Rock ‘n’ Roll Lazarus
Jill Marshall In the Gospel and Bowie’s interpretation of it, the act of coming back from the dead is dramatic and controversial.
Meaning to Life: Coltrane
Something spiritual in the shrieking sax?
Borders and Walls
Louis A. Ruprecht Jr. But borders are not sources of human crisis. . . until one tries to build a wall.
The Ruling Class: Jeff Tweedy Singing about Jesus
Jeff Tweedy Yeah he’s back jack, smokin’ crack, find him if you wanna get found…
What Makes a Mountain, Hill, or Prairie a ‘Sacred’ Place for Native Americans?
Rosalyn R. LaPier What makes a mountain, hill or prairie a “sacred” place?
Jerry Garcia on the Grateful Dead Concert Experience
Dead concert = religious experience?
Get Out: The Ending We Needed
Nicole Symmonds Peele grants viewers, especially black ones, the kind of reprieve we’ve been hoping for as citizens of a world hell-bent on ensuring that our lived experience is one of horror and not happy endings.
Jim James’ Musical Blend of the Religious, Spiritual, and Secular
Scott Muir My aim here is not to fix any “real meaning” to James’ output or speculate about his personal identity, but rather to illustrate how he presents an entangled web of meanings that his listeners may appropriate for their own religious/spiritual/secular constructions of the sacred.
The Changing Nature of America’s Irreligious Explained
Richard Flory Despite the rapid increase in the number of Americans who claim no religious affiliation, nones remain a relatively small group within the American electorate.
The Look of White Supremacy
Kelly J. Baker What pop culture usually gives us are caricatures of white supremacists, and journalists, and the public more largely, expects living and breathing white supremacists to match this narrow portrayal of white supremacy.