Spiritual Journeys: How Faith Has Influenced 12 Music Icons [Paperback]

Junk, trash, garbage
Thank You

Dichotomy seems to be the central theme of the latest Spiritual Journeys' tome from Relevant Books. Every artist profiled it seems has a problem reconciling their faith with their lives - much like what normal people go through. The authors cut through the fame and fortune shield and go right to the heart of the matter - the artist's struggle with faith and with a church that you would think should support them.

The book avoids the standard Christian rhetoric - in fact, it flat out defies it with it's honest look at real people and their rise to fame and the labors they engaged in to get there - both good and bad, avoiding the plastic-looking halos on the heads of the artists commonly associated with what has become known as contemporary 'Christian music.'

I should say here that I am not a big fan of the rap and hip-hop universes, but I still found the stories compelling enough to read, and, to be honest, was surprised by a number of the artists profiled. Having no experience with them other than hearing older people complain about their music, I had no idea some of them explored their faith the way they did.

I must mention a couple of caveats, though. The book focuses a little too strongly on dichotomies. The artists profiled all "walk the line" between good and evil, often choosing the incorrect path. I wish they had also included a few artists who tend to be a little less notorious, but still straddle both universes. Some stories I'd like to have seen explored include Bruce Cockburn, Charlie Sexton, Pierce Pettis, Michael Been and the Call, Tonio K., Vigilantes of Love, Sam Phillips, Van Morrison, and, as a guilty pleasure, Jon Bon Jovi. It seemed odd that the king of offensively embracing faith, "The Artist," was absent from the pages as well. Also, unfortunately for such a well-put together book there are quite a few typos, including passages where a member of a band or a music reviewer's name changes from one paragraph to another. Needless to say, it jarred the senses and made the book a little harder to read. Hopefully they will clear those up in the next edition.

Overall, Spiritual Journeys is a walk worth taking, especially if you are fans of Johnny, Lauryn, Moby, Wyclef Jean, Creed, Dylan, Kravitz, T-Bone, P. Diddy, Al Green, and Destiny's Child. (oh, yeah, and U2, although I'd recommend Walk On for a more in-depth look at the world's most famous band.)

Peace.

In a time when the public is informed of every step, breath, and blink of those in the spotlight, and the media floods us with details of business deals and band break-ups, romances and relationship strife, Spiritual Journeys gives readers a deeper look into the most intimate area of the lives of twelve icons of the music industry-their spirituality. Through deeply personal accounts of the life histories of various popular artists, readers of Spiritual Journeys will gain insight and a refreshing new perspective on the spiritual lives of this dozen.

The writers of Spiritual Journeys take readers on a journey of their own, past facades, and through deceptions and misbeliefs, into the core of the spiritual lives of some of the most well-know music artists of the past few decades. Through accounts of the spiritual travels of a group of very different musicians and performers, readers will experience challenges to their own faith, and very possibly a transformation of opinions, as we learn about the basic, and not so basic, belief systems of these stars.

We find that they are fallible human begins and, just like the rest of us, they are searching for meaning and purpose in their lives. That the longing to know something deeper, to have faith in something bigger than ourselves, is in all of us. These artists have spent their lives searching and digging into their roots of faith, often in a very public manner, to discover that which continues to shape them-their own personal spirituality. And each one has found something to hold on to.

If nothing else, the spiritual journeys of artists like Lauryn Hill, Scott Stapp, P. Diddy, and others reflect, and sometimes even trigger, our own spiritual pilgrimage. Their questions and the answers they've found are brought into the spotlight in Spiritual Journeys, and remind us that we're not alone in our search for the Truth, in our search for the oft-seeming elusive God who created us. Reading their stories encourages us to take an active role in our own spiritual journeys, asking questions, seeking answers, and walking out our faith, despite the mistakes we make or the wrong turns we take. Their examples teach us that eventually, no matter how hard we fight it, we'll find exactly what we've been looking for.