Name: Body Piercing Saved My Life: Inside the Phenomenon of Christian Rock
Author: Andrew Beaujon (Author)
ISBN: 9780306814570

Body Piercing Saved My Life: Inside the Phenomenon of Christian Rock book cover

Body Piercing Saved My Life: Inside the Phenomenon of Christian Rock

Author(s): Andrew Beaujon (Author)

Publisher: Da Capo Press
Publication Date: May 9, 2006
Language: English
Print length: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 0306814579
ISBN-13: 9780306814570

Book Description

Body Piercing Saved My Life is the first in-depth journalistic investigation into a subculture so large that it's erroneous to even call it a subculture: Christian rock. Christian rock culture is booming, not only with bands but with extreme teen Bibles, skateboarding ministries, Christian tattoo parlors, paintball parks, coffeehouses, and nightclubs,encouraging kids to form their own communities apart from the mainstream. Profiling such successful Christian rock bands as P.O.D., Switchfoot, Creed, Evanescence, and Sixpence None the Richer, as well as the phenomenally successful Seattle Christian record label Tooth & Nail, enormous Christian rock festivals, and more, Spin journalist Andrew Beaujon lifts the veil on a thriving scene that operates beneath the secular world's radar. Revealing, sympathetic, and groundbreaking, Body Piercing Saved My Life (named for a popular Christian rock T-shirt depicting Christ's wounds) is a fascinating look into the hearts and minds of an enormous, and growing, youth culture.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–Beaujon's odyssey takes him from the Midwestern and Southern roots of Christian music to its place in and around the fringes of Seattle's independent music industry. His analysis is a blend of the eclectic history of the Christian rock culture (where else would you find out that early star Martha Stevens came out as a lesbian and got written out of the official histories?), the current music scene, and interviews with Christian rock lifers: individuals whose work has fundamentally shaped the movement and industry. His portraits of the rebels, notably David Bazan of Pedro the Lion, and Tooth and Nail's producer Brandon Ebel, are particularly engaging and compelling. Equally interesting are the insights that the author, a self-confessed agnostic, offers about evangelical Christian culture and what it represents about American life.–Sallie Barringer, Walnut Hills High School, Cincinnati, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"A well-balanced, ultimately hopeful, thorough exploration of the politics, motivations, background and theology of the mysterious world of Christian rock." -- Relevant, October 2006

"Beaujon...treats [all of his subjects] with dignity, even those whose activist politics make him uncomfortable." -- Harp, September / October 2006

"Engrossing What s compelling and, frankly, admirable is [Beaujon s] determination to understand." -- Christianity Today, 6/12/06

"Humorous without being acerbic, focused without being self-absorbed, this is an engaging read for believers, non-believers, and agnostics alike." -- (Under the Radar, Summer 2006)

"In these times of non-fiction slop, this book lifts the culture war out of the mire with an innovative perspective." -- American Songwriter, July/August 2006

"It's time someone wrote a thoughtful book about the genre...An engaging and fascinating look into rock's parallel universe." -- Chart, July/August 2006

"One of the most important books written on the subject of Christian Rock...A sociological study on the American Church." -- (HM (Hard Music) Magazine)

"This important, well-written study of the Christian rock phenomenon brings the personalities to life...Highly recommended." -- Library Journal, 04/15/06

"[An] in-depth study of this often-misunderstood scene... A fascinating look at the genre's surprising complexity. A-" -- Entertainment Weekly, 7/21/06

"[Beaujon] is insightful in his discussion...[He] deftly maps out some of the complexities within Christian youth cultures." -- Signal to Noise, Fall 2006