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Category Archives: Music
“The Battle Hymn of the Republic”: Its Origin and Meaning
One of the most popular patriotic anthems of all time, this song is often performed at the funerals of American soldiers and statesmen, presidential nominating conventions and inaugurations (both Republican and Democrat), and at Independence Day church services and festivities. … Continue reading
Posted in Music, Politics
Tagged grapes of wrath, harpers ferry raid, holy war, john brown's body, julia ward howe
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“The Transfiguration” by Sufjan Stevens
(See below to listen to this song from Sufjan Stevens’s 2004 album Seven Swans.) “When he took the three disciples to the mountainside to pray, his countenance was modified, his clothing was aflame. Two men appeared: Moses and Elijah came; … Continue reading
Posted in Music
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“Plastic Jesus, sittin’ on the dashboard…”
I recently watched the movie Cool Hand Luke (1967), so this song has been stuck in my head: “I don’t care if it rains or freezes Long as I got my plastic Jesus Sittin’ on the dashboard of my car. … Continue reading
“Easter” by George Herbert (1633)
(I can’t figure out how to replicate the poem’s indentations in WordPress. You can read the poem in its original formatting here.) “Rise heart; thy Lord is risen. Sing his praise Without delayes, Who takes thee by the hand, that … Continue reading
Jesus the Dancer, Part 8: Conclusion
Here’s a recap of the series: In part 1, we looked at three different musical interpretations of “Lord of the Dance” by Sydney Carter. “Dance . . . and I’ll lead you,” says the Jesus of these lyrics. Carter said … Continue reading
Jesus the Dancer, Part 6: The Round Dance of the Cross
Note to Reader: The Acts of John is not part of the Christian canon, mainly because of its docetic teachings, which read more like myth than history and depart widely from orthodox Christianity. This text, like others in the Gnostic … Continue reading
Jesus the Dancer, Part 3: “Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day”
Here’s another English hymn—a Christmas carol, really—that characterizes Jesus as a dancer. It’s medieval in origin, perhaps from a mystery play, but it wasn’t published until 1833, in William B. Sandys’s Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern. Since then, it has … Continue reading
Jesus the Dancer, Part 1: Sydney Carter’s “Lord of the Dance”
When you think “Lord of the Dance,” perhaps the first image that comes to mind is this (or something of the like): This is what a Google search will spit out, at least. But before it was the title of … Continue reading
Posted in Music, Non-Western Art, Western Art
Tagged dubliners lord of the dance, jesus dancing, new community bible
10 Comments
Jesus, the “Forever-Blooming” Rose
One of my favorite Christmas songs is Es ist ein Ros entsprungen. It’s a late-sixteenth-century German hymn of unknown authorship, inspired by the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 11:1: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his … Continue reading
‘Jesus is my air Plane’
Sister Gertrude Morgan (1900–1980) was a poet, a preacher, an artist, and a singer who loved Jesus. She called him her husband, her doctor, and her airplane (yes, airplane), and claimed to have met with him in visions throughout her … Continue reading
Posted in Music, Western Art
Tagged folk art, let's make a record, mother mccollum, outsider art, sister gertrude morgan, visionary art
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The Jesus Question 