Taylor MarshallMusic Archives - Taylor Marshall

347: Why did Pope Francis Fund Elton John Movie? with George Neumayr [Podcast]

Dr Taylor Marshall — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 10:00:46 +0000

George Neumary joins Dr Taylor Marshall to examine the recent discover that Pope Francis’s “Peter’s Pence” fund was used not to aid the poor, but to fund partly the Rocketman film about Elton John and the recent Men in Black Film. At least the R Renaissance Popes commissioned good art….

Watch this new podcast episode by clicking here:

Or listen to the audio mp3 here:

If you’d like to order a copy of Taylor’s new book Infiltration: The Plot to Destroy the Church from Within, you can order it in Hardback, Kindle, or Audiobook.

Check out Patreon Patron Benefits for Donating to Dr Taylor Marshall’s Show!

All these video discussions are free. Do you want to recommend a show, get signed books, and show support? Here’s how: click on Patreon Patron link:

Become a Patron of this Podcast: I am hoping to produce more free weekly podcast Videos. Please help me launch these videos by working with me on Patreon to produce more free content. In gratitude, I’ll send you some signed books or even stream a theology event for you and your friends. Please become one of my patrons and check out the various tier benefits at: https://www.patreon.com/drtaylormarshall

If the audio player does not show up in your email or browser, please click here to listen.

If you find this podcast episode helpful, please share this podcast on Facebook.

Get more from the Taylor Marshall Show:

Read Taylor Marshall’s historical fiction Sword and Serpent Trilogy.
Download the Study Guide at: http://swordandserpent.com
Take classed with Dr Marshall at the New Saint Thomas Institute. Please visit newsaintthomas.com for more details.

Please Share Your Feedback for Taylor Marshall Show:

I’d love to read your feedback: While you listen to today’s podcast, would you please take 30 seconds to write a review? Please click here to Rate this Podcast!
iTunes: 3,549,958 downloads
Youtube: 10,311,915 downloads
SHOUT OUTS: A huge “shout out” to all 1,692 of you who wrote amazing 5-star reviews at iTunes. Please rate this podcast by clicking here. From there you can leave a review. I appreciate you for this! Thank you!

How to Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Youtube:

Apple/Mac Users: Please subscribe via iTunes by clicking here and then clicking on “View in iTunes.”

Android Users: For listening to The Taylor Marshall Show on Android devices (free) using:

Android Stitcher app.
Android Beyond Pod app from the Google Play Store.
Android Pocketcasts app.

Spotify Users: For listening to The Taylor Marshall Show on Spotify, search in Spotify for “Taylor Marshall.”

Our you can listen/watch to the Taylor Marshall Show via Youtube:

If you like this podcast, please leave a review on iTunes.

The post 347: Why did Pope Francis Fund Elton John Movie? with George Neumayr [Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

The Messianic Theology of Bob Marley and His Conversion to Ethiopian Orthodoxy

Dr Taylor Marshall — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 18:41:03 +0000

I just returned from the Caribbean. As I listened to the music Bob Marley and the local reggae music, I tuned in with my theological ear. Certain lyrics stood out to me, for example, this line from Marley’s “Get Up Stand Up” (1973):

We sick an’ tired of-a your ism-skism game –
Dyin’ ‘n’ goin’ to heaven in-a Jesus’ name, Lord.
We know when we understand:
Almighty God is a living man.

So who is this “living man” who is God? Is it Christ or someone else? Hmm.

Bob Marley depicted as Saint George on his final album “Confrontation”

So I read through the lyrics and read up on Rastafari theology and its appropriation of Christian Messianism. Since most people interface Rastafari beliefs via Bob Marley’s music, I’ll examine Rastafari theology through the lens of Bob Marley. And so to begin, we should recognize that Marley experienced three theological periods during his life:

Roman Catholic – from his birth in 1945 till 1966 when he was 21. His father was a white Jamaican captain derived from England. His mother was a Jamaican girl. He was 59. She was 18. His father died of a heart attack at age 70, when Bob was 10 years old. It seems that his mother was a Catholic.
Rastafari – At age 21, Marley married Rita Anderson, a Rastafarian. Marley wholeheartedly adopted the Rastafarian identity and theology. This period lasts from 1966 (age 21) till about 1979.
Ethiopian Orthodox – Marley became less enthusiastic about the Rastafari movement, especially after the death of Haile Selassie in 1975 (more on that below). By 1978 Marley’s music is less political, less militant, and less Rasta. Themes of love begin to dominate the music. Beginning 1979-1980, Marley sought membership within the Ethiopian Orthodox Church of Haile Selassie. Archbishop Abuna Yesehaq baptized Bob Marley into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, giving him the name Berhane Selassie, on 4 November 1980. Marley died of cancer seven months later on 11 May 1981 and received an Ethiopian Orthodox funeral.

101 Intro to Rastafari Messianic Theological:

Trinitarian. Rastafari are traditionally Trinitarian and worship God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. They tend to depict Jesus as black and reject European depictions of Christ. As we will see below, they also see King Haile Selassie as a reincarnation or avatar of Jesus Christ. Some more advanced Rastafarians hold that God has had four avatars: Moses, Elijah, Jesus, and Haile Selassie.
They read the Old and New Testament. They tend to quote the King James Version.
Ethiopia is Politico-Prophetic. Rastafari read the Bible in a way to see the African nation of Ethiopia as playing a prophetic role in religious action and political justice. This is why the Rasta movement is defined by the colors of the Ethiopian flag.
Ethiopic Messianism. They also believe that King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba had a baby together and that this child established a Davidic-Solomonic Messianic royal dynasty in Ethiopia.
Pan-African. Rastafari theology is a religious Pan-African movement that looked forward to: a) the unification of all African nations; and B) the return of all dispersed Africans back to Africa. Ethiopia will be the instrument of this reunion.
King Haile Selassie as Messiah. Rastafarian name themselves after Ras Tafari Makonnen (Ras means “Duke”), the baptismal name of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, King of Ethiopia. They believe that “Ras Tafari” or “Haile Selassie” is the heir of the Davidic-Solomonic promises and that his celebrated coronation on 2 November 1930 was an apocalyptic and prophetic event signaling redemption for Africa and all dispersed Africans. The movement identified King Haile Selassie as “Messianic” or “the Messiah” or “Jesus reincarnate” or “divine” or “Jah.” King Haile Selassie was named Man of the Year in 1936, thus increasing expectation:
Smoking cannabis was a cultural Jamaican practice. By association it became a defining element of Afro-Caribbean identity and Rastafarian spirituality. Rastafarian identified the “healing leaves” of Revelation 22:2 as cannabis: “and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
Dreadlocks. The growing of dreadlocks is Biblically inspired by the Nazarite vow of Numbers 6: 5–6: “During the entire period of their Nazarite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the LORD is over; they must let their hair grow long.”
Concubinage and Polygamy. Rastafarians hold David and Solomon as their spiritual fathers. Following their example, they allow for polygamy and concubinage. The Rastafarian women (like Bob Marley’s wife Rita) allowed their husbands to sleep with other women as they saw fit. Marital monogamy is not binding because it was not binding for David or Solomon.

Origin of Rastafari Theology

Beginning in 1930, Jamaican (Protestant) preachers began to describe the coronation of King Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia as the fulfillment of Revelation (5:2–5; 19:16), Daniel (7:3), and the Book of Psalms (68:31).
Jamaicans began to see themselves as supporting the “black king of Ethiopia” and not the “white king of England.” Supporters of Ras Tafari began to be identified as Rastafarians.
In 1935, Jamaican preacher Leonard Howell published the tract The Promised Key which explained that Emperor Haile Selassie (Ras Tafari) was the Messiah, that Black people were the chosen people, and they would soon be repatriated to Ethiopia and experience political and economic prosperity. The tract is the founding document of Rastafarian belief and marks the move from seeing Haile Selassie as merely prophetic to “the divine Messiah.”
Leonard Howell taught that there are 6 principles to Rastafari theology:
(1) hatred for the White race;
(2) the complete superiority of the Black race;
(3) revenge on Whites for their wickedness;
(4) the negation, persecution, and humiliation of the government of Jamaica;
(5) preparation to go back to Africa; and
(6) acknowledging Emperor Haile Selassie as the Supreme Being and only ruler of Black people
Haile Selassie visited Jamaica for the first time in August 1966, with crowds of Rastas assembling to meet him at the airport.
The death of Haile Selassie in 1975 lead to alternative conspiracies about a faked death, his resurrection, his second coming, or to his spiritual force being released into the world. However, as no Pan-African change materialized, the Rastafari movement lost momentum. Among black communities, rap replaced Rasta-style reggae as the musical force for revolution and political change. However, Rastafarian imagery and language continues to dominate pro-African movements in the West. The emphasis on Haile Selassie has mostly been exchanged for militant Socialism and the deification of the individual.

