The spirituality of Springsteen

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:35 pm by Deacon Greg Kandra

The spirituality of Springsteen 2016-09-30T17:35:54-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

That was the topic of an unusual workshop held last month at St. Barnabas parish in New Jersey last month, where Augustinian friar Fr. Kevin Keelan spoke about the religious threads running through the writings of Bruce Springsteen. (One of those in attendance was Springsteen’s mother, Adele, shown above with the priest.)

From the Trenton Monitor:

Over 150 people, including Bruce’s mother Adele Springsteen, tapped their toes, nodded their heads, and silently mouthed lyrics as Father Keelen played the singer’s music to illuminate his assertions. “Every indigenous tribe has music. It’s part of being human,” the priest began. “Tonight’s about Bruce and us. He evangelizes in a different way.” Father Keelen, an Augustinian friar, cited the lyrics from “Hungry Heart” as he quoted from his saintly mentor, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, God.”

Through anecdotes culled from his years of friendship with the singer, known as “The Boss,” Father Keelen wove a picture of a deeply spiritual musician whose faith is reflected in his extensive music portfolio. The priest recalled standing before the stage at Giants Stadium listening to “Land of Hope and Dreams,” with imagery of a train barreling down the tracks carrying sinners, gamblers, the broken hearted, thieves and sweet souls departed and feeling the energy of the crowd. “This train: all aboard!’” Father Keelan exclaimed as he quoted the refrain. “That’s the image of salvation, that’s Gospel. It’s incredible poetry and melodic music. That’s what takes it to another place.”

Father Keelen played excerpts from the 1995 Springsteen album “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” named after the protagonist in John Steinbeck’s novel “The Grapes of Wrath.” As the audience heard the title track, whose lyrics declare Wherever there’s somebody fightin’ for a place to stand/Or decent job or a helpin’ hand/Wherever somebody’s strugglin’ to be free/Look in their eyes Mom you’ll see me., Father Keelen reminded them about the tenets of Catholic social teaching. “The moral test of a society is measured on how it treats it most vulnerable,” the priest said. “On Judgment Day [Matthew 25:34-40], our fate will be determined by how well we cared for our fellow man.”

The album’s songs discuss the plight of war veterans, former inmates, homeless nomads, and illegal immigrants; Father Keelen summarized the underlying theme of the works as a show of solidarity with his fellow, underprivileged man. “ ‘Joad’ takes the form of solidarity: social justice ministry,” the presenter said.

While “The Ghost of Tom Joad” focuses upon the timeless issues of poverty and man’s injustice towards man, the album “The Rising” (2002) takes the form of bereavement ministry at a specific time in American history. Written during the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, Springsteen uses the imagery of the Easter Triduum to take the listener on a journey through grief to redemption, Father Keelan maintained. The priest recounted his many visits to homes of grieving parishioners; “You’re Missing” describes the detritus of daily life awaiting the return of their now-deceased owners. Mentioning by name the Rumson parish where Father Keelan served as parochial vicar that fall, “The Fuse” details the long black line in front of Holy Cross where many funerals of World Trade Center victims took place. “Like a good liturgist, you can see, hear and taste the suffering of the musty tomb,” the priest said, “but through it all comes the experience of resurrection and redemption.”

The song “Into the Fire” addresses a firefighter mounting the doomed towers because love and duty called you someplace higher/Somewhere up the stairs into the fire. The song continues: May your strength give us strength / May your faith give us faith / May your hope give us hope / May your love give us love. “[Springsteen] ripped that right out of the Bible,” Father Keelan exclaimed. “In 1 Corinthians 13:13, it says ‘there are but three things that last Faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love.’”

Years ago, in homiletics class, one of our assignments was to do a Good Friday reflection based on one of the Seven Last Words of Christ, and I spoke about “Into the Fire” and quoted from it. Below, here’s Springsteen performing that song in 2002 in Barcelona:

Amazing video

Music

Bruce Springsteen

Previous Post

November 16, 2011

The woman behind one of the most familiar voices in the world

Next Post

November 17, 2011 Bishops call for one date for Easter

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism Education education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution politics Politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized VATICAN Vatican vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In the Parable of the Ten Virgins, what were the wise ones prepared for?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The bridegroom A feast A king The Sabbath

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »