Bob Dylan -theology

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Richard King

Puritan Board Senior
Dylan’s theology

I was listening to some old Dylan songs today from his SAVED album and was impressed with his understanding. It It pretty much seems like really sound doctrine.
As we say here “it was strong as dirt.”

So many songs refer to being born depraved.

In the song Saving Grace it is clear he understands grace.

IN ‘What can I do for you?’ it seems clear that he understands the blessing of being chosen. And he thanks God for letting him be among the few.

Some questions were so profound...’when He spoke to them in the city, did they hear? when He healed the blind and crippled, did they see? When he rose up from the dead, did they believe?’

Up until “Are you ready?” it all sounds like Calvin. Then it sounds a little like something depends on you.

That SAVED CD caused me to listen to SHOT OF LOVE CD again and the song Property of Jesus has some great lines about being free of superstitions and not telling fairy tales etc. The song Trouble is an awesome teaching.

And even if someone just can’t stand Dylan…how can you not love the song/prayer “I Believe in You’ from the SLOW TRAIN COMING CD. I feel like I should start each day singing that song. Lately that is my favorite song. Don’t tell Freebird it got dumped.
Come to think of it SLOW TRAIN COMING is another CD that has some rock solid wisdom on it. The song Gonna Change My Way of Thinking sounds like an old Testament prophet shouting out warnings. Precious Angel declares you just can’t do this by yourself and talks about freedom from the law.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone knows what church fellowship Dylan had after leaving the Jewish faith, has anyone heard/read lately how he is? And does anyone have a different take on him than I.
 
I read a book a few years ago on Dylan's beliefs. I think Dylan was connected to the Vineyard in CA. But his public religious activities of late, as I understand it, have been periodic attendance Chabad synagogues on the high holy days. Some think he still is a believer though although he has publicly stated he does not subscribe to any organized religion.
 
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I'm not expert, but I'm a fan. As far as I know he hasn't renounced the faith but he has walked away from the evangelical sub-culture. I guess that being a part of the Vineyard wasn't particularly helpful. My impression is that things were not very healthy there at the time. The evangelicals were trying to do to him what they do to every major "secular" media figure who converts: make him into the next evangelical superstar, anoint him as a prophet (which the boomers had already done in the 60s), and "use" him to advance their agenda. Dylan wasn't having any of it and walked away from the subculture. Eschatological themes continue in which writing since. He doesn't say anything about his conversion in Chronicles vol 1 but I don't think it gets that far. He doesn't discuss a lot of things there (such as the motorcycle wreck). That's just Dylan being enigmatic and refusing to do what people think he should do.

rsc
 
In another thread regarding classical music, I cited the lyrics to Highway 61 Revisited and Dylan's "unique" take on the teleological suspension of the ethical (tongue in cheek). I qualify as a true fan (having all of his stuff and playing it often in my office). However, counting him among the elect is further than I am willing to go. Scott is correct about the way the evangelical sub-culture tried to seize upon him back when he was going to Bible studies with Keith Green and doing back up harmonica on one of Green's pieces. However, his Chabad connection these days does not impress me as a devoted disciple of Jesus Christ.

Still, all in all, Dylan is great for quoting . . .

When you want to explore temptation, who can beat "Every Grain of Sand" for insight into the experience of tempation?

"I gaze into the doorway of temptation's angry flame
And every time I pass that way I always hear my name.
Then onward in my journey I come to understand
That every hair is numbered like every grain of sand."


For those of you who rack up huge debts and log many years in higher education only to find yourself struggling with mind-numbing detail and a low salary, there is the '65 classic, "Subterranean Homesick Blues" . . .

"Ah get born, keep warm
Short pants, romance, learn to dance
Get dressed, get blessed
Try to be a success
Please her, please him, buy gifts
Don't steal, don't lift
Twenty years of schoolin'
And they put you on the day shift

Look out kid
They keep it all hid"


When feeling cynical, there is "Band of the Hand" (1986) . . .

"The system's just too damned corrupt
It's always the same, the name of the game
Is who do you know higher up."


And, when you want to show what the natural man believes about Genesis 22, "Highway 61 Revisited" does the trick . . .

Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61."
 
Youre gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
Youre gonna have to serve somebody.
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But youre gonna have to serve somebody.
 
Youre gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
Youre gonna have to serve somebody.
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But youre gonna have to serve somebody.