Bob Marley as Rastafarian and then as Ethiopian Orthodox:

As stated above, Bob Marley became Rastafarian in 1966 at age 21. Here’s his album cover with the The Wailers from 1965 with no signs of Rastafarian identity, with Bob Marley centered:

With their second album in 1966, they became political and took on a guerrilla revolution identity.

“I Shot the Sheriff” was released in 1973 on their sixth LP Burnin’. The album reached 151 on Billboard 200. The next year in 1974, Eric Clapton covered “I Shot the Sheriff” and it was a number one hit. This lifted Bob Marley and the Wailers into fame as fans desired to buy/listen to the original version. All of Marley’s subsequent albums did well, as he peaked in 1977 with the LP Exodus. By 1980 he was playing Madison Square Garden in NYC.

In 1977, Marley had been diagnosed with a malignant skin cancer on his toe. Doctors suggested full amputation of the toe. Marley kept the toe. On 21 September 1980, he learned that the cancer spread to his brain. He played his last concert on 23 September 1980 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

At this last live concert he sang: “We know when we over-stand: Almighty God is a living man.” It’s not clear if he was merely honoring the original lyrics, or whether he still actually believed that the now-deceased King Haile Sellasie was still God Almighty. Probably the former.

About 40 days after receiving his terminal cancer diagnosis, Archbishop Abuna Yesehaq baptized Bob Marley into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church on 4 November 1980. Afterward he cried for half an hour.

Bob Marley died of brain cancer on 11 May 1981.

Here is a full YouTube video with Archbishop Abuna Yesehaq, the one who baptized Bob Marley into the Orthodox Church. He explicitly states that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is NOT Rastafarian:

2:50 Abuna Yesehaq says that 20,000 Rastafarians were baptized into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, but no all remained. From the video, it seems that Abuna Yesehaq did not require the newly baptized to renounced their Rasta beliefs. If so, this is troubling.
3:40 Abuna Yesehaq says that Haile Selassie was a member of Ethiopian Orthodox Church and denied he was divine.
4:20 Haile Selassie sent Abuna Yesehaq to convert Rastas in Jamaica.
5:50 Abuna Yesehaq says dreadlocks are okay
7:05 Abuna Yesehaq says “I baptized Bob Marley”
8:00 Abuna Yesehaq explains three differences with Roman Catholics: papal infallibility, miaphysite nature of Christ, procession of Holy Spirit.
10:40 Abuna Yesehaq explains how Bob Marley wanted to learn and conform to Orthodox practice, especially with regard to concubinage and polygamy.
11:30 Abuna Yesehaq told Bob Marley to be monogamous.
11:46 Abuna Yesehaq explains how Bob Marley cried for half and hour after baptism.
12:30 His wife Rita Marely was baptized with her children in Ethiopian Orthodox Church in 1973.
13:15 Bob Marley assented that Jesus crucified not Selassie is Christ.

It remains unclear whether Bob Marley repudiated his belief that Selassie but this interview seems to indicate that he did so and that he died a faithful member of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

[reminder]Do you have any questions about Rastafarian beliefs? Or do you have any more information about the beliefs or conversion of Bob Marley?[/reminder]

The post The Messianic Theology of Bob Marley and His Conversion to Ethiopian Orthodoxy appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Catholic Webinar: History of Our Lady of Guadalupe Miracles

Dr Taylor Marshall — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:10:06 +0000

Dr Marshall provides historical theological analysis on Mary as "Guadalupe"

Tonight we are re-running a highly popular Catholic Webinar on Our Lady of Guadalupe: History and Marian Theology (8,000+ views so far).

