Stevens, both a Christian and musician, nevertheless stands in stark contrast to those in this category. Representing a different camp of \u201cChristian art,\u201d\u009d with completely different motives and characteristics, he’s distinct among other artists of faith, who tend to produce bad, kitschy work\u201d\u201dwhether heavy-handed films like Facing the Giants and Fireproof, or the musical travesties on the Wow compilation albums. Instead of dealing directly with religious or biblical matters, Stevens\u2019 music embodies what theologian Francis Schaeffer called the \u201ctotality of life,\u201d\u009d as opposed some sort of \u201cself-conscious evangelism”\u201d\u201dan approach that turns the whole Christian-music stigma on its head.<\/p>\n
Music created by Christians\u201d\u201dand other forms of art for that matter\u201d\u201dhasn\u2019t always been met with sighs and sneers. In the bigger scheme of history, today\u2019s disdain is a fairly recent phenomenon\u201d\u201dan anomaly, even. For centuries, Christians dominated the arts and shaped culture, from Michelangelo and Van Gogh to Bach and Beethoven to Tolkien and Eliot. It wasn\u2019t until the 20th century that a shift took place, specifically in the area of music.<\/p>\n