At the Crossroads: An Insider's Look at the Past, Present, and Future of Contemporary Christian Music

Where did Christian music come from and what were its early driving forces? What mistakes were made that caused many of the problems we wrestle with today to arise? What exactly IS Christian music? Is music to be used only for ministry? Where is Christian music going? How do we, or even CAN we, meld our music with business, and what about the partnership with the mainstream record companies?These are questions that Peacock confronts head on, using history, reason, common sense, and, most importantly, solid Biblical scripture and principles. He has truely strived to give a fair and balanced view of the situations that we are in, and then appealed the the Scriptures to give Biblical solutions and answers to the problems and roads that we are facing. No matter what position you take on any of the above issues, you should be touched and encouraged by what Peacock lays out here, since he does it gently and Biblically, and he really is one of the best equipped men to do something like this. Steven Curtis Chapman wrote "I know of no one who has wrestled more profoundly with these issues and how they may relate to the arts, especially Christian music, than Charlie Peacock."If you're planning on entering a career related to CCM in any way this should be required reading, but even as a fan it's something you'll want to pick up. It should radically alter the way you think about Christian music and view its place and mission in the world, as well as affect your over-all Christian walk as you try to approach life from a Kingdom Perspective. I give At the Crossroads my full support and recommendation, both critically and as someone who has a passion, love, and concern for CCM and its future.

This book is tremendously awesome. That's too bad that some people have gotten confused with what Peacock was trying to say. The book is wonderful in declaring we should be living our lives with a Kingdom Perspective. The Kingdom Perspective is one of the most useful connotations I have discovered in my recent Christian walk. This book shows how important God's word and truth are. They are what we should base our decisions on.

This is not as much about CCM as I anticipated, however it is dead-on with where the body of Christ is moving. The "kingdom life" principle is expounded upon with the backdrop of CCM's history and shortcomings. As others have suggested, the CCM discussion could have been summarized in a few pages, but the overall point of the book is to express that our lives are a kingdom expression in Christ, not an example of the rules that some feel is the crux of Christianity. With adequate scripture reference and real world examples, Charlie shows the counterintuitive reality that mature believers will recognize as the kingdom of God. A must-read for any Christian.

This is a fine book, well thought out and balanced by a humble heart not a judgemental one. That is not to say however that the reader will not be deeply challenged about possible long held views. Keep an open mind and relate all that is said to the arts in general and you'll find this an important read.

While this book is primarily aimed at people involved in Christian music (including the listeners), Peacock's insight into having a "kingdom perspective" on life is a refreshing one that all Christians should consider. A very thorough book. Let's hope this isn't the last time Peacock commits his ideas to print.