Question about his religious beliefs
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Samoan Bob — 13 years ago(April 04, 2013 07:18 PM)
As far as I know, he still adheres to Christian beliefs. In the 90s he said he found the Old and New Testaments equally valid (long after people claimed that he abandoned Christianity for Judaism), when told that his rendition of "O Little Town of Bethlehem" sounded like it was sung by "a true believer" Dylan replied, "Well, I am a true believer" and most recently he called Jesus "our Lord".
http://www.facebook.com/scarletworm
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dain_bramaged_926 — 13 years ago(April 04, 2013 07:21 PM)
Wow, okay. Thanks!
I just felt like the lyrics to "Ain't Talkin'" sounded kind ofdisillusioned with religion. Maybe he's just commenting on the way religion is no longer as important to a lot of people? Maybe he's more upset about the way religion is treated than he is with the idea of god in general? This might change my whole essay. Uh oh. Haha.
Thanks for your help!
http:5b4//jeangable.tumblr.com/ -
apostasia — 13 years ago(April 05, 2013 08:13 AM)
Dylan's always tapped into religious imagery even from his earliest work, so you could trace his use of it throughout his career. What I find interesting about Dylan's work is his capacity to express the power of religious feeling more by its capacity to gnaw away at your consciousness, or lead you into a dark night of the soul. Ain't Talkin' is a great example. Gives you a far greater sense of awe - even if he's expressing doubt or uncertainty or even dislike or dismay about it - than some happy-clappy isn't-Jesus-great style number. Even in his overt Christian period at the end of the Seventies he was more of an Old Testament style fire-and-brimstone preacher than a cuddly Jesus-loves-you figure. Much more in the William Blake tradition, religion is awesome in its original sense, but that awe can be terrifying and disorienting as much as loving and comforting.
Just a painted face on a trip down suicide row -
dain_bramaged_926 — 13 years ago(April 05, 2013 12:57 PM)
Thanks so much! I think I understand what he's getting at now; The Blake comparison definitely helps.
http://jeangable.tumblr.com/ -
CasseroleWorshipper — 12 years ago(April 17, 2013 12:35 PM)
Even in his overt Christian period at the end of the Seventies he was more of an Old Testament style fire-and-brimstone preacher than a cuddly Jesus-loves-you figure. Much more in the William Blake tradition, religion is awesome in its original sense, but that awe can be terrifying and disorienting as much as loving and comforting.
Which is, in lack of a better word, awesome.
The strongest wall will crumble and fall to a mighty God!
I don't mean to impose, but I am the Ocean. -
The-Saw — 12 years ago(April 20, 2013 01:43 PM)
To my knowledge, Bob is still a christian. Not as passionate as he once was, but probably still is.
There's that youtube video about him selling his soul to the devil, when in realityb68 he's clearly talking about working for god. so there's that.
It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe. -
remembervhs — 11 years ago(November 16, 2014 06:19 PM)
I think he finds Christian religious texts moving, but I don't think he's a Christian.
Here's a quote: "Here's the thing with me and the religious thing. This is the flat-out truth: I find the religiosity and philosophy in the music. I don't find it anywhere else. Songs like "Let Me Rest on a Peaceful Mountain" or "I Saw the Light"that's my religion. I don't adhere to rabbis, preachers, evangelists, all of that. I've learned more from the songs than I've learned from any of this kind of entity. The songs are my lexicon. I believe the songs."