Produced by Mark A. Miller and Steven Curtis Chapman, the album was released on October 7, 2003, by Beach Street Records.

Casting Crowns received positive reviews from music critics, many of whom praised the album's lyrics and production quality.

Casting Crowns has sold more than 1.9 million copies since its release and has been certified 2× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), one of 8 Christian albums to reach that milestone.

The band is originally from Daytona Beach, Florida but relocated to Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church in McDonough, Georgia in 2001, where they recruited Megan Garrett (piano/vocals), Andy Williams (drums), and Chris Huffman (bass guitar) as members.

[4][5] One of their independent records was discovered by Mark A. Miller, the lead vocalist for country band Sawyer Brown.

[7] As a group, Casting Crowns was unusual in several ways, such as having seven members, never having toured before, and their producer (Miller) having no history in the Christian music industry.

Additional recording for "Voice of Truth", "What if His People Prayed", and "If We Are the Body" was conducted by Matt Goldman at Glow in the Dark Studio in Decatur, Georgia.

[17] By March 2004, the album had sold 168,000 copies in the United States, in large part due to the success of "If We Are the Body".

[38] The album received a 2× Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2012,[39] signifying shipments of over 2,000,000 units.

[43] The album's lyrics, which have been described by music critics as "bold"[47] and "straightforward",[44] take an approach which was described by Russ Breimeier of Christianity Today as "no-nonsense... tell[ing] it like it is, simply and with conviction".

[44] Album opener "What If His People Prayed", described as a pop song[44] challenges the listener; the couplet "What if the church, for heaven's sake/Finally stepped up to the plate/Took a stand upon God's promise/And stormed hell's rusty gates?"

[50] Co-written by Chapman, the track is a pop rock[48] ballad,[44] encouraging listeners to tackle their personal fears and replace them with faith.

[48] Cited as an example of Hall's "in-your-face" approach to songwriting by Breimeier,[44] the track challenges the fixation of society with wealth, even at the cost of personal relationships.

[45] The album closes with a cover of Darrell Evans' song "Your Love Is Extravagant"; it features harmony vocals from the band.

[44][45] Ashleigh Kittle of Allmusic gave it 3 out of 5 stars, comparing the album's overall sound to that of Chapman, Caedmon's Call, and Phillips, Craig & Dean.

[47] Steve Best of Cross Rhythms gave Casting Crowns ten out of ten squares, saying, "The passion of lead vocalist and youth pastor Hall jumps out of each set of lyrics, while Chapman's distinctive production touch...makes this a must listen album".