Came across an interesting link on Facebook (thankyou Paul Mayers) to an article written by Michael Gungor in 2012. He's a man on the inside of the industry, so probably in a better position to know than me.
A little tongue in cheek, there was a time when a way to test a song was to replace the names of Jesus or God in a song with the word 'baby' and if it didn't affect the song's logic then it had probably missed it already.
Poor theology in songs is nothing new, let alone what one might consider heresy. We came across a song recently that gave thanks for the apple being taken so that creation could fall in order for Mary to become queen of heaven. While it might fit Thomas Aquinas idea of felix culpa, it seems to me that Adam's fall was not desired by God, though known that could and would happen and a redemption required. Quite the reverse, the bible talks of the curse of sin - there is no blessing in the fall - and to suggest otherwise seems to make God a deeply unpleasant manipulator. Mary queen of heaven? I'll leave that one to those of the church of Rome to debate.
Ignoring the exact identity of crowned women in the book of revelation, I chose the piece because of the questions it raises - explicitly was the fall a part of God's plan for humanity. Here I tend towards God's Sovereignty. See http://thecripplegate.com/john-owen-on-why-god-decreed-the-fall/.
ReplyDeleteThe role of Mary is as a shorthand for incarnation - God as human in Jesus. No fall would mean no earth in heaven no heaven in earth. No Christ.
So happy Christmas to you and all!