Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
History
Date of Award
8-2020
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Elwood Watson
Committee Members
Daryl Carter, Jennifer Adler
Abstract
Christianity and Hip-Hop culture are often said to be at odds with one another. One is said to promote a lifestyle of righteousness and love, while the other is said to promote drugs, violence, and pride. As a result, the public has portrayed these two institutions as conflicting with no willingness to resolve their perceived differences. This paper will argue that there has always been a healthy conversation between Hip-Hop and Christianity since Hip-Hop’s inception. Using sources like Hip-Hop lyrics, theologians, historians, autobiographies, sermons, and articles that range from Ma$e to Tipper Gore, this paper will look at the conversation between Hip-Hop and Christianity that has been ongoing for decades. This thesis will show why that conversation is essential for the church and necessary for Hip-Hop artists to express themselves fully. This paper will show rap and Hip-Hop culture to be a complex institution with its own theology, history, and prophets – that uses its own voice to express how urban youth view not only their lives but also how God and the church are present in their lives.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Swanson, Joshua, "Talk This Way: A Look at the Historical Conversation Between Hip-Hop and Christianity" (2020). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3810. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3810
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Included in
African American Studies Commons, American Art and Architecture Commons, American Popular Culture Commons, Biblical Studies Commons, Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, Cultural History Commons, Ethnic Studies Commons, Ethnomusicology Commons, History of Christianity Commons, History of Religion Commons, Modern Art and Architecture Commons, New Religious Movements Commons, Other American Studies Commons, Other Arts and Humanities Commons, Other History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons, Other Music Commons, Practical Theology Commons, Public History Commons, Religious Education Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, Social History Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons, Sociology of Religion Commons, United States History Commons, Urban Studies and Planning Commons