Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Turner is "a blogger, speaker and author of Churched" (which, if you don't know, got turned into a feature film which received variable reviews). This autobiographical book attempts to chronicle Turner's "story of innocence, music and the Holy Ghost". The early chapters are highly enjoyable as the author wittily describes his upbringing in a home so fundamentalist that Sandi Patty is considered to be a singer of the Devil's music! As an expose of the mind boggling insularity of some parts of Bible Belt culture it is an illuminating and laugh-out-loud read particularly for us Brits who have little idea of how extreme US fundamentalism can become. Unfortunately, the book runs out of steam halfway through and by the time the author gets to Nashville, where he ends up becoming the editor of CCM magazine, there are large gaps in the narrative. More worryingly, Turner seems to change from a sincere, if culturally gawky, believer into a tired cynic who often seems keen to throw the theological baby out with the bathwater and appears, by the end of the book, to have become another of those post-evangelical/emerging churches adherents whose "faith" has come away from its biblical moorings. Structurally, it's a shame more material about Turner's CCM years hasn't been included, particularly as the rather shocking account of his Amy Grant interview being doctored to include some made up "quotes" from Amy apologising to the Christian community for her divorce leaves the reader wanting much more about the unsavoury aspects of the Nashville CCM scene. All in all, this book has some things to recommend it. But it could have been so much better.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.