Kicking at the Darkness: Bruce Cockburn and the Christian Imagination [Paperback]

 

 

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In 1977 I was a 16 year old fascinated by the emerging music of the Jesus Movement. These were vinyl days when faith focused artists were emerging as proclaimers of the gospel.

I attended a music festival aptly named Jesus '77 at a campground outside Hamilton, Ontario. I heard some of the early Jesus culture prophets including Larry Norman, Randy Matthews, Mike Johnson, and Moose Smith.

From the handful of albums I had acquired, I was experiencing a renewal of my childhood faith and opening of imagination to the soul carnival found in concert venues and festivals.

In the Jesus '77 merch tent, I flipped through stacks of fresh vinyl endlessly searching for the next album to take home. In those days, I would spend $7 or $8 experimenting with new music. I would judge some of my purchases based on the album jacket and what I hoped would be matched sonically on both sides of the album.

When my eyes fell on Bruce Cockburn's 'In The Falling Dark', something mysterious happened. Without knowing fully why, the monochrome photo of Bruce and the song titles invited me to imagine another way of telling God's story.

From the first time the needle resonated in the groove of that album to this day, I revisit Bruce's discography the way some people return to a favorite cottage by a murky lake.

Now, about Brian J. Walsh's book; I say 'thank you, thank you, thank you!'

The book is subtitled 'Bruce Cockburn and the Christian Imagination'. Walsh treats the Cockburn fan to a rich exploration of themes found in Bruce's songs.

Bruce has an encyclopedia worth of recorded music (31 albums).

As I watched Walsh's dance with the theological elements found in the songs, I gained a greater understanding and appreciation for the true genius and intellect of Bruce Cockburn. He is a Psalmist, Prophet, Mystic (meaning we sometimes scratch our heads at his message) and Storyteller.

If you are a fan, you have already discovered that Bruce Cockburn's art will open doors of imagination and faith that no-one can shut.

I should also add that Brian Walsh understands the body of work better than anyone. He takes us into the sources of Bruce's inspiration and teaches us to read Bruce's worldview. Brian does this respectfully and carefully.

A friend of mine once said that there is no such thing as 'Christian music' or 'non-Christian music.' Instead, there is only 'good' or 'bad' music. After reading this book, I believe that my friend's preference for the good/bad music paradigm does not go far enough. Good music has to be creative, authentic, and reflective of life. This book is a fascinating commentary cum theological engagement with one of Canada's most celebrated musician and Christian thinker, Bruce Cockburn.

Brian Walsh has offered the literary world an profound work that engages our modern world with biblical insights, through the works of Bruce Cockburn. The title of the book is extracted from the lyrics of one of Cockburn's most popular songs, called 'Lovers in a Dangerous Time.' Walsh uses four main questions to helm his reflective interactions (21).

"Where are we? What is the nature of the world in which we find ourselves?"
"Who are we? What does it mean to be human?"
"What's Wrong? What is the source of brokenness, violence, hatred, and evil in life?"
"What's the remedy? How do we find a path through this brokenness to healing? What is the resolution to the evil in which we find ourselves?"

Walsh is generous with his praises. He calls Cockburn a modern 'psalmist,' 'prophet,' as well as a man with a 'certain storied perspective.' His music and lyrics stem from his strong Christian worldview, one that is able to grapple with the issues of the world with a theological imagination that does not diminish or dismiss the world with escapist music. Instead, Cockburn engages the culture, politics, postmodern paradigms, pluralism, and religion, with his brand of literary and musical prowess.

As I read through the book, at some point, I find Walsh's sustained reflection on Cockburn and Bruce Cockburn's lyrics are dancing to the same tune. Whether that is true or not, only Cockburn can tell. I like the way Walsh summarizes the nature of art.

"Art cannot save us, but it can shed a light. It can open our eyes." (190)

This is certainly true of this book. In a world of human drivenness, achievement-oriented technological world, and management strategies on how to get things done according to human ways, this book is an opportunity for humans to move from consumerism to appreciation of the world. This book is not an easy read. Those who dare to swim through it will reap rich dividends. I think I am going to really love Bruce Cockburn's music.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Brazos Press, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

I am not a fan of Bruce Cockburn.

This is not because I don't like his music, but rather because, other than 'Lovers in a Dangerous Time', I simply don't know it. To be honest, I'm more familiar with the Bare Naked Ladies cover of 'Lovers' than of the original, which is to say that until I learned that the song was a cover, I assumed that it was a BNL song. Although I am not prone to displays of patriotism, I suppose my ignorance of all things Cockburn could be considered an insult to my fellow Canadians.

Brian Walsh would consider this less an act of treason and more an act of heresy.

When I began my graduate studies at the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto, it quickly became clear that Cockburn's work was considered secondary literature in the biblical studies courses taught by Sylvia Keesmaat (who, by the way, is Walsh's spouse and co-author of Colossians Remixed, a book for which I was the research assistant). Although it was clear that Cockburn's lyrics were rich with poetic imagery and prophetic critique, I was never compelled to listen to or purchase one of his many CDs, operating under the assumption that since Cockburn has produced an album nearly every year since 1970 that such prodigious output was symptomatic of poor musical quality. This was an obviously ignorant assumption because, as I've since learned, Cockburn is, to put it mildly, an accomplished guitar player whose passion for the instrument is evident in his playing.

Anyone who knows Brian Walsh knows he is very passionate about three things ' the Bible, theology, and Bruce Cockburn. In his latest book, Kicking at the Darkness: Bruce Cockburn and the Christian Imagination, Walsh combines these three passions into a virtuosic performance that channels Cockburn's guitar playing. Walsh deftly combines biblical poetry, Cockburn's lyrics, and his own targums to create a stunning work of probing cultural criticism and imaginative prophetic insight into our modern world.

Kicking at the Darkness shows that Walsh is not simply a theologian; he is also an artist, a poet who unmasks the pretensions of our materialist culture and dares to imagine that another world is possible. He makes the biblical text speak with clarity and urgency making the biblical prophets Cockburn's contemporaries in diagnosing the ills of modern society and hoping for a world made right. Walsh is a theological troubadour who invites us to make the hope-filled biblical cadences of home our own as we sing and dance, mourn and laugh, and dare to dream.

Kicking at the Darkness is an essential read for anyone interested in the intersection of theology and culture. Rather than typical facile attempts to show how culture is anathema to faith, Walsh gives us a primer on how to properly interweave theological and cultural resources to cultivate a properly Christian imagination suffused with fearless love, vibrant hope, and rooted faith.

In reading Kicking at the Darkness, not only will you sit at the feet of two masters in their respective fields, you may just become a fan of Bruce Cockburn after all.

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