Too Sick to Pray: A Theology of Outlaw Country (C. M. Howell) - Review
I must confess that I’m not a big
fan of Country Western music. Growing up, I chose the Top 40 station (KAGO)
over the Country Western station (KLAD, which happens to still exist).
Nevertheless, I know the names of some of the leading figures, especially some
who called themselves Outlaws. Among them, people such as Kris Kristopherson,
Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings, along with their sometimes partner Johnny
Cash (especially in their Highwaymen grouping), are well known even to me.
Being that I'm a pastor, historian, and theologian, I know that these figures
and others like them in the Country Western genre have significant religious
connections. The question is, how do they understand the role of religion in
their lives and music beyond having recorded Gospel music?
C.M. Howell, who serves as research
assistant for the Widening Horizons in Philosophical Theology project, has
taken on the topic of the relationship of Country Western music and theology in
Too Sick to Pray: A Theology of Outlaw Country. The reference to Outlaw
Country derives from the decision of Kristopherson, Nelson, and Jennings to
break free of the corporate CW Nashville sound and go off on their own,
something that Johnny Cash had done earlier on. Kristopherson, Nelson, and
Jennings weren't the only Outlaws, but they are the most well-known. In this
book, they figure prominently, though others who were not known to me before
reading the book are included.
The subtitle references A Theology
of Outlaw Country, so what is the nature of this theology? While Howell
seeks to explore the theological elements of this music, he acknowledges that
"theology played no meaningful role in the outlaws' departure from
Nashville. Nor does it appear in any explicit sense in their music (p. 2). So,
while religious lyrics are prominent in their music, other concerns underlay
the lyrics. Nevertheless, in this book, Howell uses the idea of
"theological play" as the foundation for his analysis of the music of
the Outlaws. He acknowledges that all of the Outlaws, along with almost all
Country Western singers, come out of a Christian context. Kristopherson and
Jennings have a background in the Church of Christ (noninstrumental), while Willie
Nelson was at one time a Methodist. Billy Joe Shaver, another Outlaw, was a
devout Nazarene. Over the course of their lives, they drew upon these
theological origins but redefined the meaning and purpose of that resource in
their lives and music. Here is where the concept of play comes in, for in their
work they essentially turn theology upside down by denying the theological aims
of their music. He writes that the idea of play serves as a bulwark against
"the tyranny of efficiency" (p. 7).
In his introduction, Howell not
only introduces us to the concept of play as a lens by which to understand the lives
and music of the Outlaws, but he also sets the context of the Nashville Sound,
which was very production-oriented, from which they broke. The self-styled
Outlaws broke from the existing format because they believed it was overly
constrained by the existing methodology. So, by breaking free, they became Outlaws. As
for the theological components, using the concept of play, we discover that
"the theological content of Outlaw Country is an echo and not a
source" (p. 18).
Having laid the foundations in the
introductory chapter, titled "Outlaw Theology," in Chapter 2 we begin
the exploration of the different versions of this Outlaw Theology, beginning
with Kris Kristopherson. The chapter is titled "Jesus Was a
Capricorn," which is based on the title of a Kristopherson song. We learn
here that Kristopherson not only had a background in the Church of Christ but was
a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford. Additionally, he rebelled against the Nashville
Sound after Cash but before Willie Nelson. "Jesus Was a Capricorn"
was the title of his fourth album, which was produced early in the rebellion.
In the course of the chapter, we learn about Kristopherson's journey, including
the role religion played in that journey. The title of that album, produced in
1972, served, as Howell suggests, as a theological parody, in which he portrays
himself as a wounded/crucified artist. Ultimately, Jesus' death is foundational
and serves as a critique of the world around him. While he might identify his
own journey with Jesus' death, in the end he comes to a sincere form of faith
that is not all that far from the faith of his Church of Christ origins.
Chapter 3 focuses on Willie Nelson,
and it is titled "spirit" (the chapter title is uncapitalized).
Nelson was influenced by Kristopherson in his songwriting, as well as by the
reality of being removed from his position as a Sunday school teacher at a
Baptist Church in Texas. As with Kristopherson in Chapter 2, here we learn
about Nelson's journey through his music, much of which has
religious/theological dimensions, though again at times more parody than not.
