Mainstream Artists with Christian Themed Songs

[Prodigal_Son816]

Greetings all. I’m hoping to gather some additional ideas for a list I’m compiling.

I’m a catechist for a group of 6th Grade students and as with many catechists for this age group, I’m fighting against the sentiment that they are there because the have to be, not because they want to be along with the sentiment that religion is not cool.

One of the ways I try to overcome this is by trying to relate what we learn in class not only to real life today, but to people they may respect or admire. My current idea is to generate and play for them songs by mainstream artists (i.e. Pop, Rock, Country, etc.) that have recorded Christian based songs.

Below are some songs that I’ve already identified:

Jesus Christ by U2
Prayer of Saint Francis by Sarah McLachlin
Christmas Song by Dave Matthews
Various Songs by Creed

What we do is listen to the song, I distribute the lyrics and we discuss the message of the song and tie it back to what we are discussing.

While I can always play Christian artists, I feel there is more impact for this effort by playing artists that are more mainstream. There’s nothing like seeing the realization on their faces to hear Bono singing a song about Jesus.

I’m hoping that you may have some additional songs that you can recommend. I thank you all in advance for any help you can offer.

 

[Sister_G]

A couple of years ago there was a song called “Jesus, Take the Wheel” but I don’t recall who sang it. Dolly Parton also has a song that I think is called “Travelling Home” that surprised me as very good. I would be interested in knowing other songs as well since I teach high school age youth. Good luck!

 

[Bananaslugmom]

I also teach CCD and have done this many times. Here are some other songs:

Mercy ~ One Republic
Daughtry ~ Home (played a lot on Christian Radio)
Jesus Take the Wheel ~ Carrie Underwood
Anyway ~ Martina McBride (reminds me of Mother Theresa)
Pretty Amazing Grace ~ Neil Diamond
How to Save a Life ~ The Fray (played on Christian Radio)
Switchfoot has several songs

One word of caution, while its wonderful to use secular music, I always keep in mind that they may continue to buy, listen, etc to these artists who really are secular. There are some amazing Christian Artists and my teenager (16) appreciates that. Sanctus Real, Third Day, and our own (Catholic) Matt Maher, Jesse Manibusa (spelling) etc. I like to use 90% Christian/Catholic artists to encourage opening up the mind and soul to those possiblities.

Blessings and peace in your ministry!! Its good work!

 

[celticsfan1983]

If you try, you can find a way to relate most songs lyrics back to God. He’s everywhere, including our music!

Learn to Fly by Foo Fighters
Feeling Stronger Every Day by Chicago
Most of U2’s songs
Unanswered Prayers by Garth Brooks
Fully Alive by Flyleaf
The Clincher (and most other songs) by Chevelle

A lot of songs relate the feeling of looking for something more, which you can easily turn spiritual on the kids. And a lot of the love songs, you can equate those to the love God has for all of us. Even the steamy ones, you could say that they are words that Solomon would have added to the end of his book had he written another chapter

You mentioned a lot of Christian bands, but you left out the greatest one: Jars of Clay!

 

[JPUSC]

Here are some suggestions seperated by genre since different genres generally appeal to certain demographics:

Rock
Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah
Lifehouse - Everything
Simon & Garfunkel (covered by many current-day artists) Bridge Over Troubled Water
Switchfoot - Dare You to Move
P.O.D. - Alive

Hip-Hop/R&B
Kanye West - Jesus Walks (*parental advisory)
Nick Cannon - Can I Live (pro-life song)
Destiny’s Child - Gospel Medley

Country
Garth Brooks - When You Come Back to Me Again (Reminds me of Pope Benedict XVI’s Spe Salvi)
Rascal Flatts - Bless The Broken Road

Crossover
Josh Groban - You Raise Me Up
Celine Dion/Andrea Bocelli (the Anthony Callea version would appeal to teenagers more) - The Prayer
Il Divo - Panis Angelicus, Ave Maria, Nella Fantasia, The Lord’s Prayer, Amazing Grace

Teeny-bopper
Jessica Simpson - His Eye is on the Sparrow
98 Degrees - Ave Maria

Film Soundtracks
O Brother Where Art Thou (2000) - Down to the River to Pray
Hitman (2007, Composer: Geoff Zanelli) - Ave Maria

You can try pop Christmas albums, which usually feature songs like “Ave Maria” or “Panis Angelicus”.

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Personally, I think it would be better to show them examples of athletes, at least for the boys.

If I was a non-religious teen, I’d be like, “oh great…another adult trying to make religion look cool by playing popular music hahaha”. Eh, it works for some I suppose, but I read an article somewhere that the Evangelical movement might be falling apart in the near future as many of its adherents depend more on emotion and music and are not well-catechized in their faith.

For the athletes, check out:

championsoffaith.com/
catholicathletesforchrist.com/

 

[jc-servant]

Heaven - Los Lonely Boys (they also have a friend who is a Christian artist who recorded a cover of it and released it shortly after their version was on a secular CD.

 

[AveSantaMaria]

Hip Hop
Beyonce - Ave Maria
DMX - Lord Give Me a Sign

 

[nomie]

Just my personal opinion but I would steer clear of the band creed. Wasn’t the lead singer in a x rated tape with Kid Rock & some groupies?

 

[MarieW]

He gave us all his love by Randy Newman, it might be a tongue in cheek song because Randy Newman is an atheist.