John Lennon went into convulsions when he first heard this one. He responded with the song "Serve Yourself" and truly reached the bottom of his philisophical humanism.

I'm a huge Dylan fan, but especially his pre-motorcycle crash trilogy, Bringing it all Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde.
 
I too am a big Dylan fan.....Dylan can be hard to follow...the latest is that he has stated he IS a Christian. We can only hope! the idea of Bob Dylan in Heaven....is just pretty cool!:sing:Gotta serve somebody......
 
I've never been a Dylan fan, but after I became a Christian, I read about his possible conversion in Keith Green's biography, and went on to purchase Slow Train Coming. Then I never heard anything else about it, other than that he probably wasn't a Christian anymore.

Anyway, that was the background to one of the more pathetic things I've seen in life. I saw the Dead in Columbus in 2003, and Dylan was opening for them. I would say only about a fourth of the estimated crowd was even in the ampitheater at that point, and most simply didn't care about anything that Dylan was doing. I forget who announced him, it may have been Bob Weir or Robert Hunter (or maybe someone else, I don't want to slander). But they said something to the effect (not verbatim), "Alright everybody, here's Bob Dylan! We thought we had lost old Bobby to the whole "Jesus" thing a few years ago, but we're glad to have him back with us now!"

And obviously spiritual harassment and demonic tones are hard to convey, but the statement was just laced with a sardonic vibe, in my opinion. He went on to play, and looked like a withered old man, with nobody paying attention, and the grand children of his subculture going in and out to buy t-shirts and get beer.

And it actually gave me hope for him. Because I thought, "Man, Dylan, can't you see the difference in the two worlds?" You would think that the spiritual hostility to Christ in those circles would clue people in to the uniqueness of Christ.

But anyway. That memory always stuck out in my mind for some reason. It just seemed like a Divine rebuke or Satanic lashing of Bob, right there in front of everyone. But, ya' know, just the kind of rebuke or lash that could really wake a soul up and turn him around. So there's certainly no reason not to pray for him. He's just another man (obviously).
 
I've never been a Dylan fan, but after I became a Christian, I read about his possible conversion in Keith Green's biography, and went on to purchase Slow Train Coming. Then I never heard anything else about it, other than that he probably wasn't a Christian anymore.

Anyway, that was the background to one of the more pathetic things I've seen in life. I saw the Dead in Columbus in 2003, and Dylan was opening for them. I would say only about a fourth of the estimated crowd was even in the ampitheater at that point, and most simply didn't care about anything that Dylan was doing. I forget who announced him, it may have been Bob Weir or Robert Hunter (or maybe someone else, I don't want to slander). But they said something to the effect (not verbatim), "Alright everybody, here's Bob Dylan! We thought we had lost old Bobby to the whole "Jesus" thing a few years ago, but we're glad to have him back with us now!"

And obviously spiritual harassment and demonic tones are hard to convey, but the statement was just laced with a sardonic vibe, in my opinion. He went on to play, and looked like a withered old man, with nobody paying attention, and the grand children of his subculture going in and out to buy t-shirts and get beer.

And it actually gave me hope for him. Because I thought, "Man, Dylan, can't you see the difference in the two worlds?" You would think that the spiritual hostility to Christ in those circles would clue people in to the uniqueness of Christ.

But anyway. That memory always stuck out in my mind for some reason. It just seemed like a Divine rebuke or Satanic lashing of Bob, right there in front of everyone. But, ya' know, just the kind of rebuke or lash that could really wake a soul up and turn him around. So there's certainly no reason not to pray for him. He's just another man (obviously).
That is a sad story....but like I say I am a big fan with friends who are even bigger Dylan watchers.....my best and latest (intel) is that Dylan has stated to old friends and some press writers who have followed him for years....that he is a Christian. Like I say....we can only pray this is sincere!:up:
 
The last time I heard Dylan say anything about the subject, he responded to a question about Christianity with the comment, "I believe in the songs, man." So, if that's where he's at (and you never know with Dylan), he puts his faith in his songs.

The reviews of his memoir Chronicles, Volume 1 were interesting. Much of what I read was along the lines of "Great stories in the book. Think any of it is true?" to which the answer was "With Dylan, who knows?"

Dylan has frankly said that he's more or less lied to the press for more than 40 years...
 
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