Katy Perry
From Neoredemptive
Recording artist, currently signed with Capitol, who garnered attention in 2007 with her single "Ur So Gay" and became a household name in 2008 with her single "I Kissed a Girl".
Formerly known as "Katy Hudson", she released an album in 2001 on the now-defunct Red Hill Records, a Christian label.
Doc's Thoughts
Rather than taking this as an opportunity to get on a soapbox and chuck stones at someone who may well be a sister in Christ (and, regardless, is an image bearer of God and worthy of being spoken of and to with respect and dignity), I would like to invite us to take some time to reflect.
First, this is an invitation for parents to reflect. Katy's parents are apparently pastors. Rebel PKs ("Pastors' Kids") are beyond cliche, which should have clued us in -- ages ago -- that there's something seriously broken about the love triangle between churches, ministers, and the ministers' children. Scripture describes God's people as a household, with the family household being the first and most important example, and other larger forms of "churches" expanding outward from that one. Understand this, pastors -- your kids are a bigger, more visible, more durable, more accurate expression of your witness than anything you will ever do on the platform.
This is also an invitation for church members to reflect. While some of the PK syndrome is no doubt rooted in parent-child issues, the way we as congregations treat PKs almost invariably pours gasoline onto hot embers. We put them on pedestals and expect them to be perfect little angels instead of giving them permission to be as confused and broken as the rest of us. We treat them as potential spies and tattle-tales from whom our doubts and misgivings must be hidden instead of modeling transparency and honesty for and with them. We offer a condemning "tsk tsk" instead of offering grace and shelter. We stand off from them as if they are clergy (Holy and separated from us, the laity) instead of welcoming them in as brothers and sisters in the priesthood of all believers.
Finally, this is an invitation for every participant in the "Christian Music" business to reflect. As a sector, it is neither able to attract the best talent (POD, Switchfoot, Lifehouse, U2, and others) nor able to consistently field artists who have a durable Christian witness (Amy Grant, Kevin Max, Michael English, Jessica Simpson, and others). As an industry, we need to ask whether we have struck a bad bargain by downplaying artistic/theological integrity and development in the name of popular accessibility and rapid cultural uptake. We need to ask whether we might not be doing much more harm than good to the cause of Christ by exalting speed-to-market and completely neglecting any serious-minded discipleship of generations of young artists.
