Emerging from the Jesus People movement of the early 1970s, contemporary worship music grew from a small collection of folk ditties into a massive media industry and cultural icon of American Christianity thirty years later. This growth was primarily fueled by three inter-connected impulses -- the desire to evangelize to an alienated generation, the allure of an emotional experience in worship, and the aspiration of coaxing baby boomers and their children back to church. The impact of the adoption of contemporary worship music was far-reaching. The embrace of rock and roll in American churches blurred the line between sanctuary and rock arena; incorporated the logic and habits of mass media consumption into the worship life of American Christians; created a new industry for worship songwriters, performers, and publishers; and exported a charismatic theology that prioritized affect over intellect.

My project seeks to chronicle the historical rise of contemporary worship music and thus shed light on the myriad ways that rock music in worship has impacted American Christianity. While there have been various studies published on the theology of contemporary worship music, no study has attempted to historicize the rise of contemporary worship music from its inception in the 1960s to its dominance in the 21st century. Further, many of the present studies have a polemical bent, intent on normatively arguing for the adoption or rejection of contemporary worship music. In contrast, my study attempts to rigorously chronicle the history of contemporary worship music while revealing the nuanced complexity of its impact on American Christianity. And while the core of my project is a historical survey, I will further buttress my argument with sociological, theoretical, and theological analyses. This kind of interdisciplinary work would provide a much-needed, multifaceted approach to understanding the rise and impact of contemporary worship music in America.