 

[convert999]

There have been many good suggestions here – but a word of caution. I played in various evangelical “praise & worship” bands for 15 years. Many Christian music being recorded today is explicitly evangelical, with calls for “born-again” experiences and (in my opinion) excessively emotional and self-oriented lyrics. Being a new convert, I don’t know any Catholic bands, but I would try to stick with those if I could. Also, the problem with playing Christian-themed songs by mainstream artists is that this could be construed as blanket approval for the artists other work, which is often decidedly immoral. Debbie

 

[JPUSC]

Just my personal opinion but I would steer clear of the band creed. Wasn’t the lead singer in a x rated tape with Kid Rock & some groupies?

Haha, that’s hilarious. It just goes to show…if you are a mainstream artist, never label yourself religious or innocent or whatever or it’s gonna backfire on you when the skeletons are out of the closet (i.e. Evanescence, Miley, Britney, Jessica, etc.)

 

[Chiltepin]

Hip Hop
Beyonce - Ave Maria

Really? I pretty much hate this song. I do not get the feeling she is actually praying to Our Lady, but I could be missing something. I got the impression that the song was about a relationship with a man, but again I could be wrong.

 

[Highwayhound]

The best examples I can suggest are:

Kyrie by Mister Mister which was a number one song back in 1980(?)

last.fm/music/Mr.+Mister/_/Kyrie

Creed by the late Rich Mullins.

tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=c2193f0244d8f1f36d2d

With both of these songs you can walk into class with a missal and point out that each song is based on a part of the mass.

Both of these songs I have incorporated into different lessons during this past year.

If you do some research on Rich Mullins you will find that he was thinking about converting to be a Catholic before his unfortunate death in a car accident.

Incorporating music into your lessons is a good teaching tool.

God bless

 

[mystified]

Don’t listen to recorded music much anymore, but find that many country artists have recorded Christian-themed songs, as has Pat Boone. One of my favorites is “Un Día Una Vez, Dios Mio” by Los Tigres del Norte; that’s “One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus” in Spanish, that has been recorded in English by a number of artists of different genres. A lot of music in the country field leans heavily on aligory, “The Great Speckled Bird” comes to mind.
Some of the late Elvis Pressly’s biggest sellers were Christian music.

 

[Prodigal_Son816]

Thank you all for the many great ideas!! I truly appreciate you help!

Also, the problem with playing Christian-themed songs by mainstream artists is that this could be construed as blanket approval for the artists other work, which is often decidedly immoral. Debbie

This is a good point and I try to be careful how I position these songs. I only use them periodically, but the point is that not all people they listen to are religion-less. There is faith there and they are not embarrassed to sing publically anout it. That provides a little bit of validation that these children can understand and helps get a point across. You can be “cool” and be “religious” as well. But this is nonetheless a good reminder to be cautious and I thank you for mentioning it.

 

[Prodigal_Son816]

Just my personal opinion but I would steer clear of the band creed. Wasn’t the lead singer in a x rated tape with Kid Rock & some groupies?

Hehe. We are all sinners, some just more public then others.

If I play Creed, I’ll be prepared to answer that one now if someone brings it up. Thanks!!

 

[tjlarsen]

Maybe not explicitly Christian… but certainly relating to the “Religious Sense” that lives in every human being.

U2 - Too many songs to list.
The Killers - Most of their new “Human” album.
Cold Play - Too many songs to list.

BTW - U2 is Catholic, The Killer’s lead singer is Mormon, Cold Play’s lead singer is “agnostic” which in my opinion is the only things that is indefensible.

Once you’ve asked the questions agnostic isn’t an option any longer, you must decide.

 

[xsuasox]

Well, I don’t know about clean cut explicitly Christian, but I can give a handful of tunes that I consider to be at least very Catholic in the way the artist seems to be trying to find God or depending upon God in some way.

Flogging Molly (Irish folk-punk/alt-rock)
Grace of God Go I (vid not recommended for weak stomaches, but listen to the audio)
Punch Drunk Grinning Soul
With a Wonder and a Wild Desire

Street Dogs (Boston Streetpunk/Oi!)
State of Grace <— I’ve been listening to this a lot recently.

Dropkick Murphys (Boston Streetpunk/Oi! w/Irish Folk influences)
Forever

Sting (Umm…It’s Sting…)
Dead Man’s Rope <— This one is lighter than the above, and actually mentions Jesus and Forgiveness…quite unusual for the seemingly Buddhist Sting we’ve all come to know and love

 

[Chiltepin]

Street Dogs (Boston Streetpunk/Oi!)

So, I definitely thought Oi! was just an enthusiastic sound you were making because you like Boston Streetpunk. You know, for some reason you get so excited when you say it that you have to say Oi! I don’t know if that makes sense.

Then it occurred to me this might be a kind of music, as you had separated it with a slash.:doh2: Then I laughed a little more.
Sure enough, (Wikipedia)

Oi! is a working class street-level subgenre of punk rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s.[1]

The music and associated subculture had the goal of promoting unity between punks, skinheads and other non-aligned working class youths (sometimes called herberts).

Naturally, you knew what that was, but I certainly didn’t.

 

[gborked]

Most of Sufjan Stevens’ music uses religious imagery, and he usually makes pretty beautiful stuff.