God’s Country: The Role of Christianity in Country Music

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In Psalm 98:4 we are called to “make a joyful noise unto the Lord,” to praise our heavenly father for the blessings he has given us. I would contend that, if embedded in our hearts, this idea of a joyful noise should logically flow forth from us into our creative and musical works. One such example of this is the presence of Christian themes or lyrics that have made their way into secular music, especially country music. 

I’ve always been a big fan of country music, especially modern sounds such as neotraditional, outlaw, and red dirt. Over the past few decades, country music has skyrocketed in popularity throughout the US, appearing ever more prevalent in the American music chart rankings. Country music evolved from folk songs about common life primarily in the American South and has since grown to encompass a great deal about the human experience. Given that Christianity is such a primary part of Southern culture and that country music is primarily based on Southern traditions and culture, the genre has a heavy Christian influence in its lyrics and artists. These artists understand Christianity as part of their culture. They know the feeling a wooden pew, the sight of a roadside cross, and the solemnity of a room during a prayer. This is a marker of where they grew up in addition to most having personal faiths that reflect this culture of Christianity.

With such a culture driving a musical genre, what should the role of Christianity play?

Ideally, the mention of Christianity and Christian themes in these songs should be a genuine reflection of Christ with the expected effect of furthering the kingdom of God, whether that be a recollection to the listener of their faith and thus a deeper devotion to God or perhaps even a salvation through a sparked curiosity driven from the lyric. Genuine and intentional implementation of Christian themes should be the most effective way to get these positive results. However, this is tough to do while still remaining true to the genre. One such examples of these genuine artists is Cody Johnson. Hailing from East Texas, Cody grew up in the faith and expresses it in many of his songs such as “By Your Grace” and “I Can’t Even Walk (Without You Holdin’ My Hand).” In addition to these gospel-centered songs, he also produces more secular music, but regardless, he holds his faith close to him wherever he goes. Through his example he has inspired many and has grown the kingdom of God.

However, if the mention of Christ is not genuine, there is a risk of perceived pandering to the audience. Should the audience feel pandered to, they have the potential to not put importance on the name of Christ being spoken, but see it purely as a cultural trope without any personal conviction. Such an example can be seen in songs that describe the South’s culture such as Morgan Wallen’s “Red Necks, Red Letters, Red Dirt” or Blake Shelton’s “God’s Country,” which I would argue are not as effective for the furthering of the kingdom of God compared to a genuine sharing of the gospel. Such pandering gives the audience a sense of superficiality, which may make them feel more in tune with their culture, but maybe would inhibit them from going deeper into their personal faiths.

Additionally, a great deal of country music has no reference to Christianity whatsoever. Artists such as Koe Wetzel are great examples of this. Such music may show beauty, but due to its lack of a gospel message, it too does not provide a very effective service to the kingdom of God on its own. One may argue that country music being secular in nature should not be held to such a standard of Christian effectiveness, and I would agree. However, I would argue that if a song is to mention Jesus, it should do it out of a deep faith as opposed to superficial pandering. In other words, country music should either have a true Christian spirit, or at least not try to be something that it is not. 

This doesn’t mean that an artist can’t produce both Christian and secular music, but rather that they should tread carefully when they think about combining the two. Tyler Childers, known for songs such as “Feathered Indians” and “Lady May,” is a great example of how one can walk this line. Childers battled drug and alcohol addiction for around 11 years before becoming sober in 2020. Even though he produced great music through this period in his life as seen in his album Purgatory, he knew that his life needed a change in direction. His new album Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?, released September 30, 2022 and which I have recently had the pleasure of listening to, shows God’s grace in his life and his personal grappling with his faith in songs such as “Way of the Triune God” and “Hallelujah.” Such a successful shift from a life of sin to one of grace communicates a story of salvation that goes beyond simply the lyrics of the songs. Through his musical journey, we are reminded that the mention of Christ in this genre has the ability to both strengthen and dilute the kingdom of God in the process based on the authenticity of faith in the lyrics. Also, we are reminded that secular music also has the ability to further the kingdom of heaven by showing our need for God, as evident in Childers’ “Purgatory.”

Hearing Jesus in secular music may seem off-putting at first, but the further you look into the history and tradition of the songs, the more you will discover about the use and reasoning for such religious references. These references have been shown to be multi-faceted in meaning, whether pointing the audience to deeper faith, simply mentioning a reference to pander to the audience at hand, or displaying a change in the artist’s own spiritual journey. So next time you find yourself listening to music, especially country, and you hear a “Jesus take the wheel” moment, recall the traditions of the genre and dive into the implications it may have for the kingdom of God. Let such reflections produce in you a renewed appreciation for your faith and a delight in your ability to produce a joyful noise.