With and Without God: Gospel Music

Do you have to be religious in order to sing – or appreciate – Gospel music? Can one separate the sound from the message? A lot of Gospel music has a broader appeal than lyrics alone – something that’s interested rappers like Kanye West and rockers like Van Morrison who use gospel choirs as just another instrument in their arsenal. Does that bother the Gospel traditionalists? Joining us are Bill Carpenter, a gospel producer, publicist and author of the book "Uncloudy Days: The Gospel Music Encyclopedia," WNYC’s Terrance McKnight, the host of Evening Music and a longtime gospel fan, and Janet Sutton, music director of the Acme Missionary Baptist Church of Chicago.

Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on the medium and the message in Gospel music