Kicking at the Darkness: Bruce Cockburn and the Christian Imagination

by Brian J. Walsh

Bestselling author Brian Walsh engages with the theologically rich catalog of musician Bruce Cockburn in an effort to ignite a renewed Christian imagination.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Spirituality, Music, Theology

217 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2011

Reviews

[Glen Grunau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been closely following the music of Bruce Cockburn for most of my life. I attended my first Cockburn concert at the Memorial Center in Red Deer when I was around 20 years of age. One of the songs during this concert particularly captured my attention but I could not remember the name of it. I was compelled to keep purchasing Bruce Cockburn vinyl LPs until I finally re-rediscovered this song. By then I was hooked.

I confess that I was a rather shallow connoisseur of music during my youth, much more concerned about the pleasing quality of the music itself than the lyrics or any underlying meaning to the songs. But there was something about both Bruce's music and lyrics that captivated me as a young man. My two years at Trinity Western University were defined in part by the Bruce Cockburn album that was current the time: “Humans” during my first year and “Inner City Front” during my second. I recall sitting with dorm mates in my room singing along with some of Bruce's more captivating lyrics. I recall being touched by the agonizing theme of Humans, an album which Bruce released at the time that his first marriage had ended. “What About the Bond” was a song that most clearly revealed Bruce's questioning of how a marriage commitment for life could so easily be discarded. His final song on this album “The Rose Above the Sky” God spoke to the hope that can still be discovered in the midst of life's worst nightmares. This often continues to move me to tears even today when I listen to it. This was his current album when I met Karen and began to consider the possibility of declaring my own marriage vows.

I sort of lost touch with Bruce Cockburn when music technology moved from vinyl albums to compact discs and I never bothered to replace the broken needle on my turntable. When I purchased my first iPod several years ago, I made a point of downloading all of the Bruce Cockburn albums I had previously owned. My relationship with Bruce enjoyed a resurgence. This time also coincided closely with my movement into a more contemplative, mystical journey. Since then, I have experienced a vibrant awakening to many of the rich lyrical content of Bruce's music that I had previously been oblivious to. His grasp of spiritual mystery and paradox is unparalleled in Christian music artists. Perhaps Bruce's decision early on to strongly resist any identification with mainstream Christian music gave him the freedom to continue to express himself in this matter. The grit and controversy in many of his lyrics still make him highly suspect among many Christian music followers but to me, Bruce has become a personal prophet for my Christian journey and I have fallen in love once again with his music.

When this book became available earlier this year, I knew that I had to read it. I took this book on my Kindle along with my iPod to the family cottage in Muskoka country in Ontario at the end of August. For the next week, I immersed myself in this book and rediscovered in much greater depth many of the songs that I had enjoyed earlier in my life. Although I was disappointed when I learned that the author had made a deliberate decision to minimize any biographical information on the life of Bruce, I was taken by his adept handling of so many of the lyrics I had become familiar with as a younger man. It became clear to me that in my first half of life, I was not ready to receive much of the rich truth contained in these lyrics. Equally fascinating was my recognition that Bruce’s writing had also undergone a transformation over the years as he grew through his own suffering and came to understand that reality could not be so clearly defined as he had earlier envisioned. One night during this musical journey at the cottage, I had quite a compelling dream about personally meeting Bruce. Many of the people who have spoken most powerfully into my life journey have been authors I have never met. Bruce represents the one musician that has had a significant influence on my life. He has thus become one of my best spiritual friends - even though I have never met him during my waking hours. Thank you Bruce for enriching my life.

[Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

"While reading this book," Bruce Cockburn told the author, "I was deeply affected by the feeling of having been understood. Doesn't happen every day."

Now that I've read it, I know a bit of what that might feel like.

I'd enjoyed some (not all) of Cockburn's more widely popular songs for decades. Though I'd purchased only one or two of his dozens of records, I regarded him as a poet of insight well beyond all but a few artists selling records. I'd taken the news of his being Christian as something of an aside until, on deeper listening, I found for myself more than a few heart-shaking observations in his work.

