Still Christian, Still Hardcore
The "malleable faith" of Haste the Day's Stephen Keech
Stephen Keech, frontman of metalcore band Haste the Day, joins me to explore the intersection of Christianity and heavy music, and why he has maintained his Christian faith while many of his peers have left theirs behind.
A pastor's kid in a charismatic church, Stephen's early understanding of music was deeply purpose-driven—music was primarily for worship and ministry. We noted the tension this creates for performers in the Christian music scene, as there's an inherent conflict between the humility emphasized in Christianity and the ego required to be a performer.
We spent a good chunk of our time discussing how so many bands and musicians from this scene have distanced themselves from Christianity. Stephen identified several factors:
1. Many bands initially identified themselves as Christian to gain market access (getting into Christian bookstores through labels like Tooth & Nail/Solid State).
2. The intense judgment and unrealistic standards placed on Christian bands by their audience.
3. Political factors, particularly the evangelical alignment with right-wing politics culminating in the Trump era.
4. Growing moral conflicts between inclusive values and exclusive theological positions.
Stephen describes how he’s been able to maintain a "malleable faith"—the ability to let go of rigid formulas while maintaining core experiences and values. Rather than breaking, his faith has stretched and adapted to accommodate new experiences.
Throughout our conversation, there was a genuine wrestling with what it means to maintain faith in a post-Christian cultural landscape, especially within creative circles where Christianity is increasingly viewed with suspicion.
Enjoy this email? Forward to a friend!
As always, you’re invited to join Patreon to support my work and get access to full-length episodes completely ad-free.