Liturgical scholars, seminary students, clergy and ethnographers focused on Christian worship should engage with Stace's thoughtful work. For worship educators, her research could provide helpful case studies for use in seminaries and bible schools. In addition, many of the questions emerging from this study regarding culture and Christian identity would be beneficial discussion starters for pastors and worship leaders. Overall, Stace presents an accessible ethnographic work that brings clarity to a controversial, yet important topic.
Since the 1960s, relevance, intelligibility, and accessibility have been highly esteemed values within new styles of Protestant worship. Stace's book provides an indispensable study of one intriguing expression of those values: the use of popular-secular music within Christian worship. Stace uses "Highway to Hell" to provide a pathway to knowledge.
Stace mixes a narrow research question--why are church leaders choosing to use popular-secular music in worship?--with an ethnographic study of leaders of eight churches to produce a fascinating and nuanced study of the current permeability of boundaries between sacred/secular, religious/spiritual, church/culture, and individual/church. This book is full of insights into the contemporary worship and religious/spiritual landscape of the United States today.
Unafraid of controversial subject matter, Stace dives in head first, calling things like she sees them. Whether you agree with her conclusions or not, you will admit that you have been in conversation with a seasoned scholar.