If you’d like to watch the re-play, there is still time to catch it: Please sign up here.

What you will discover about Our Lady of Guadalupe:

How the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe began with Saint Luke.
How the original image was acquired by St Gregory the Great.
Christopher Columbus’ devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The Apparition of Our Lady to St Juan Diego.
How Our Lady of Guadalupe can help you in our secular society.
How she can help you bring family and friends back to the Catholic Church.

I hope you will join us for this exciting Catholic Mariology Webinar. Lots of energy and tons of information about Our Lady going back to the time of Saint Luke the Evangelist:

to Jesus through Mary,
Dr Taylor Marshall

The post Catholic Webinar: History of Our Lady of Guadalupe Miracles appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Reviews of the New Saint Thomas Institute from Members

Dr Taylor Marshall — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 22:55:05 +0000

Looking for real reviews of actual members and students of the New Saint Thomas Institute? Please browse through the comments made by our happy students:

“I am totally enjoying being a member of the New Saint Thomas Institute! I am like a sponge soaking up all the goodness and richness of it all. So grateful for it!” – Jacqueline S
“You have selected a great apostolate with NSTI. Dr Taylor Marshall has a unique way of presenting material that is informative and on target. There are many resources available to aid you in your learning and further self-study on subject matter. There are groups, forums and Certificate courses to provide many hours of information to grow more in our Catholic faith. God Bless.” – Daniel D
“I can’t recommend NSTI’s postings more highly! I’m a 76 year old widow of a Permanent Deacon in our Catholic church, with great appreciation for always learning more about the foundation of Christianity! Dr. Marshall’s presentations expand my appreciation for how every little thing, if there IS any LITTLE thing, reveals the glory of GOD!!!” – Mary Goettsche
“I’m regretful that I did not join [New Saint Thomas] Institute earlier – when my children were still at home….. I feel like I missed an opportunity.” – Pamela B
“These resources are awesome! I can learn so much, and I don’t even have to take out a student loan!” Betsy L
“I am so happy with this Institute! It is amazingly simple to read and listen to. Once I get started for the day, I find it difficult to stop learning!” – Shirley Russell
“I am taking your Catholic Theology course and I thank you for the opportunity to have a deeper understanding of my faith. There is no much that I do not know and I hunger for more. The mass becomes more alive to me because of your teachings on St. Thomas’ Summa. Again, thank you and may God continue to bless you and the New St. Thomas Institute. Regards, Marissa”
“Thank you. Every module aids me in remembering my teachings & studies at the University of Saint Thomas (Houston, TX). This Institute is absolutely wonderful and is such a blessing. NSTI came into my life at the perfect time. I will forever be a student (&/or Teacher) of Theology, Philosophy, & History. St. Thomas Aquinas has proven to be whom God wants me to learn & relearn my Catholic Faith…and thank goodness too! God Bless!” – Michael M
“Thank you so much for this amazing institute and how it offers so much so willingly to women like me. I live in Dubai, UAE and am married to George and we have three children Pio, Vincent and Claire and i have a feeling we might be having our fourth. Please do keep us in prayer.” – Carolyn Riccio Thanel Absolutely love being a member of NSTI!
