Preserving and Exporting the Gospel Songs

Abstract

Homer Rodeheaver called gospel music “the universal language,” and aggressively promoted it to an international audience as a form of missionary outreach. In so doing, he wandered into another controversy, the practice of exporting American music to other cultures—often called cultural imperialism. His gospel songs became popular because of their similarity to other music types, particularly ragtime and jazz—though this critical observation vexed him. The authors explore questions of musical style with new research on the recordings he preserved, comparing it to an earlier form, the parlor song. And while his relationship with flamboyant evangelist Aimee Semple MacPherson might have become a romance, it was more likely a business relationship, and a common affinity for bringing an evangelical Christian message to the masses.