Body Piercing Saved My Vacation
What happens when a rock writer, intrigued by the subculture and sales of Christian rock, devotes almost a year of his life to investigating a world he knows nothing about? Body Piercing Saved My Life: The Phenomenon of Christian Rock happens. A veteran writer for publications like Spin and The Washington Post, Andrew Beaujon decided to dive into a corner of the music world that was relatively unknown to him and most of his colleagues. The result is a fascinating outsider’s look at the roots, ideology, and major players wrapped up in the CCM cash cow we all know and love.
Stuck inside a beach house during a rainy vacation to the coast, I found myself riveted by Body Piercing. Beaujon’s perspective and observations, coupled with in-depth interviews with people like David Crowder, David Bazan (Pedro the Lion), Brandon Ebel (Tooth and Nail Records), etc., made for a great read. Along the way, Beaujon shares some his obstacles to faith (he remains an avowed non-believer), muses about the idiosyncrasies of the Christian subculture, and strives to understand what Christian music - and by extension the Christian life - is all about. If you’re curious about where Christian music came from and where it might be headed, it’s time to try Body Piercing.
