Gregorian Chant vs Contemporary Christian Music

 

Left, Medieval monks singing Gregorian chant, the proper way to praise God, right, modernist so-called ''Christian songs'' that Protestants and Novus Ordoites love to listen.

                                                      Antonio Jose Rubi

From the days of the early Christian church, Christians has always worshipped God through music. Even in the Old Testament, there were songs praising God, as in the case of King David and his Psalms. The current form of Catholic music is the Gregorian chant, which was formed and named in honor of Pope Saint Gregory, and also Greek and Slavonic chants for the Eastern Rites, as well as non-Latin Catholic hymns sung at mass. However, following the Protestant Reformation, Christian music slowly became slowly modern. Protestant music from the 16^th to the early 20^th century, were so very conservative and sometimes borrowed from Catholic hymns. Some of the songs are ''Holy God we Praise Thy Name’’, ‘’Tell it to Jesus’’, ‘’At Calvary’’ and ‘’Jesus Paid it All’’. These songs are sometimes used by conservative Protestants such as the Independent Baptists who denounce ‘’Christian Rock’’.

However, by the late 1950s to the 1960s up to the early 70s, as Vatican II closed, Christian music suddenly took a modern and dark turn. To fit in the customs of the youth, Christian Rock, Christian Punk, and worse, Christian Rap were invented. Some of these bands today are Hillsong and Planet Shakers to name a few. This is what we now call Contemporary Christian Music. The worship of the CCM is now like a Rock concert compared to the simple liturgies of the past. There is also the ‘’Gospel’’ genre, which has its origin with African-Americans. When I once clicked a playlist of CCM, I was shocked that it sounded like a modern secular song rather than a Christian hymn! And worse, most of those so called ‘’Christian artists’’ are into scandal, such as immorality. Compare that with the true artists of Christian songs, such as the Benedictine monks, who profess a vow of chastity and are not into scandal. Even modernism has seeped into Gregorian chant, such as a Japanese Buddhist monk chanting with them.

If you are looking for good Christian music, dump Hillsong, instead go to the Gregorian Chant or Byzantine Chant or non-Latin Catholic hymns. I recommend the Benedictine Monks of Silos in Spain, and the monks of the Valaam Monastery in Russia.