Religious Idols

What fans want is for the finalists to just sing | Harrison Scott Key

American Idol is the beating heart of pop religion. Thirty million people watch the show, not once, but twice a week. Most Christians don't even go to church that much.

So, when four Christians snuck their way into the top 11, was it time to celebrate or cringe? One camp says, "See! Christians are cool, too!" Another camp says, "So what? The whole thing is pop rubbish."

The media have rallied four Idol contestants under the Christian flag (whether or not they are believers): towering teenager Jordin Sparks, baldilocks Phil Stacey, big-thing-in-a-small-package Melinda Doolittle, and big-thing-in-a-big-package Chris Sligh.

Ecclesiastical roots have always been in vogue in American music. Just ask Elvis. Maybe church music gives vocalists the kind of soul they need to sell records. Maybe it's proof that the singer isn't completely a fabrication of the pop textile mill. Anyone who sings "I'll Fly Away" for free on a Sunday morning can't be all that bad.