Hip Hop Redemption: Finding God in the Rhythm and the Rhyme

Engaging Culture

by Ralph Basui Watkins

Hip hop culture is experiencing a sea change today that has implications for evangelism, worship, and spiritual practices. Yet Christians have often failed to interpret this culture with sensitivity. Sociologist, preacher, pop culture expert, and D.J. Ralph Watkins understands that while there is room for a critique of mainstream hip hop and culture, by listening more intently to the music's story listeners can hear a prophet crying out, sharing the pain of a generation that feels as though it hasn't been heard. His accessible, balanced engagement reveals what is inherently good and redeeming in hiphop and rap music and uses that culture as a lens to open up the power of the Bible for ministry to a generation.

Genres: Music

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2011

Reviews

[Nathan Gilmour · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book that needs some better framework

Dr. Watkins provides a good entry into some of the big questions that emerge when careful thinkers jump into the world of hip-hop, and his call really to study the culture is absolutely needed.

That said, the book's ecclesiology is all over the place, and there's not much of a theology of poetry or the arts.in general--if anything is good, it's Scripture, and if two or more gather to dig an album, that becomes a church. Not every moving text is a Bible, and not every human connection needs to be ecclesiological. With some more space to breathe, I think his particular examinations of personalities and albums could be quite good, but they just don't have space to unfold within some of his binaries.

[Adam Gossman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book written by a beautiful man. Good for me to read a few times

[Colten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this