Jeff Godwin
Encyclopedia
Jeff Godwin is a Christian fundamentalist preacher and author from Bloomington, Indiana
. He is best known for his numerous books critical of both secular rock music and Christian rock music.
Godwin is a former drug addict and rock musician. He claims that he survived the stampede that claimed the lives of 12 fans of The Who
at their Cincinnati concert on December 3, 1979.
in 1984 by his future wife's family. Godwin became a King James only fundamentalist very much in line with his mentor, Jack Chick, who publishes his works.
, jazz
, and other forms of African American music before they appeared in rock music. In addition, rock music is loaded with references to sexual behavior of all kinds, and he believes it encourages fornication
amongst youths and inspires lust
. He also believe it inspires rage
, and it preaches "rebellion, hatred, drug abuse, suicide, fornication and the dark things of Satan."
When Ozzy Osbourne
bit the head off a dove, Godwin viewed it as seeing his desire to destroy the Holy Spirit
, which is often represented by a dove. Satanic symbols dating back centuries, Godwin maintains, can be found in the album cover
s of rock music, testifying to Satan's power. While Godwin believes that Satanic messages have been backmasked
(recorded backwards) on rock albums, he believes that Satan's presence in rock music has rarely required hiding. Godwin sees Satan's influence in music as being maintained by secret alliances between rock musicians, producers, and promoters uniting with demons and Satan himself. He further believes that Christian rock
is another diversion created by Satan, as the rock music industry itself is compromised by Satan. The Christianity preached in Christian rock he says is feel good, inoffensive and does not genuinely preach Christ.
Godwin's views and works are very much fundamentalist and are not accepted by most mainstream Christians.
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
. He is best known for his numerous books critical of both secular rock music and Christian rock music.
Godwin is a former drug addict and rock musician. He claims that he survived the stampede that claimed the lives of 12 fans of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
at their Cincinnati concert on December 3, 1979.
Conversion
Godwin was converted to fundamentalist ChristianityFundamentalist Christianity
Christian fundamentalism, also known as Fundamentalist Christianity, or Fundamentalism, arose out of British and American Protestantism in the late 19th century and early 20th century among evangelical Christians...
in 1984 by his future wife's family. Godwin became a King James only fundamentalist very much in line with his mentor, Jack Chick, who publishes his works.
Teachings on rock music
According to Godwin, rock and roll music traces its origins back thousands of years. Its rhythms were written by Satan and his demons and have a subliminal power to control a listener's mind. The rhythms eventually found their way, via Africa, into the bluesBlues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, and other forms of African American music before they appeared in rock music. In addition, rock music is loaded with references to sexual behavior of all kinds, and he believes it encourages fornication
Fornication
Fornication typically refers to consensual sexual intercourse between two people not married to each other. For many people, the term carries a moral or religious association, but the significance of sexual acts to which the term is applied varies between religions, societies and cultures. The...
amongst youths and inspires lust
Lust
Lust is an emotional force that is directly associated with the thinking or fantasizing about one's desire, usually in a sexual way.-Etymology:The word lust is phonetically similar to the ancient Roman lustrum, which literally meant "purification"...
. He also believe it inspires rage
Rage (emotion)
Rage is a feeling of intense anger. It is associated with the Fight-or-flight response and oftentimes activated in response to an external cue, such as the murder of a loved one. The phrase, 'thrown into a fit of rage,' expresses the immediate nature of rage that occurs before deliberation. If left...
, and it preaches "rebellion, hatred, drug abuse, suicide, fornication and the dark things of Satan."
When Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
bit the head off a dove, Godwin viewed it as seeing his desire to destroy the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
, which is often represented by a dove. Satanic symbols dating back centuries, Godwin maintains, can be found in the album cover
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
s of rock music, testifying to Satan's power. While Godwin believes that Satanic messages have been backmasked
Backmasking
Backmasking is a recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backward on to a track that is meant to be played forward...
(recorded backwards) on rock albums, he believes that Satan's presence in rock music has rarely required hiding. Godwin sees Satan's influence in music as being maintained by secret alliances between rock musicians, producers, and promoters uniting with demons and Satan himself. He further believes that Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
is another diversion created by Satan, as the rock music industry itself is compromised by Satan. The Christianity preached in Christian rock he says is feel good, inoffensive and does not genuinely preach Christ.
Godwin's views and works are very much fundamentalist and are not accepted by most mainstream Christians.
Presentations
- Jeff Godwin: What's Wrong With Christian Rock - Recorded 3/13/1993 by WVCY-TVWVCY-TVWVCY-TV is a conservative Christian television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It broadcasts digitally on Channel 22, but maps on a virtual channel via PSIP to their former analog channel position, Channel 30.-Sister Stations:...
- Jeff Godwin: The Roots of Rock and Roll - Recorded 5/13/1995
- Jeff Godwin: Seven Devils, One Plan - Recorded 10/10/1998