“The New Saint Thomas Institute has been absolutely wonderful. I have been a member for 18 months and completed all three courses. I met my goal. I have achieved what I set out to do when I joined. I have a pretty good understanding of who St. Thomas was and will continue to study him. I guess I feel like I graduated. I plan to take the monthly tuition and add it to my children’s college fund each month. We are hoping to give them the opportunity to go to a Catholic Institution (one that is true to the Church – not a Catholic in name only school). You guys have been wonderful. I plan to continue to listen to Dr. Marshall’s podcast, especially on Revelation. Peace.” – Joe Scaffidi
“I am so glad I stumbled across the NSTI, I tell everyone about it.” – John Germaine
“Thanks Dr Marshall for this opportunity to learn. I really liked the video and am excited to continue.” – Patricia A
“I thank God to give me this opportunity to be part of NSTI. God bless.
I will pray for you. Your teaching is so simple and clear, thanks.” – Christiane N
“I am really enjoying the current certificates and learning a lot (which was my original purpose in joining NSTI.)” – Frank M
“I am new to the class and love it. Thank you for making this resource available to us.
These videos are exactly what I have been looking for! I love the clarity with which the materials are presented! Thank you!” – Janet V
“I went to 12 years of Catholic school and 2 years of Catholic College, I used to wonder why I didn’t know more about my faith with all this schooling. It seems the more I study and learn the more I realize how much I didn’t know, NSTI is a big help. It’s one of my many resources. St. Augustine says true happiness comes from knowledge of God. Joy and surprise!! The closer I get to God the more I want to share the gospel. I want to go heaven. Praise God, I want everyone to go to heaven.” – Katherine L
“This is such an AWESOME resource for me to know my faith, defend my faith, and bring others back to my Catholic faith, that I can’t wait to get started! We can’t really financially afford it with a one person income and 5 children, but it is so worth the sacrifice. We won’t go out to eat much but instead feed our souls with the fullness of the truth. Thanks be to God for the NSTI and what you are doing for the Kingdom of God!” – Sandra
“This is my first Certification course with NSTI! This lesson, like the others, has a ton of amazing additional resources, namely all of the Summa references. I treated myself to the beautiful blue hard copy version that Taylor recommends of the Summa. Even though it’s the same words, there’s something about holding the hard copy in my hands and reading Aquinas’ words that makes this study that much more enjoyable!” – Ann F
“I am so glad I found this Institute on my Facebook page. I have not been a member well on the 1 dollar trial that is but I have learned so much from the short time I have signed up and I will be upgrading to premium because, this Institute is just what I needed for my journey. Thank you and God bless.” – Joey N
“Thanks to your explanations, Dr. Marshall, I can engage my wife, a lapsed (very lapsed) Episcopalian in conversations about God, Catholicism and even her own faith. Like most Episcopalians I know talk of such things seems inappropriate outside of the appropriate setting, i.e. church service. Your gentle and clear explanations help me engage her now on such things outside the “appropriate” setting. Thank you.” – Stephen V
“I am really happy that I joined. I learn a lot about my religion. I don’t need a certificate.i only need to feed my knowledge about my religion so that I can pass it onto friends, relatives and neighbors.” Julie T
“I have teenage daughters and I have prayed about how – as a mom – I could speak to them to let them know how special and divinely created they are. This [program] is so helpful. I am also a new student at our local university again! I’m 49 and I’m very proud that I have taken the leap to get back to school and get a degree in Early Childhood Education. Anyway, you totally rock and I am LOVING New Saint Thomas [Institute]!” – Mary B
If you would like to join the New Saint Thomas Institute or read more reviews by customers and students, please visit our home page for more information: newsaintthomas.com.

