In the early 1970s, the rock opera hit the sage; I enjoyed it. The lyric seemed quite clever in its modern interpretation, and the music was engaging, but then . . .
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber are not the only artists who have attempted to remake the Christ in their own image—that is, humanize him while stripping away his divinity. Many poets have done the same—some even admitting they hoped Jesus and Mary Magdalene were lovers!
In the early seventies, Christian rock music was not so widely performed as it is now, and so just the very form of rock music to portray the story of Jesus was more widely considered a blasphemy. Rock music was considered the rebellious outlet for teenagers. That Rice and Webber relied on that form’s reputation at the time to help strip away the divinity from Christ is almost certain.
Even though churches are now performing this musical to try to get youths interested in Jesus, it is sure to backfire, because the message of the rock opera is not the message the churches want delivered to those young people. I cannot enjoy the work at all anymore, now that I have determined what its message really is. Some people can appreciate music simply for the sound and seem to take the words as mere place holders, but I cannot do that. After I have determined the exact meaning of the lyric, I can only appreciate it if the message is truthful. Jesus Christ Superstar is far from truthful, and I have to say that I believe it is blasphemous.
After studying the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, I can understand the outrage experienced by those who for their whole lifetime had considered Jesus both human and divine, those who had harbored in their souls the truth that Jesus’ mission was far more than the mere deliverance of a philosophy of kindness. Many philosophers have offered solace, but only a God-realized individual could offer salvation. And a God-realized master would not deliver the lines placed in the mouth of the false Jesus portrayed in the Rice/Webber reconstruction.
If Jesus Christ had been the personality of the Rice/Webber imagination, we would not know anything about him today. In a sense, Rice/Webber are to Jesus Christ what Michael Moore is to George W. Bush. The “rock opera” is a piece of propaganda, including innuendo, half-truths, and distortions. But at least Michael Moore’s rant can never do any real damage: calling a president an ineffectual liar is a far cry from stripping the Christ of His divinity.
Summer Poem Poll
Please take a moment to vote for your favorite summer poem in this month’s poll. Your choices are:
- 1. Emily Dickinson’s “I know a place where Summer strives”
- 2. John Greenleaf Whittier’s “The Barefoot Boy”
- 3. James Whitcomb Riley’s “The Old Swimmin’ Hole”
- 4. Robert Frost’s “The Oven Bird”
- 5. Amy Lowell’s “Penumbra”
The poll is located under the blog on the homepage of the Poetry site. Thank you for participating in this month’s poll.
