God and Country Music: The Politics of The Dixie Chicks & American Christianity

Last updated on: January 3, 2019 at 1:40 pm by Nick Rynerson

God and Country Music: The Politics of The Dixie Chicks & American Christianity 2019-01-03T13:40:38-07:00 Nick Rynerson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Each week in God and Country Music, Nick Rynerson gives country music a chance and examines the world of Americana, folk, alt-country, and popular country music.

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/TIME-Magazine-May-29-2006-Dixie-Chicks-back-/20/!B–py)gCGk~$(KGrHqJ,!k8Ey+jCw3Q6BM-RiFUhF!~~0_3.JP

Personally, I try to stay out of politics. I’m not registered to vote, I do not watch the news during election years and when people start talking politics with me, my favorite thing is to throw them a red herring (example, a few weeks ago I had a woman completely convinced that I was a fascist … it was great). But American culture is a political landmine, ready to go off whenever tripped. The news networks have long been turning shootings, disasters, events and even sports into platforms for heated, comically trivial political arguments.

The world of popular country music is no different, except it may be even more brutal. Underlying the world of Nashville country music is a sleeping giant of American political “culture-war” conservatism. Which is fine. Realistically, this conservatism does in fact represent a large majority of the American population. Many of the subjects commonly talked about in country songs such as patriotism, rural life, family and religion originate in American conservative values. But the problem occurs when disagreement comes along. For example, when most people think of the Dixie Chicks they don’t first think of a lovely country group with a host of charming and well written songs. Instead they think about that… remember?

There was an eruption within the Country Music world that was beyond comprehension to folks like me. The Dixie Chicks were literally blacklisted, McCarthy style, from almost every country radio station in the country. All for making a political statement counter to the “Country Music standard”. It did not make the Dixie Chicks “less country” or less talented but by the reaction of the American public, one would certainly think so. And it was all over something completely unrelated to their music, it’s not like they are singing a bunch of Dylan-style protest songs…

Within this reaction to the Dixie Chicks and subsequent events, I see a very deep and important national flaw that should not be overlooked: the inability to dialogue well. Dialogue in the public area is so often reduced to cliché rhetoric (things like comparing political opponents to nazis). This goes back a long time in American history to the common school movement, where disagreements in theology and politics were smoothed over in an attempt to bring people together but ended up superficially burying issues that would erupt in divisiveness and anger later on.

Nashville country music over the years has picked up some political baggage in its underbelly and remains a politically shaped entity to a degree. American evangelical Christianity has picked up some similar cultural and political tendencies, making goings-on in the country music world important to understand for the American Christian. Evangelicalism in America has attached to much of it a fiscal, moral and political conservatism that often gets directly glued to orthodox theology and has a tendency to be seen as just as important (not to mention the ethnocentrism that underling much of the American church that also often gets confused with conservative theology). I have had plenty of conversations about politics with well-meaning fellow Christians where my lack of political affiliation and my skepticism towards the policies of Ronald Regan were seen as lack of spiritual maturity. It is so important for Christians to work through the relationship between politics and faith because if we do not, we run the risk of doing to the gospel what the Judiazers did 2000 years ago. It does not matter a lick what cause, party, legalism, or idea we do this with and it has disastrous consequences.

Regardless of political beliefs, we need to discuss, dialogue and ask questions instead of blacklisting. If we are to live in a politically polarized world we must 1.) remember the transcendence and importance of our Savior above all politics and 2.) have a sense of humor. If anything can be learned from the Dixie Chicks disaster it is that politics can bring war. And only Jesus brings lasting peace from the war of American politics. And through the security found in Jesus can politics be engaged in both boldness and graciousness because, eternally, there is nothing at stake. This great gospel also frees you up to convince people you are a fascist for a few laughs if you want (maybe, that last point is debateable).

Music

Politics

american christianity

dixie chicks

Evangelicalism

God and Country Music

Politics

Previous Post

July 23, 2012

The Kiddy Pool: Christmas in July

Next Post

July 25, 2012 The Dark Knight Rises and Truth Has its Day

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Asides Elsewhere Featured Film Games General Culture Headline Literature Music Of the Moment Podcast Politics RetroPost Sports Technology Television Uncategorized Viral

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz