On Belle & Sebastian

A few weeks ago we saw the Scottish band, B&S in NYC’s Nokia theatre--a setting which needs comment. Located in Times Square, the Nokia is a psychedelically sheik uber-urban theatre. Beneath the theatre's Heineken green neon trim, New York’s book loving, Che Guevara T-shirt wearing, thirty-something Woody Allen types held court. That the show was pure genius seemed to fit, since everyone there looked like a misunderstood genius. What better place to see my new favorite band?! But aside from the sideline antics, B&S’s hypnotic sound, led by their shy frontman Stuart Murdoch, was the real draw.

No less appealing is the story of the band’s humble beginning. It starts with the lead vocalist, Stuart Murdoch, who, while in his mid-twenties, was forced to move in with his parents while battling a two year stint with chronic fatigue syndrome. During this wilderness experience, Murdoch began to write music and eventually formed the band. In time Murdoch moved out of his parent’s house into a “work for rent” in a church annex building where he lived until last year. What’s fascinating is that long after B&S accumulated indie fame, Murdoch continued living in his small apartment at the church--singing in the choir too I might add!

You can listen to the band by visiting NPR’s “All Songs Considered.” Murdoch's interview is particularly interesting. Enjoy:
http://www.npr.org/programs/asc/archives/bellenpclap/

Blair Theologizes

Tony Blair’s recent reference to God has received a scornful backlash from the British press. Commenting on his controversial decision to go to war, Blair appealed to a higher authority, declaring, “God will be my judge on Iraq.”

The media’s near uniform vexation over Blair’s remarks is a barometer of sorts of the de-Christianization of British culture. The British media is generally left-of-center just like media in the United States, but I wonder if Bush would receive a similar response if he uttered an identical statement? To be sure, conservative Americans have grown accustomed to the media’s habitual thrashing of their moral-driven agenda. But the stomach for religious jargon is stronger in the United States than in Britain.

One only needs to think back to Bush’s successful union with Pat Robertson during the 2000 South Carolina primary in which Robertson slung mud in the face of Bush’s rival, John McCain. Or when Ralph Reed campaigned for Bush-Cheney at the Southern Baptist Convention in 2004--“unofficially” of course--or Bush receiving a standing ovation following an address to that same convention. A more recent example is Georgia Democrats strategically implementing “God” language in their upcoming campaign.

At bottom, the mixture of politics and faith remains a vital, if not an essential ingredient in American politics, whereas it has long left the platform in Britain. This being said, how should American Christians approach the issue? I believe D.G. Hart provides us with a helpful starting point. In his book “Defending the Faith: J. Gresham Machen and the Crisis of Conservative Protestantism in Modern America,” Hart summarizes Machen’s understanding of the complex relationship between politics and faith:

“The admixture of public and religious interests was objectionable to Machen not just because it threatened the free exercise of religion but also because it corrupted belief itself.”

In other words, the central concern for Machen was the corruption of orthodox Christian doctrine. I suspect that Machen’s endorsement of the separation between church and state would enrage the likes of Jerry Falwell and the Christian Coalition, not to mention many red state Evangelicals! Yet, upon closer examination, I believe that Machen stands out here as the true conservative in his attempt to guard that which is most sacred.

Yet, isn't Machen's concern double-sided--equally applicable to both sides of the government/church divide? In other words, if it’s hazardous for the government to involve itself in religious practices, is it not equally destructive if the church involves itself in political concerns?