Judaism:

I’ve noticed a growing trend in popular music, that is, a Jewish trend. Of course there’s Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and other Jews in the music business, but none of them were as overtly Jewish as the stars of today.

Today, we have Matisyahu, a multi-gold-selling artist who has fused reggae music with a Jewish message. With just one glance, anyone can see that Matisyahu looks very different from other reggae artists. He has a long beard, wears a black robe and a black fedora on his head, clear signs of someone in the Hassidic movement.

But it’s more than his unique look that sets Matisyahu apart. His lyrics are about Jerusalem, G-d and the Messiah. Matisyahu sings about the true contentment that comes through one’s relationship with G-d.

Entertaining a mass audience of non-Jews through an expression of deep Jewish spirituality sounds impossible. But Matisyahu overcame this challenge beautifully. He brilliantly transcended this barrier of catering solely to one market. Jews who understand his songs love the appeal and likewise, reggae fans appreciate his songs.

The fact that Matisyahu is accepted as a Jewish artist is remarkable. It’s unreal that people willingly listen to Jewish music with Hebrew words and Jewish ideology. Watching an orthodox Jew on MTV and knowing that a religious album is Grammy-nominated for Best Reggae Album is mind-blowing.

His success in a secular country is also historically significant. Jews were not always accepted. Living in the United States, Jews feel comfortable with their identity and play a major role in all aspects of American life. There is a horrible past of persecution, but thankfully the United States welcomes diversity and protects people of different races and ethnicities. The open-mindedness of this country is what eased Matisyahu’s music into popular culture.

I consider Matisyahu’s introduction of Jewish culture into the mainstream honorable, but there are others that are disrespectful. Namely, all the Hollywood types who have started to “practice” the Lurianic Kabbalah.

In Judaism, Kabbalah is considered an intricate branch of Torah study. There are rules about who may even begin to study Kabbalah. Part of those rules include learning and understanding all other aspects of Torah study before even thinking about approaching Kabbalah.

The fact that Madonna, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and others have claimed to study these holy and complex texts is disconcerting. Obviously they do not understand the intricacies of what they are learning and are only doing it because it’s the “it” thing to do. Britney Spears has even taken the liberty to tattoo G-d’s name on her body in Hebrew. Had she known anything about Judaism, she would have known that tattooing one’s body is not allowed.

As colossally absurd as I think these celebrities are, I can’t help but think they opened up the door for others. If Madonna hadn’t sung about Kabbalah in her 1998 Ray of Light album, would the public be open to hearing the music of Matisyahu?

[Reach columnist Natalie Sikavi at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu.]

Christianity:

Jesus is my homeboy.

According to other T-shirts, he’s also a DJ. I don’t know if he would have made a living turning tables, but if he were born in Seattle, I like to think he might have “train wrecked” a song or two.

Whatever the case, Jesus submerged himself into human culture. He’s the perfect example of how Christians should connect with whatever society they’re in. After all, I don’t think there is a place farther from Seattle than heaven.

Christians have the catchphrase, “Be in the world and not of it.” This phrase means that faith comes first, but where scripture doesn’t speak, embrace society. Most disagree with what this looks like.

Some Christians think that if they expose themselves to culture, they’ll be corrupted by the evils of death metal, loose sex and drugs. The result is a plethora of ultra-conservative churches that condemn death metal but overlook adultery.

I have a friend who lives in a van. When he’s not working odd jobs, he climbs mountains with ultra-liberal tree huggers. He said they hate Christians, but they’re all for the idea of Jesus.

His biggest fear is that someday one might want to become a Christian, because he wouldn’t have a church to take them to.

The Church in the United States is struggling to find relevancy. Although some of the effort has been encouraging, it’s also led large groups astray.

Some Christians are starting to think that if they purposely expose themselves to evil elements, they’ll become better followers of the Gospel.

The end result is a Gospel that is so watered down that its followers never hear about Jesus, and corresponding churches act as little more than social networks with a shared philanthropic interest.