One of his songs is titled "Too Sick to Pray," which serves as the
title of the Book. There is reference to God's persistent presence, along with
Nelson's inability to pray. What we find here is theological ambiguity, with a
mix of his Christian origins and spiritualism.
From Willie Nelson we move to
Waylon Jennings in a chapter titled "Revelation" (Chapter 4).
Jennings' start as a professional musician came in the 1950s as a member of
Buddy Holly's band. He just missed out on being on Holly's plane that went
down, killing all on board. According to Howell, that plane crash haunted him
throughout his life. But he would go on to be an Outlaw (and a Highwayman). As
far as theology goes, it rarely appears in his songs. The songs that did
contain theology were largely written by others. However, Howell can dig into
Jennings' life and music to discern theological dimensions. The chapter title
derives from a song found on a 1972 album titled "Revelation" that
has apocalyptic imagery. Ultimately, Howell suggests that one of the features
of this outlaw imaginary is "that there is no consolidated understanding
of God. There is no unified theological vision" (p. 91). What we find there
is the outlaw imaginary, the rebellious dimension. Unlike the other two, his
theology remained relatively unchanged from childhood within the Church of
Christ context.
After discussing Kristopherson,
Nelson, and Jennings, all of whom I'm very familiar with, he introduces us to Townes
Van Zandt in a chapter titled "An Elegy of Empty Harps" (Chapter 5).
What we discover here is that the theology present in his music is rooted in
Townes' battle with depression and the anxiety that led to rather dark lyrics.
Here the theology involves a hidden, even absent God, with the world left to
its own devices. Interestingly, among the influences on his theology and music
is the work of Nikos Kanatzakis, especially The Last Temptation of Christ.
Howell concludes by noting that for Van Zandt, the only eschatological traces
in his music are ones that point "to an end that cannot see God but wishes
it could" (p. 115).
In Chapter 6, Howell introduces us
to Billy Joe Shaver in a chapter titled "Salvation." He points out
that Shaver's songs were often recorded by Waylon Jennings. While there is
darkness present in the songs, his faith seems stronger and more present in his
music. There is an eschatological dimension to his music. Howell brings
Wolfhart Pannenberg into his discussion of Shaver's eschatology, arguing that,
in Shaver’s view, the eschaton brings about the full expression of a salvation
already at work in the world.
The first five figures whom Howell discusses
involve the original Outlaws, who broke free from the Nashville sound to create
their own sound and message. In Chapter 7, Howell turns to a new group of musicians
who build on the Outlaw imaginary, with a focus on Roger Alan Wade and Cecil
Allen Moore. He titles the chapter "New Forms of Outlaw Theology."
This new version is more diverse in its reach due to changes in technology. In
this chapter, Howell focuses specifically on artists who play with theological
dimensions present in the existing outlaw imaginary. Here we discern in their
music a move away from religion, even as theological metaphors are present in
the songs. Ultimately, however, while people find the outlaw genre attractive, the
way of life offered is unsustainable.
Howell offers a lengthy Conclusion
to Too Sick to Pray that is subtitled "Theology on a Sunday Morning
Coming Down." Howell notes that there is an ambivalence present in the
music when it comes to theology. Theology is present, especially in the earlier
artists who had deep roots in particular, even fundamentalist, faith
communities. In many ways, these figures transgressed the theological/religious
lines that they brought to their music, such as Kristopherson's envisioning
Jesus as a Capricorn. As for the Christology present in this music, Jesus is
understood to be a "symbol for good." He notes that "The depth
of this goodness brings a positive light to even the darkest of its symbolic
references" (p. 169). As for the eschatology, it is largely harmonious but
again somewhat ambiguous because the end is never reached. Ultimately, this is
not a formal theology but an echo of one that provides a means of reflecting
theologically through music. What Howell does in Too Sick to Pray is to engage
in a theological conversation that draws upon the lives and music of the
Outlaws, reminding us that there is much ambiguity to our theological reflections.
Thus, “what emerges is the claim that while the play of outlaw country is not
fitting for a more formal theology, it is appropriate as an echo of it. It
might even be enough to sustain a sense of theological value in a culture
coming down from a religious high” (p. 194). Sometimes we do need to engage the
echo to get our bearings in life.
Copies of Too Sick to Pray can be purchased at your favorite retailer, including my Amazon affiliate and my Bookshop.org affiliate
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