Book Review: Matthew Paul Turner's "Hear No Evil"

Within the postmodern culture of 2010 exists a group of people far removed from societal norm. This subculture customizes attire, movies, literature, toys, etc., seemingly permeating everything except the choices at the mall food court. Who are these people? If you have ever walked into a Mardel or a Lifeway store, you know exactly who I am talking about: Christians. With a sense of ownership not unlike race or gender pride, Christians have made religion marketable. Every brand of candy has been magically transformed into a holy word or Scripture and ironed onto a T-shirt. There is a stigma that, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, part of the “do and don’t” list attached to the contract requires a person to forsake all that is “secular” and embrace not only God’s grace, but the WOW 2010 CD that comes with it. It’s enough to drive us “recovering Christians” crazy, and enough to send the rest of the world running in the other direction. It is this reason why I find Matthew Paul Turner’s Hear No Evil so delightfully refreshing.

Writing from a Fundamental Baptist background, Turner writes this brilliantly sarcastic memoir concerning his experiences with Christian music. Each chapter bears a new and interesting encounter with a song, a beat, an artist, or an experience that parallels Turner’s evolving faith while giving the reader permission to relate. As I read about his desire to be the Jesus’s Michael Jackson as well as his mother’s hysterical reactions to Amy Grant’s “Baby, Baby,” I found myself shuffling through my bookshelf in attempt to locate the diary I was sure had been stolen. I recall the Celebrate Freedom concert in which I was not allowed to be the Raze CD because one of the girls wore a nose ring, singing from the Heavenly Highway Hymnal every Sunday, receiving awkwardly judgmental stares when, in high school, I played a confessional song that I wrote instead…the list could go on forever. Turner’s humorous overtones and his at times brutal honesty allow the Christian reader (I specify because the average reader does this anyway…for some reason we need permission) to stop pretending to accept societal rules and just see life exactly like it is.

What I loved even more than Turner’s experiences with music was the opportunity to see how these experiences molded his faith. As his encounters with the secular world increased, his ability to take ownership in his relationship with Jesus obviously evolves as well…and not in some checklist-chirpy-Jesus takes my blues away kind of way. It is the encounters with people such as Tina and Kyle that transform this book from a sarcastic commentary to an inspiring work that provides hope to those of us who are determined to love like Jesus. For those of us who have endured a legalistic upbringing, it is often tempting to pour cynicism and judgment onto every Christian who does not meet our standards, refusing to see the good in them. Turner’s confession of his first impressions of Tina as well as his decision to let her perform demonstrate to me a happy medium.Yes, it is okay to laugh at the silliness that sometimes pervades our faith. Yes, it is okay to feel enraged at the injustices that our brothers and sisters inflict on others. However, it is never okay to forsake the call of Christ—and that is to love Him, and love others. Hear No Evil inspires me to do this.

All in all, extremely readable, thoroughly enjoyable, highly recommended. Go to Matthew Paul Turner's blog, Jesus Needs New PR, and find out more about his book as well as his hilarious observations on life and faith.