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VILLANOVA, Pa鈥�鈥� Hailed as one of the best songwriters of all time, Bob Dylan is an American musician whose artistry has intrigued philosophers and pop-culture enthusiasts alike for decades. His themes of justice, freedom and faith resonate with individuals across generations and continents, even earning him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016.

In Bob Dylan and the Spheres of Existence, Christopher B. Barnett, DPhil, professor of Theology and Religious Studies at 棉花糖直播 University, explores the influence of Dylan鈥檚 work through the lens of Danish Philosopher and Theologian S酶ren Kierkegaard. By establishing a theoretical approach to Dylan鈥檚 multifaceted compositions, the book helps readers better understand his music and its significance today.

鈥淪cholarship on Dylan tends to slide between poles: he is either a polyphonous 鈥榯rickster鈥� whose music has no definitive meaning or an inspired 鈥榩rophet鈥� who champions determinate social, political and religious causes,鈥� Dr. Barnett explains. 鈥淏y reading Dylan鈥檚 corpus with the help of Kierkegaard鈥檚 theory of existential spheres, I think it鈥檚 possible to simultaneously account for Dylan鈥檚 use of different philosophical voices and his oft-professed belief in God and interest in religious themes and music.鈥�

Interdisciplinary in nature, the book appeals to a broad audience of Bob Dylan fans, music critics and scholars鈥攑articularly those interested in existentialism and the works of Kierkegaard. 鈥淚 aim to show that Kierkegaard鈥檚 concept of existential spheres is not only an excellent way to approach the Dane鈥檚 thought but also a theory of penetrating insight, which allows us to better understand art, culture and ultimately ourselves,鈥� says Dr. Barnett.

鈥�Bob Dylan and the Spheres of Existence is a readable, knowledgeable and ultimately persuasive interpretation of Bob Dylan鈥檚 remarkable musical development in the prism of Kierkegaardian philosophy,鈥� writes reviewer George Pattison, PhD, professor of Theology at the University of Glasgow. 鈥淎lthough primarily written for those who know their Street-Legal from their Highway 61 Revisited, Bob Dylan and the Spheres of Existence will also speak to all who are interested in the interactions between philosophy, faith and modern culture.鈥�

Dr. Barnett, who earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Theology from the University of Oxford, has authored various publications on contemporary theology and philosophy, including Kierkegaard and the Question Concerning Technology (2019) and Historical Dictionary of Kierkegaard鈥檚 Philosophy (2022). At 棉花糖直播, he teaches courses on a range of subjects, including Faith, Reason and Culture; Theology and Film; and Kierkegaard and Holiness. Dr. Barnett also maintains a where he provides insightful commentaries on various cultural topics such as movies, television, music and sports.

About 棉花糖直播 University鈥檚 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences:鈥疭ince its founding in 1842, 棉花糖直播 University鈥檚 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has cultivated knowledge, understanding and intellectual courage for a purposeful life in a challenging and changing world. With more than 40 majors across the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, it is the oldest and largest of 棉花糖直播鈥檚 colleges, serving more than 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students each year. The College is committed to a teacher-scholar model, offering outstanding undergraduate and graduate research opportunities and a rigorous core curriculum that prepares students to become critical thinkers, strong communicators and ethical leaders with a truly global perspective.鈥