn something from 19th Century hymn writer Robert Lowry who articulates a much more accurate, if not quite so trendy soteriology:
‘What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus’
Eschatology (From the Greek word meaning end – doctrine of the end times, including heaven and hell)
Let’s ignore the fact that OPM’s name bears an uncanny resemblance to a highly addictive narcotic and focus instead on the outrageously off-base lyrics of ‘Heaven is a Halfpipe’:
‘Now heaven would be a DJ
Spinning dub all night long
And heaven would be just kickin' back
With Jesus packing my bong…
Now when most people think of heaven
They see those Pearly Gates
But I looked a little closer
And there's a sign says "Do Not Skate"
So if you wanna come to my heaven
Well we're all gonna have a ball
And everyone you know is welcome
Cause we got no gates or walls'
I don’t recall Jesus either selling or using drugs in the Bible and I would like to hope that there is more music variety on offer in heaven than dub. But of even greater concern is OPM’s perception of Heaven as a closed shop devoid of fun.
Recommendation: I would point these rogue former pop-punks to the gloriously colourful picture of heaven presented in Revelation 4. Likewise, I’d assure OPM that God desires everyone (including drug dealers and skaters) to share in the end times (the restored Earth and Heaven), I would remind them that ‘God does not want anyone to perish but to come to repentance’ (1 Peter 3:9).
Ecclesiology (From the Greek word meaning church – a theology of the church)
Hozier stormed onto the music scene with ‘Take me to Church’ but it is clear from his lyrics that he would rather be anywhere else:
‘Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife
Offer me that deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life…
If I'm a pagan of the good times
My lover's the sunlight
To keep the Goddess on my side
She demands a sacrifice’
Like OPM, Hozier (if that’s his real name) believes Christianity is a closed system – one which cannot be penetrated without sacrifice. The implication here is that an unclean person cannot enter a church without being brutally punished.
Recommendation: Hozier should spend a day with Pope Francis being introduced to the age-old theology that the Church is not a museum of saints, but a hospital for sinners. He can rest assured that there should not be any knives in Jesus’ church.
Hamartiology (From the literal Greek translation meaning ‘missing the mark’ – the study of sin)
Pop diva Taylor Swift’s Bad Blood includes some important social commentary on true repentance and forgiveness:
‘Band-aids don’t fix bullet holes
You say sorry just for show
If you live like that, you live with ghosts’
Ms Swift understands the importance of saying sorry and truly meaning it as well as acknowledging that real pain needs to be dealt with properly, not covered up. This much we approve of but here at Premier Youthwork’s Centre for Correct Theology,* we have concerns about the apparent belittlement of sin and its effects:
‘Baby, now we got bad blood…
Did you have to ruin what was shiny? Now it’s all rusted…
Baby, now we got bad blood’
The implication in these lyrics is that before this relationship turned sour, Swift’s heart was pure (‘shiny') and it is only her ex-lover (‘baby’) who introduced the ‘rust’ and ‘bad blood.’
Recommendation: I would point the award-winning star to the words of Romans 3:24 - ‘All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’ All have sinned. It would seem Taylor’s heart was rusted before ‘baby’ came along and ruined her life.
*This may be a made up organisation
Theology: (From the Greek word for God – the study of God)
There were many songs we could have critiqued for depicting an inaccurate picture of the biblical God but I’ve decided the most blasphemous and erroneous of all is Lily Allen’s aptly-titled ‘Him’:
‘He's lost the will, he can't decide
He doesn't know who's right or wrong…
Do you think He's any good at remembering people's names?
Do you think He's ever taken smack or cocaine?’
Philosophers would take issue with Allen’s picture of a depressed, flitty and confused deity – the nature of God necessitates omniscience (all knowing), morality (the ability to not only choose right and wrong but dictate it) and immutablity (unchangeable, not prone to whimsical mind changing).
Recommendation: I would enforce philosophy lessons on the angsty pop-star but most importantly, would present her with Isaiah 49:16 and suggest a rewrite:
‘I have written your name on the palms of my hands’
Ruth Jackson is deputy editor of Premier Youthwork.
