Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
What Vanilla Ice Teaches Us About Contextualization

What Vanilla Ice Teaches Us About Contextualization

Last updated on: July 26, 2022 at 6:32 am by Brad Vaughn

What Vanilla Ice Teaches Us About Contextualization 2022-07-26T06:32:17-07:00 Brad Vaughn

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.

There is an entire generation of people who can sing nearly every lyric of Vanilla Ice’s Ice Ice Baby but struggle to memorize Scripture, remember key points of doctrine, or contextualize the gospel. No, I’m not trying to put anyone to shame. It’s just a straightforward observation.

Actually, I think Vanilla Ice has a lot to teach us besides dance moves and lyrical poetry.

It’s pretty well-known that he borrowed (stole?) from Queen and David Bowie’s Under Pressure. Supposedly, he claims it was different because he added an extra beat to the rhythm. In any case, when you hear the two songs side by side, the likeness between the two songs is apparent. I’ve provided the link above so you can hear the comparison for yourself.

When you hear the two songs, one can’t help but think, “I’ve heard that before.” Depending on your generation, you’ll hear Under Pressure and think it’s Ice Ice Baby (or vice versa).

Hearing Our Story in the Biblical Story

When we contextualize biblical truth, a similar dynamic should be at work. Gospel presentations may vary in their exact language––their word pictures, metaphors, and themes. However, our words (i.e. “lyrics”) still have to match the rhythm of the Scripture.

Before going too far with the analogy, let me define the terms. The “music” represents the biblical story which rings true across generations and cultures. The “music” is as rich as it is universal. The “lyrics” represent particular ways of articulating truth.

When we contextualize the gospel, our presentations have to fit the grand story of Scripture. In other words, our lyrics must fit the music. We have to tell the gospel so that it accords with the whole narrative.

When people hear one telling of the gospel, they should begin to hear the backbeat and rhythm that is familiar to every human being made in the image of God. Just as people think of Under Pressure when they hear Ice Ice Baby, in the same way people should hear echoes of their own story when they hear the biblical story.

This is the effect of contextualization, if it’s done well. However the particular words may change, everyone is reminded of and drawn to the music that lie behind it.

We have to be careful that we don’t use “lyrics” in our contextualizations that wind up usurping the “music” of biblical theology. While we have tremendous creative license, it is bound by Scripture. On the other hand, we can’t limit what can be said simply to those lyrics we prefer. Those who grew up in the 70s have little idea what these words mean or where they come from,

All right stop

Collaborate and listen

Ice is back with my brand new invention

Something grabs a hold of me tightly

Then I flow that a harpoon daily and nightly

Will it ever stop?

Yo, I don’t know

Turn off the lights and I’ll glow

To the extreme I rock a mic like a vandal

Light up a stage and wax a chump like a candle

When the older generation hears the music, they think of other lyrics and are ready to dance. Perhaps, they are the better for it.

The Bible is the absolute standard that bounds what we preach. We cannot say anything we want. The lyrics may be adjusted to fit the generation and context. However, they ultimately have to find their coherence with the grand story of Scripture.

If we really do this, then people from every nation will hear something they can recognize––that same story that rests within human hearts, echoing back to God’s own creation song, which reminds us not only of where we have been but also where we long to go.

In Saving God’s Face, I speak of the problem of assuming the gospel, as it is prominent with evangelicalism. People favor one particular expression of the gospel to the point that one truncates the grand narrative of Scripture.

This is akin to letting the words drive the music. If we let the words drive the music, we wind up singing something akin to Suzanne Vega’s Tom’s Diner (with the chorus “duh–duh– duh–duh….duh–duh–duh–duh…duh–duh–duh–duh–duh–duh–duh“). It’s not a bad song, but the Scripture is a bit more diverse than this lyrical doldrums.

Help People Hear the Music behind the Lyrics

The Bible is not a systematic textbook of philosophical truths. It is far more comparable to a work of art. It tells the story of God’s creation, preservation, and restoration of the world through Christ.

Amid all its complexity, there is a rich beauty that communicates better than any list of doctrines ever could. The writers overlay one theme with another, stringing together an account of the history that connects with every culture in the world. It’s the universal story of the world that never sacrifices particularity.

The “music” of Scripture is more than the words on the page. In any song, one could not hear the drums, the bass, and the electric guitar in isolation from the others and think one has heard the song. Scripture, like a song, is more than the sum of its fragmented parts.

Contextualization

Ice Ice Baby

Under Pressure

Previous Post

August 8, 2013

A Theological Version of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Next Post

August 15, 2013 A Model to Explain the Entire Bible (a new series)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Atonement Biblical Theology Book Reviews China Chinese Church Chinese Culture Chinese Language Collectivism Contextualization Culture (General) Ecclesiology Evangelism Gospel Honor & Shame (Face) Interpretation/Exegesis Justification/Righteousness Missiology Mission Methods One Gospel for All Nations Other Practical Contextualization Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes Resources Romans Salvation (General) Saving God's Face Seeking God's Face The Cross in Context Theological Contextualization Theological Education Theology Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 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

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What day did God rest during creation?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The first day The seventh day The sixth day The third day

Books by This Author Books by Brad Vaughn

See All Titles »