The post Reviews of the New Saint Thomas Institute from Members appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Eric Clapton’s Song to Virgin Mary was Stolen for Princess Bride film

Dr Taylor Marshall — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 11:19:56 +0000

Do you remember that epic closing music to The Princess Bride? It’s a ripoff of a song written by Eric Clapton, a ballad written to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

During the lows of Eric Clapton’s alcoholism, he wrote a ballad to the Blessed Virgin Mary called “Holy Mother.” The lyrics are moving and conclude with a “now and at the hour of our death” moment followed by a solo that only Clapton could construct:

When my hands no longer play,
My voice is still, I fade away.
Holy mother, then I’ll be
Lying in, safe within your arms. [guitar solo]

During this time in his life, Clapton had a conversion to Christ which explains like this:

I had found a place to turn to… From that day until this, I have never failed to pray in the morning, on my knees, asking for help, and at night, to express gratitude for my life and, most of all, for my sobriety. I choose to kneel because I feel I need to humble myself when I pray, and with my ego, this is the most I can do.

Anyway, he wrote a beautiful ballad called “Holy Mother” and from the first time that I listened to it, I thought to myself, “This sounds like a movie?” And then I realized that it sounded like The Princess Bride theme.

Compare the opening and the melody of Eric Clapton’s “Holy Mother” (1986) to The Princess Bride Theme (1987). I’ve included both from Youtube:

Here is Eric Clapton’s “Holy Mother” from his album August (1986):

And here’s The Princess Bride Theme Song, “Storybook Love” (1987):

https://youtu.be/8ifSUhwmIMU

It’s a bit odd that these songs came out a year apart. Mark Knoplfer, composer of The Princes Bride theme, was the singer for Dire Straits (“Money for nothing and your chicks for free…”). He was also a friend of Clapton’s and the two have played together over the years. But I’ve got say, it sure does sound like Knopfler cribbed Clapton’s “Holy Mother” for The Princess Bride. Just saying…

I really enjoy Clapton’s “Holy Mother” (brings me to tears) and I especially his version of “Holy Mother” with Pavarotti. Give it to 1:43:

https://youtu.be/Kju1Opsvwzs

You’ll see that Clapton is wailing on a blue Stratocaster – fitting for a Marian hymn.

If you want another beautiful Clapton song, check out his “Presence of the Lord” with Blind Faith (Clapton and Steve Winwood singing). This song is so epic.
Two other great spiritual ballads by Clapton are “Tears in Heaven” and “Running on Faith.”

[reminder]Do you like Clapton’s “Holy Mother”?[/reminder]

Godspeed,
Taylor

The post Eric Clapton’s Song to Virgin Mary was Stolen for Princess Bride film appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Into the Woods Movie – A Dad’s Critical Review

Dr Taylor Marshall — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 18:32:17 +0000

I just took my family to see the most philosophically pernicious Disney movie of all time: Into the Woods. As the story warns you: “Careful the tale you tell…Children will listen.” Read on to find out why…

My almost-11-years-old twin daughters Mary Claire and Rose were dying to see Disney’s Into the Woods. In case you don’t have twin daughters keeping you in the know, Into the Woods is a mashup fairytale of Jack in the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel.

What was Great about Into the Woods

The film was beautiful with an all-star cast: Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, and Tracey Ullman. It’s a film adaptation of the 1987 Broadway musical “Into the Woods.” I ain’t gonna lie. When Chris Pine did his musical number on the waterfall, I was laughing and loving it. It reminded me of something from my favorite musical: Pirates of Penzance.

I was so into the film that at one point I even thought to myself, “This is great. I should buy stock in Disney. This is so well done!” The music was fun and fantastic. The story moved quickly and held my attention. I wasn’t getting up to go the bathroom.

From a story-telling point of view, the musical weaves together various classic fairytales into one giant meta-narrative so that each character was interconnected. And at last, all the happier ever after’s happened. The Prince married Cinderella. Little Red Riding Hood lived. The baker’s wife had a baby. The witch was appeased. Rapunzel got her man, too. Jack kleptoed the giant’s gold and chopped the beanstalk to kill him.

But then the pernicious twist…

What was Wrong about Into the Woods

For 60 years Disney has made beautiful “happily ever after” cartoons. I don’t know if it’s feminism or just Western jadedness, but “happily ever after” is just soooo not cool anymore. Moreover, it’s now fashionable to reveal the prince as evil and the princess as romantically frozen or emotionally tangled. There can be no love at first sight. Oh, and if there is, it will be crushed. The wounded girl will go on to become a ~~maleficent~~ benevolent heroine.

I get it. Happy endings can be more like the aftermath of Helm’s Deep. Life is messy. Not everything is “A Dream is a Wish that Your Heart Makes.”

So Into the Woods creatively deconstructs the “happily” narrative of each story. At one point Cinderella’s prince-husband (?) begins to seduce the baker’s wife who just had a baby. One of my daughters leans over and says, “Daddy, what is happening?” I lean in and say, “The Prince is trying to commit adultery with her.” Yikes. This was not the delicately whispered conversation that I had hoped to have during a holiday trek to the the cinema. All I can say, “It’s a good thing we’ve gone over the 10 Commandments as a family.” I have explained the elusive “Thou shalt not commit adultery” as “When you try to marry someone who is not your husband/wife.” Now we have a kids movie to help us understand it more deeply. Thanks Disney!

