The writings of religious fundamentalists tend to privilege one belief system over all others and to establish a hierarchy of values based on assumptions that are neither stated nor questioned. When this literature addresses music, particularly popular music, its content tends to become indistinguishable from that of critical and historical writing grounded in the modernist narratives of musical autonomy and authenticity.

The author of this book is an ordained pastor in the Christian Assembly of God sect. Like all fundamentalists, whether Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, Marxist, Constitutional, or whatever, he believes that “truth” is to be found only in the literal reading of a certain text, in this instance the Bible. Unfortunately for John Muncy, the Bible has nothing to say about rock music, but this does not deter him. Pointing out that “Jesus was called, ‘The Rock,’ a long time before anybody even heard of rock and roll music! Rock music is just a counterfeit for the real Rock … Jesus Christ!” (p. 387), Muncy proceeds to “prove” that the Bible does in fact speak to the issue of rock music by asserting that: (1) through its lyrics and with the aid of subliminal messages, rock entices its fans to engage in rebellion, sex without morals, alcohol, drugs, false religions, violence, sexual perversions, suicide, and occult practices; (2) the Bible forbids each of these practices; (3) therefore, the Bible forbids rock music.