The author is a fan's fan (he admits it), and so the book has plenty of moments which gush a bit overly much. He also likes to paraphrase a lyric he's just quoted (put another way, to say what's just been said, only not nearly so well); never mind, as it's easy enough to push through those.

I could say I admire the decently academic structure of Walsh's thematic studies (no surprise, coming from a university professor on "theology of culture"). He makes -- and Cockburn seems to appreciate, if not endorse -- a strong case for what many others contend: that the artist surely is a modern-day psalmist and, very probably, a prophet in the Biblical sense.

Bottom line (here I borrow from the book's closing paragraphs)...

If you believe that we humans are "rumours of glory," living in a world of wonders in the falling dark, called by Love itself to remedy all that's wrong by freely receiving and giving love in every human and heavenly way, then maybe you feel (as I do) that we could choose much worse than trading in most of what's on offer today musically for a longer, deeper listen to what Bruce Cockburn has to say.

Last year (before I read this book), I bought all the Cockburn records I was missing. My listening adventure has begun in earnest. Meanwhile, there are precious few books I read a second time. For all its self-affirmation and occasional fluff, this one probably deserves coming back off the shelf every few years, for the rest of my earthly days.

[James Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully in-depth look at Bruce Cockburn's entire body of work. Be forewarned about two things: The book presupposes that you are familiar with Bruce's work to a fairly substantial degree, and, the book also is written from a Christian perspective. Walsh brings to light the inspiration, grace, and beauty of Bruce's works in a touching and reflective way.

If you're a Christian or a lover in dangerous times, you will enjoy this book.

If you're a big Bruce fan and a Christian, this book is invaluable.

[Alex Strohschein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bruce Cockburn is undoubtedly one of the most prolific and lauded Christian artists of the past half-century, attracting audiences both spiritual and secular and the admiration of creative peers. 'Kicking at the Darkness: Bruce Cockburn and the Christian Imagination' is a reflective exploration of the Canadian songwriter's music and his worldview. The book read like a commentary on Cockburn's work, much like a pastor would turn to a biblical commentary to gain a deeper understanding of Genesis or Ephesians.

Fans of Cockburn will relish Brian J. Walsh's careful exposition of Cockburn's lyrical worldview. Cockburn, along with Leonard Cohen, are my two favourite Canadian musical artists but as I read 'Kicking at the Darkness' I realized I am much more of a casual fan than I expected. Many of Cockburn's most deliberate nods to his faith come in his early albums from the 1970s, none of which I listen to all that often (I have NEVER listened to his first six albums released between 1970-1976). Cockburn occupies a strange niche in the Canadian musical firmament; he does not shy away from his faith yet he is a fiery denouncer of the Religious Right (for instance, the song 'Gospel of Bondage'). He is a Christian, but not evangelical or Catholic - most likely most at home in the Protestant mainline (Walsh notes the influence of Harvey Cox on Cockburn's thought). Reflecting very Canadian sensibilities, he draws on nature as a muse and his songs often deal with pressing social issues such as the environment ('If A Tree Falls'), the plight of First Nations ('Indian Wars'), right-wing dictatorships ('If I Had A Rocket Launcher'), and exploitative, globalized capitalism ('Trickle Down').

Even as a casual fan, I think Walsh could have explored some more terrain. Cockburn uses the expression "under the mercy" which is often associated with the Inkling Charles Williams. As well, as a Mark Heard proselytizer, I wish Walsh had mentioned the song written in tribute to him, 'Closer to the Light,' a moving meditation on death and mourning.

[Corey Herlevsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite writers (Brian J Walsh) writing about one of my favorite postmodern prophetic Psalmists (Bruce Cockburn). What's not to like? The book is remarkably evocative, deeply biblical and exceedingly familiar with Cockburn's vast repertoire. In fact, he alludes to songs both popular and obscure so often and so pervasively that the book might be a hard slug for those not very familiar with Cockbutn. It may have been better to thoroughly exegete a few songs than to scatter thematic references and allusions throughout the book. Such an approach would also likely eliminate the book's occasional repetitiveness. Overall, Walsh does a remarkable job of sussing out Cockburn's profound artistry and Christian imagination.