Into the Woods as a Secular Sermonizing

So, yeah, there was the awkward Baker’s wife and Prince kiss scene and then the wife’s perplexity over it. But that’s not really what made me dislike the film.

I’m a philosopher. I’m a prof. That’s my trade. So it was the not-so-subtle sermon at the end of the film that got my goat.

There is a final scene in which all the characters play the blame game. They each take turn blaming the others for the unhappy ending in which they find themselves. The witch finally reveals that finding blame is unhelpful. Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody screwed up. Everybody is to blame. So just move on with your life. Pick up the pieces and try to make something of it.

Into the Woods as Philosophical Nominalism

Ultimately, Into the Woods is an apologetic for the philosophical school of nominalism – an error going back before the days of Socrates and Plato. Nominalism holds that there is not real essence or form out there in the world. There is no real substance or nature out there. Instead, we humans create and apply the names (nomina in Latin, hence nominalism) to things and actions out there.

With nominalism, there is ultimately no meaning. There is no purpose. There is only the meaning and purpose that we create in our own hearts. There is no such thing as natural law. We can decide what we want things to be. If we want to change the nomen or definition of “marriage” than we can do so. If we want to change the nomen or definition of good and evil, we can do that, too.

Here’s the final (nominalist) sermon from Into the Woods. I wanted to cover the ears of my dear children when I heard these words sung to a beautiful melody:

“Wrong things, right things …

Who can say what’s true? …

Do things, fight things …

You decide, but …

You are not alone …

Witches can be right.

Giants can be good.

You decide what’s right. You decide what’s good.”

This is the final answer to the pain of the characters. “You decide what’s good.” But that’s the problem. All the bad guys are already playing that game. They have decided what is “right for me” and they are hurting you.

Out of the Woods: Let’s Turn from Nominalism Back to Realism

The opposite of nominalism is realism. Realism holds that there are absolute, non-changing forms, substances, and ideas in the universe. There are natural, pre-established laws that are real and not man-made. Humans don’t get make up their own definitions. There is no “You decide what’s right. You decide what’s good.” Instead, human persons must discover the true definitions within the fabric of a real world. We don’t create meaning and purpose. We discover what was already real before we showed up.

If you’ve jumped ahead of me and have concluded that Nominalism leads to secularism and atheism and that Realism leads to religion and theism, you are very intelligent. You can see past the meta-narrative of Into the Woods.

So let’s get “out of the woods.” The nominalist worldview of the woods that proclaims, “You decide what’s right. You decide what’s good,” is ultimately bleak. It leaves you with the feeling that I had walking out of that movie theatre with my kids.

[reminder]Have you seen the film yet? What were your thoughts?[/reminder]

Please share this post with friends or family on Facebook by clicking here.

The post Into the Woods Movie – A Dad’s Critical Review appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Take Me to Church Lyrics and Meaning – A Christian Analysis and Critique

Dr Taylor Marshall — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 17:18:05 +0000

If you have a radio in your car, you have probably heard the popular song “Take Me to Church” by Irish recording artist Hozier. For those who don’t listen to the radio or care about pop music, all you need to know is that this song was nominated for Song of the Year at the Grammy’s.

Recording Artist Hozier

The song is hauntingly beautiful with subtle verses and a soulful chorus. Admittedly, when I first heard it, I thought, “Wow, this is a powerful song. It’s almost hymn-like.” It’s Elton John mixed with an old Southern Spiritual from the American Civil War.

But then I started listening to the lyrics…

“Take Me to Church” by Hozier could only have been written by an Irishmen with Catholic roots. When he sings of “Church,” it is a “sacrifice” at a “shrine” with a “ritual” and includes “I’ll tell you my sins.”

