Piety and Pietism: Can a Christian Listen to Secular Music?

By Jordan McKinley

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Oh, stop being such a Pietist!”? To be pious means to be sincerely religious. It’s also related to the nouns piety and pietism, but the two nouns can mean very different things. Piety, simply defined, is how you practice your Christianity. However, if that practice is done to put down others to show your superiority or is done in an attempt to make yourself righteous by how you pray, then you are engaging in pietism. In a word, this isn’t good.

“Sure!”you say. “My CDs are over next to the stereo.”

Music makes for a popular example. You and your friends are getting together to hang out and to watch the Super Bowl. You’ve got the chips set out, and you’ve even made some tasty cheese dip to go with it. The sodas are in the refrigerator, you’ve got plenty of ice in the freezer, and you are all set to go. Your friends come over a little early to chat, play some cards, and watch the pregame coverage. Overall, the party seems to be a pretty big success. One of your friends asks, “Do you have any music we can listen to?”

Your friend goes over to find something to play. You’ve got a great CD collection, so you aren’t worried about him finding something good to play: the Beatles, Bon Jovi, or CCR all seem appropriate to the occasion. Your friend turns with a confused look on his face, “Don’t you have any Christian music?”

As a matter of fact, you don’t. You and your family are devoted members of your church, and all of your friends know it. They go to different churches, but you all enjoy sharing a common belief in Jesus Christ as Savior. But you don’t listen to any Christian music in your free time. Is this okay? Does this make you unchristian?

What does the catechism say about listening to music in your free time? Well, maybe Luther didn’t have very much free time to listen to his iTunes, so he didn’t write about it. In the Large Catechism, he tells us in the explanation of the second article of the Apostle’s Creed, “[God] gives all physical and temporal blessings” (LC II.2). Later, he further defines those temporal blessings as “all that we have” (LC II.2). So, what does the Bible say about so-called Christian and secular music?

There are many references in Scripture to music. In fact, the entire book of Psalms is the hymnal of the early Christian Church and ancient Israel (which predates The Lutheran Hymnal, if you can believe that!). However, there is no clear mandate from Scripture on what kind of music a Christian is supposed to listen to. Maybe we’re asking the wrong kind of question. Maybe we shouldn’t be asking about what kind of music to listen to. Instead, maybe it’s better to ask, “Does the music I listen to cause me to fall into sin in any way?”

Think about it more concretely: is the music you’re listening to compromising your Christian vocation according to the Ten Commandments or the Table of Duties in the Small Catechism? If there are any songs your parents don’t particularly want you listening to because of the message they’re communicating, it’s probably best to honor their decision. After all, God calls you to honor, serve, obey, love, and cherish your parents. Here’s another example: If there were a certain artist on your playlist that swears every other word, you’d be better off hitting Shuffle on iTunes or better yet Delete. After all, God reminds you not to curse or swear in the Second Commandment. Since that commandment also warns against teaching what is false in God’s name, it’s best to skip by a socalled Christian song with a good beat but lyrics that contradict God’s Word.

The most important thing to remember is that God gives you many good gifts. Not only does He provide everything needed for your salvation in the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross, but He also gives you everything you need to support your body in life. This includes clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, and even music and entertainment. All of these can be misused, turned into idols, or manipulated to harm your faith, but all of these are good gifts that your Father in heaven gives to you out of His divine goodness and mercy toward you.

Mr. Jordan McKinley is a second year seminarian at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne and can be reached at mckinleyjj@ctsfw.edu.

1. Quotations taken from Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation, copyright © 1988 Concordia Publishing House.