Reggae joins hip-hop and U2

From the Anglican Communion News Service:

Songs by late reggae legends Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, both devout Rastafarians, will be included in a new collection of Anglican church hymnals in Jamaica.

Marley's ‘One Love’ and Tosh's ‘Psalm 27’ will be the first reggae tunes to appear in songbooks alongside traditional worship music on the island that gave birth to reggae, said church leaders preparing a new collection of hymns.

The Revd Ernle Gordon, a church spokesman, said Friday that members of the Anglican Church of Jamaica were enthusiastic about including the reggae musicians' music in the hymnals, despite their sometimes vocal opposition to Christianity.

Many will scoff at the inclusion of popular music in an official hymnal. From my perspective, this is just continuing a venerable tradition. The music of the Reformation was rooted in popular culture, and some of the best "church" music ever since has had origins or deep connections with the world outside church.

As some will point out, there is a real danger of losing the church's identity if we "sell out" to wider culture. However, there is an even greater danger of losing our very existence if we do not engage the culture. From the Biblical period to the present, it's been a challenge: how are we related to our culture -- and how are we not related to our culture. Let's celebrate another attempt to figure this out, this time involving some great music from Jamaica.