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat disappointing, some interesting insights into Cockburn's music and how his faith informs it, but could have used some editing (ie constantly repeating the message of a lyric with other words gets annoying after a while) and in some places it's hard to tell if you're reading about Cockburn's theology or Walsh's. Nice job of connecting Christian theme's across his career.

[Cathy]

Will likely finish this someday

[Bill Huizer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brian J. Walsh is certainly a big fan of Bruce Cockburn. Cockburn's music has helped challenge his theology and has been a part of wonderful memories throughout the past forty years. Each chapter in this examination of Cockburn's lyrical themes is loving rendered, most likely written over a fairly long period of time. This is both the book's strength and its fault - sometimes it's just too gushing, and feels like a Cockburn love-in, rather than a critical examination of the spiritual themes in his music. I am sure he is conscious that Cockburn is going to read this, and he can't help but throw in one too many superlatives to describe how great every aspect of the venerable Canadian's music truly is.

I can't totally fault him for this - I tried to talk to Cockburn two years ago and I froze up like a ten-year-old would if she met Taylor Swift. The next time I saw him I ended up gushing over his music and what it meant to my life, and then asked him what he thought about this book (it hadn't come out yet, but he had already read part of it, and liked it). So, my criticism of this book should come with a disclaimer: I am a huge fan of Bruce Cockburn and I regularly pour over his lyrics, particularly the ones that dwell on Christian themes. So this book has to fall short for me, because it can't go to all the places and songs I need it to go.

Even though it can't compare to what you get from repeated listens to the source material, Walsh does some excellent analysis of several of Cockburn's tunes, particularly "Messenger Wind" and "All the Diamonds." And here is a sampling of some of Walsh's insight on not only Cockburn, but artists in general from the second chapter, "Ecstatic Wonderings and Dangerous Kicking: Imagination and Method":

"The artist engages the world, sees something there, and finds just the right words and music to put that experience into a three-minute moment that somehow captures things for us, somehow gives voice to what we had intuited but didn't quite have the words for. The artist opens our eyes so that we see and experience the world anew, more deeply, and maybe in a way that brings some kind of healing for us." (26)

"[T.S. Eliot's point is] any art that merits serious attention, any art that gets us "thinking about eternity" is an art that calls forth theological dialogue and reflection." (27)

"Philosopher Paul Ricoeur has argued that people live their lives more by what they can imagine than by the supposed beliefs they conceptually hold. And the crisis of our time is that we live in a culture of captive imaginations. Indeed, it is a tell-tale characteristic of imperial ideology that the imaginations of the population are monopolized by the dominant sociocultural and politico-economic forces. No wonder "every totalitarian regime is afraid of the artist." The artist insists on seeing beyond the range of normal sight, not allowing our imaginations to be limited by a sense of the inevitability of the present state of things. The artist, or at least an artist who will reawaken our imaginations from our culturally imposed slumber will offer alternative metaphors, images, and symbols through a porous, open, and elusive language that awakens an alternative imagination. Seeing through the artist's eyes, feeling through the musician's rhythms and tonalities, and finding ourselves playing in a world that is mediated to us through the images of the singer's lyrics, we have the opportunity to experience and imagine the world anew." (34)

Despite my criticisms, there is much to enjoy here, especially for fans of Cockburn.

[Jason Postma · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. However, the author writes from a standpoint that will be anathema to many more conservative Christians--his approach is explicitly post-modern, anti-hegemonic, post-colonial, and not exactly pro-American (should be no surprise to those familiar with Cockburn's work, of course). Definitely on the "progressive" side of politics and theology, despite coming from a publishing house with roots in an evangelical/Reformed tradition. I found myself nodding in agreement on almost every page, and I now have a new playlist of songs to add to my modest (but well-loved) Cockburn collection. But I know that my own beliefs aren't indicative of North American evangelicalism as a whole, and I'm sure that many would find the constant political subtext off-putting.

