Crying Ukhai: Engaging the Mongolian Church with the Folk Rock Genre

Abstract

This article is based on the work of a Mongolian worship leader named Nasaankhuu Aduuch, who has developed a Mongolian folk-rock style of worship music. His work is an amazing example of creating worship music with local, cultural artistic forms in order to both lead God’s people more deeply into worship, and to share Christ’s love with his community in ways that make sense to them. This paper explores his work from three perspectives. First, it introduces the artistic genre of Mongolian folk-rock, in order to understand the larger cultural conversations going on around him. Second, it looks at his work and how it compares to his non-Christian peers—both what’s the same, and what he decided needed to be changed.  Finally, it explores some of the Missiological implications Nasaa’s music has for the larger Mongolian church. Is it going to work? And if so, what will it change?