The Jesus Music

The Jesus Music is a 2021 American documentary film distributed by Lionsgate and directed by the Erwin brothers, detailing the history of contemporary Christian music as a musical and cultural phenomenon.

The Jesus Music
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Erwin Brothers
Screenplay by	Jon Erwin
Produced by	Brandon Gregory Josh Walsh
Cinematography	Kristopher Kimlin
Edited by	Parker Adams John Puckett
Production companies	Kingdom Story Company K-Love Films Southland Studios
Distributed by	Lionsgate
Release date	October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)
Running time	108 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$1 million[1]

The film was released by Lionsgate on October 1, 2021.^[2] The Jesus Music was nominated for the GMA Dove Award for Inspirational Film/Series of the Year at the 2022 GMA Dove Awards.^[3]

Synopsis

The film documents the history of contemporary Christian music, from its roots in the Jesus music of the 1970s, through the Christian rock and Christian metal eras of the 1980s and 1990s, into the rise of praise and worship music in the early 21st century. A number of prominent figures in Christian music are interviewed, including Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, CeCe Winans, Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, Kirk Franklin, Russ Taff, Lecrae, and Lauren Daigle.

Promotion

An accompanying book, written by Marshall Terrill, was published alongside the release of the film.^[4] The film was screened for an audience of music industry personnel, including many of the artists interviewed in the film, in Nashville the week prior to its theatrical release.^[5]

Reception

Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.^[6]