"Soon young people across the country were tuning in to the Bible and embracing Christ as a kind of hippie forefather who wore long hair and a beard, identified with the have-nots and shook up the Establishment. They gathered in Christian coffeehouses and found shelter and fellowship in Christian group houses that sprang up beside the more numerous hippie communes.
"Along with this grassroots religious fervor came an irruption of Jesus into popular music. Released as a double album in 1970, the musical 'Jesus Christ Superstar' rose to No. 1 and wildcat productions sprang up in advance of its Broadway opening in October 1971. Likewise the musical 'Godspell,' written as a master’s thesis, opened off Broadway 40 years ago this May, spawning a soundtrack and spinoff productions around the world. The same month saw the release of Marvin Gaye’s breakthrough concept album, 'What’s Going On,' drenched in spiritual themes including references to Jesus."
David W. Stowe in The New York Times explores "the split between secular and religious music" since the early 1970s.
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