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Religious Art

2025-05-26T05:28:59-07:00

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.

“B-boys as C-boys”: Christian Breakdance As Discipleship

Last updated on: May 26, 2025 at 5:28 am By Alan Lechusza Aquallo

When you devote yourself to a discourse, the entire discourse needs to be addressed. My area of interest, pedagogy and writing, is in Hip Hop, with an emphasis on Christian Hip Hop. I have, and remain, intrigued by the power that breakdancing expels. For the viewer, this artistic expression defies gravity and physical limits. As the performer, this style is the method through which the average man can be reached, first visually, then in conversation. To critically read how breakdancing... Read more

General Christian

Evangelical

2025-05-21T05:58:12-07:00

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.

Props to Mom: Female Christian Hip Hop Special

Last updated on: May 21, 2025 at 5:58 am By Alan Lechusza Aquallo

There has not been enough attention given to female Christian Hip Hop. To honour all the mothers, this article will feature female Christian rappers, with special attention to how they use the cypher. The Power of the Female Image Going through hours of female Christian Hip Hop, two themes surface. One is the importance that these Hip Hop artists focus on following scripture and its application as a lived experience. The other theme is how the image is used to... Read more

General Christian

Evangelical

2025-05-10T01:20:12-07:00

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.

“Taking the 14th,” Pope Leo XIV, a Legacy Begins

Last updated on: May 10, 2025 at 1:20 am By Alan Lechusza Aquallo

My work in this area normally centers around pop culture criticism through a faith-based/Christian lens. Music, in particular Christian Hip Hop, is the area I explore to build a corpus of critical work and serve the large Christian and theomusicological audiences. The timing of the new Pope, Pope Leo XIV, marks a time when I wanted to set aside the regular Christian Hip Hop discourse and pop culture analysis to give respect to the new pontiff. Below is an excerpt... Read more

General Christian

Catholic

2025-05-02T23:25:49-07:00

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.

Are Prince and Sinead O’Connor Right? National Day of Prayer

Last updated on: May 2, 2025 at 11:25 pm By Alan Lechusza Aquallo

The National Day of Prayer, May 1, 2025, is a Congressional-recognized day when the country is to recognize and celebrate prayer. The president is mandated to sign a declaration on this day, noting the importance of he day and prayer throughout the country. To honor the day, this article provides a different analysis of the work “Nothing Compares 2 U” as originally recorded by Prince, with a different version by Sinead O’Connor. Just A Song? “Nothing Compares 2 U” was... Read more

General Christian

Evangelical

2025-04-30T13:24:13-07:00

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.

Rappin’ Faith: The Christian Hip Hop Cypher Experience

Last updated on: April 30, 2025 at 1:24 pm By Alan Lechusza Aquallo

The Christian Hip Hop cypher (also spelled, cipher) is a critical arena for community and shared testimony. Building on the history of the hip hop cypher, this engaged point articulates multiple viewpoints, elicits friendly competition, and establishes community support. For Christian Hip Hop artists, the cpher is the arena for discipleship, testimony, evangelism, community support (aka, ‘the church’), and fortifying sound scripture/biblical doctrine. The cipher is central to Hip Hop culture and remains a stable fixture. However, there are references... Read more

General Christian

Evangelical

christian music critique

faith based culture

Hip Hop

2025-04-22T03:20:29-07:00

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.

Giving Thoughts To The Pontiff, Pope Francis

Last updated on: April 22, 2025 at 3:20 am By Alan Lechusza Aquallo

Those who read my regular work know my commitment to Christian/faith-based Hip Hop culture to support and promote positive agency and sound doctrine for change. In doing so, I work to provide rich content, write theomusicological discourse on the issue/topic, and provide thought-provoking Christian/faith-based analysis. Today, the first news I caught, after hours of research earlier, requires setting that standard aside for the moment. Learning of the recent passing of Pope Francis, Monday, April 21, is too strong an issue... Read more

2025-04-14T08:09:51-07:00

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.

Deconstructing Lecrae: An Apologetic of Christian Hip Hop

Last updated on: April 14, 2025 at 8:09 am By Alan Lechusza Aquallo

Lecrae gained popularity through his framing of Hip Hop originating in a Christian doctrine, then moved away from his faith. His self-deconstruction comes from his denial of the American church. However, his fame as a Christian Hip Hop artist remains his signature. Critical and audience praise for his work is well noted. Taking Lecrae at his self-definition of a new journey of faith, how can he continue to hinge his popularity on Christian Hip Hop? Can one be a Christian... Read more

General Christian

Evangelical

2025-04-05T01:14:53-07:00

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.

“Depeche Mode’s ‘Personal Jesus’: Preaching to the Masses”

Last updated on: April 5, 2025 at 1:14 am By Alan Lechusza Aquallo

“Depeche Mode’s ‘Personal Jesus’: Preaching to the Masses” is the third in the series of analyzing pop culture through a critical Christian lens. The first reviewed George Michael’s “Faith.” The second in the series addressed Tori Amoss’s song “God.” “Personal Jesus” – Depeche Mode, Official Video The remastered version A Personal Jesus? According to Martin Gore, who is cited in “Pop a la Mode” (Vol. 6, no. 4) , the songwriter for the track, “It’s a song about being a... Read more

General Christian

Evangelical

2025-03-26T16:27:14-07:00

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.

“Missing God?” Tori Amos analyzing “God”

Last updated on: March 26, 2025 at 4:27 pm By Alan Lechusza Aquallo

This is the second in the series that started with the article on “Faith” by George Michael. In this article, “God” by Tori Amos is critiqued on how the work expresses faith and understanding a personal connection with God. 1994 may not stand out to most, but some events helped shape pop culture for the next generation. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was established, Schidnler’s List wins seven Oscars Awards, Kurt Cobain and Jacquline Kennedy Onassis pass away,... Read more

General Christian

Evangelical

2025-03-18T16:12:45-07:00

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.

Annexing Faith: Deconstructing “Faith” by George Michael

Last updated on: March 18, 2025 at 4:12 pm By Alan Lechusza Aquallo

This is the first in a two-part series working through a faith-based/Christian critique of pop music. The focus of this article is “Faith” by George Michael. Why discuss the song (1987) “Faith” by George Michael? This track has been used in the television series House (season 6, episode 9), covered by Limp Bizkit (1998), and hovers in the halls of the late ’80s pop culture. The tour d’ force at the time in pop music drew on hyper-sexualized references and... Read more

General Christian

Evangelical

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