The book is poetically written (sometimes developing into pages-long poem-sermons) and offers an extended meditation on dozens of Cockburn's finest songs. Don't pick this up if you're looking for a Cockburn bio or a definitive statement on his beliefs. The author is clear that he is only interpreting, not trying to explain the elusive intentions of the original artist. However, he does conclusively demonstrate that Cockburn's philosophy--the inherent brokenness of the world and the glorious possibility of redemption--is rooted in a Christian spirituality which continues to inform his writing deeply, no matter how far he has "strayed" from his born again faith of the 1970s.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Bruce Cockburn this is a must read book. Walsh explores Cockburn's lyrics with depth and insight. Despite the fact that I have some rather serious disagreements with Walsh's politics, I really enjoyed the way he provocatively explored Cockburn's work through the eyes of scripture and faith. He examines Cockburn as a prophetic voice and psalmist offering laments and praise in equal measure.

If you are not a fan of Cockburn, or familiar with his work, I am not sure you would enjoy the book quite as much are be able to make the connections But Walsh still offers some interesting conceptions of how we view the world and how music and art engage and inform that worldview.

My only complaint is that the book can get rather dense and seems maybe a tad too long. Some familiarity with philosophy, particularly with a post-modern bent, is also probably needed to enjoy this book as well.

[Timothy Hoiland · Rating 4 out of 5]

While his lyrics contain words not often heard in church, and while this can be unsettling, you can’t really begin to understand what makes Bruce Cockburn tick without considering the role faith plays in his life.

Brian Walsh, a university chaplain and professor of theology of culture in Toronto, wonderfully explores the intersections of these themes in Kicking at the Darkness: Bruce Cockburn and the Christian Imagination (Brazos). It definitely helps to be acquainted with Cockburn’s music before reading it, as it’s more about his lyrics and over-arching themes than it is a biography.

What I found most intriguing, and most helpful, was Walsh’s focus on Cockburn’s worldview, and the extent to which it’s informed by his Christian imagination. Worldview, Walsh says, “tell(s) us both what the world is and what it ought to be.”

- See more at: http://tjhoiland.com/wordpress/2012/0...

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the author Brian Walsh I have listened to the music of Bruce Cockburn since my early 20's. I am reading this slowly as it is so well written and I want to savour each page. Cockburn's lyrics are sheer poetry...Bono has called him a modern psalmist. Walsh's book is not a biography but rather "a conversation with his art". This is a book I know that I am likely to read many times! If Bruce Cockburn's music and lyrics resonate with you I would highly recommend this book.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting book, particularly for those who love Bruce Cockburn or like to see the glimpses of redemption and God's story in art. If you are the type who watches films, reads books, listens to songs or sees visual art and finds all the Christ-pictures, Walsh is in the trenches with you, and probably taking it two steps farther than you would. As a gifted theologian, he makes it work.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brian Walsh uses postmodern methodology that is a bit questionable at times. I love the music of Bruce Cockburn as does Brian Walsh, however, he appears to be trying to write like Bruce and doesn't pull it off well. An informative a thought provoking book on the lyrics of Bruce Cockburn.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cockburn has been my favourite artist since 1973; reading this was like having the BEST conversation ever about him. I think both long time admirers and those new to Cockburn would enjoy this read. It's a conversation-meditation that opened up my ears and heart even wider to his lyrics.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a difficult read as I am not a poetic kinda guy seeking the deeper meanings of lyrics. I almost put it down but as I got into it it became fascinating. Cockburn is definitely seeking the Divine.

[Mark Kornelis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Beautifully written. Many thanks to the author for writing this book - for his time spent thinking about and connecting the dots among Bruce's provocative and powerful lyrics.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the very best treatments of a truly gifted muscician/muse/psalmist/Christian that is available. Highly recommended as an entryway into the life, thought and activism of Cockburn.