Christian youth music festivals (CYMFs) have received surprisingly little attention in the literature. This exploratory study seeks to better understand the CYMF phenomenon, and in particular, the role of these festivals in promoting (or failing to promote) positive social values, such as tolerance, inter-group harmony, and peace. To this end, a field study was undertaken examining two popular CYMFs held annually in the United States: Lifest and Cornerstone. The paper presents an ethnographic portrait of each festival and then analyzes the ideological position promulgated by each. It concludes that Lifest and Cornerstone are very different, in terms of the constructions of Christian doctrine and Christian identity that each festival advances, and that these constructions of the meaning of Christianity and of what it means to be a Christian ultimately have political implications.