However, Hozier’s religion is not Protestant or Evangelical Christianity. This is Irish Catholicism with a blasphemous twist…

Take Me to Church Lyrics Analyzed

Regrettably, the lyrics to “Take Me to Church” are pretty blasphemous. Here’s my theological analysis with my commentary in the red:

[Verse 1]
My lover’s got humour
She’s the giggle at a funeral
Knows everybody’s disapproval
I should’ve worshipped her sooner (So this is the cue. The God throughout the song is a girlfriend.)
If the Heavens ever did speak (“If the Heavens ever” = revealed religion is cast into doubt)
She’s the last true mouthpiece
Every Sunday’s getting more bleak
A fresh poison each week
“We were born sick”, you heard them say it (“they” [Catholics] teach original sin)
My church offers no absolutes (So unlike Catholicism, there are no moral absolutes – only relativism)
She tells me “worship in the bedroom” (the liturgy is sex. It’s the place of union between him and the “god”/girlfriend)
The only heaven I’ll be sent to
Is when I’m alone with you
I was born sick, but I love it (acknowledges original sin – but he loves it)
Command me to be well (a reference to Christ commanding people to be well in the Gospels)

[Pre-Chorus]
Amen, Amen, Amen

[Chorus] (x2)
Take me to church (remember, “Church” here is sexual reference in this song)
I’ll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I’ll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife (confession reference)
Offer me my deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life (he hands over his life to her the “god”)

[Verse 2]
If I’m a pagan of the good times
My lover’s the sunlight
To keep the Goddess on my side (the god/girlfriend is also a goddess)
She demands a sacrifice (here’s where the song gets “Eucharistic” with reference to sacrificial meal and hunger…)
Drain the whole sea
Get something shiny
Something meaty for the main course
That’s a fine looking high horse
What you got in the stable? (reference to the Christ Child “in the stable”)
We’ve a lot of starving faithful
That looks tasty
That looks plenty
This is hungry work

[Chorus] (x2)

[Bridge]
No masters or kings when the ritual begins (egalitarian ritual – sex)
There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin (hey, at least he knows it’s sin – he’s Irish!)
In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene (a reference perhaps to leaving earth into the “heavenly bliss” of sexual embrace)
Only then I am human
Only then I am clean (he ends with a reference the sexual completion as a kind of baptism or absolution)

Amen, Amen, Amen

Download Your Take Me To Church Study Guide

Take Me to Church Meaning

What’s amazing about his song is that it’s about as offensive as anything produced by Marilyn Manson, Judas Priest, or Slayer – yet hardly anyone recognizes it! It takes rich Catholic sacramental language but re-signifies the imagery as a sexual encounter. And that’s the so-called “genius” of this song.

The music industry is now much smarter than it was in the days of Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and Slayer. Your daughter is not likely to love Marilyn Manson and erect an idol to Satan in her bedroom. Your son will not likely consecrate his baby to Lucifer and baptize him in goat’s blood.

Overt Satanism is out of style. However, young people are likely to exchange their Christian faith for sexual license. The stats show that young people will likely exchange the sacramental life and liturgy for the liturgy of sexual experimentation.

And that’s exactly why this song has become an American anthem. The devil doesn’t needs a league of heavy metal Satanists. He’d almost prefer to have people mocking the Christian sacraments and images.

If God isn’t real – “If the Heavens ever did speak” – then the only goods to be enjoyed in this life are the pleasures of food and sex. That’s all there is left for humans to experience transcendence. Hozier gets it and he sings for us a catchy hymn.

In an interview with New York Magazine in March 2014, the artist Hozier stated:

‘Take Me to Church’ is essentially about sex, but it’s a tongue-in-cheek attack at organizations that would… undermine humanity by successfully teaching shame about sexual orientation — that it is sinful, or that it offends God… But it’s not an attack on faith… it’s an assertion of self, reclaiming humanity back for something that is the most natural and worthwhile.

So there you have it from Hozier himself.

Conclusion

I know it’s a catchy song. There’s a part of me that likes it. But seriously, this is probably one of the most sacramental songs every popularized – and it sacramentalizes the wrong values. That’s my two cents. Godspeed, Taylor

Download a pdf Study Guide by Taylor of the Lyrics for “Take Me to Church”:

Download Your Take Me To Church Study Guide[reminder]Okay, now I want to hear from you. Do you agree? Did I miss something about this song?[/reminder]

Please share this article with your friends on Facebook by clicking here.

The post Take Me to Church Lyrics and Meaning – A Christian Analysis and Critique appeared first on Taylor Marshall.