I can’t say there is a middle ground, because both of these views are wrong. Instead of looking at the Gospel and letting culture fall into its place, they look at the culture and try to make room for the Gospel.

It’s about time I talk about beer, but first, some theology.

Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, said this of his ministry:

“To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. … To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people that by all means I might save some,” (1 Corinthians 9:19-22).

To minister to a college student, I must be a college student. I think the best way to do that is to drink beer (especially a dark Belgium). Scripture is OK with people drinking; it’s just against getting drunk.

The one time I didn’t get a drink, the girls I was with felt like I was judging them by abstaining. I was just being cheap, but if I hadn’t bought a drink later that evening, that notion would have stayed.

It’s in our culture to drink. By abstaining from drinking, I was making myself less approachable. The Gospel itself is relevant to all cultures, but if it comes from someone who won’t speak at the same level as the people, it’s less likely to be heard.

[Reach columnist Celeste Flint at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu.]

Islam:

There’s a difference between what Islam’s role in culture should be versus what Islam’s role in culture actually is, or, more relevant, the influence of culture on Islam, which is a challenge faced by American Muslims. Either way, it’s hard to quantify “Islamic Culture.”

This is a big topic, and once again I need to qualify that my own knowledge of the subject is limited. I apologize for any mistakes, all of which are my own, while any benefits you glean are due to God’s grace.

Islamic culture is a misnomer, but a popular one. I find myself using it often when trying to quantify the achievements of Muslims throughout history and geography. In reality, Muslims come from diverse and multi-ethnic backgrounds. This leads to millions of cultural traditions and very little cultural overlap. Silat, the traditional martial arts form practiced in Malaysia and Indonesia, is radically different from horse racing in Morocco. But both fall under the umbrella of Muslim or Islamic culture.

Even things which are considered iconically Muslim, like the headscarf (Which by the way is not unique to Islam), is worn differently depending on cultural context; with different styles, from the colorful patterns in Somalia to plain black in Saudi Arabia.

The reason these traditions persisted and flourished is because of how Islam treats local practices. Islam is there to supplement and guide the existing customs. My teacher, Abdul Hakim Jackson, a professor of Arabic and Islamic studies, put it best when he explained that when Islam came to an area, it tilted the direction of life, not forced it into a 180.

Within fiqh (Islamic law and jurisprudence) there are concessions given to accepted local traditions, provided they’re not harmful and violate Islamic sources. These considerations are called ‘urf.’ Islam is not a fully-fledged replacement culture; Islam is a religion, and is about worshipping God and acting in a manner pleasing to God.

One of the drawbacks of this diversity is that it allows culture to pervade Islam, and local practices become synonymous and justified as Islamic. Pakistani culture becomes Muslim culture, because that’s how people were raised. The problem becomes even more apparent in the United States.

The United States attracts Muslims from all over the world, each bringing their own preconceived notions of Islamic traditions. The difficulty arises when these various notions need to be reconciled – Iraqis, Vietnamese and even Muslims indigenous to the United States, such as African-Americans – in order to function as a community. This development is slowly progressing into an actual Muslim-American culture, which is a synthesis of the environment.

Adding to the complication are the first generation, second generation and beyond, of Muslims who were born and raised in the United States. These people often incorporate what some immigrant Muslims label as “American” or “Western” cultural influence. But this implies that Muslims are somehow out of the American cultural landscape, which is not the case.

Muslims can be found throughout American society in all levels, each contributing to our society in their own ways. Fazlur Khan is notable for being the structural engineer who designed the Sears Tower, and iconic symbol as the tallest building in the United States. Some Muslims overtly show how Islam influences their cultural contribution, such as hip-hop artist Lupe Fiasco who incorporated a Muslim prayer in his CD. Others, like Dave Chappelle, don’t blatantly publicize it.

The heritage of the many ethnic groups within Islam will continue to play a role in forming a specific Muslim-American culture. What will be more interesting to see is what facets of these cultures will become incorporated in what we consider our dominant American way.

[Reach columnist Zakariya Dehlawi at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu.]