A new book called “Bob Dylan: Mixing Up the Medicine” is shining a light on one of the most talked-about phases of legendary musician Bob Dylan’s career, his conversion to Christianity.
Edited by Mark Davidson and Parker Fishel from the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the book has been in the works for “six or seven years,” according to Davidson. It offers fans a deep dive into the Nobel laureate’s life and work, featuring rare photos, draft lyrics, and other exclusive materials.
The book takes a close look at a significant moment in 1978 when Dylan, worn out from a grueling world tour and a recent divorce, underwent a life-changing experience.
During a concert in San Diego, a fan threw a small silver cross onto the stage. Dylan picked it up and pocketed it. Just two days later, in a hotel room in Tucson, Arizona, he said he experienced “a literal visitation from Jesus Christ.”
He described the encounter to the U.K.’s Independent, stating it was “a presence… that couldn’t have been anybody but Jesus.” He added, “Jesus put his hand on me. It was a physical thing. I felt it. I felt it all over me. I felt my whole body tremble. The glory of the Lord knocked me down and picked me up.”
This deeply spiritual experience led Dylan down a new path. He fully embraced Christianity and made it the focus of his next three albums: “Slow Train Coming” in 1979, “Saved” in 1980, and “Shot of Love” in 1981.
Parker Fishel explained that this wasn’t entirely a surprise; even before the silver cross incident, Dylan had been exploring religious themes in his work.
“This hardcore embrace of Christianity starts to peter out,” Fishel explained. “It starts to broaden, but it never disappears. All those biblical themes had been throughout Dylan’s work even from the beginning and bubbled up at different times… It becomes more complex as his work progresses.”
However, not all fans were happy with Dylan’s new religious focus. Fred Tackett, the lead guitarist in Dylan’s band from 1979 to 1981, mentioned that one fan even held a sign during a concert saying, “Jesus loves your old songs.”
Criticism also came from fellow musicians and the press. Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards called Dylan a “prophet of profit,” and the San Francisco Chronicle published an article with the headline “Bob Dylan’s God-Awful Gospel” stating “Dylan has written some of the most banal, uninspired and inventionless songs of his career for his Jesus phase.”
Fishel noted that Dylan was fully aware of the divided response from his audience but highlighted that this period was “interesting” and had a lasting influence on Dylan’s music. Some songs from this era still appear in Dylan’s live performances.
Dylan himself has been careful about labeling his faith. In a 1983 interview with Rolling Stone, he said, “I’ve never said I’m born again,” describing the term as merely a “media term.”
He has always maintained belief in a “superior power” and an afterlife, but has also suggested that his religious views have evolved over time.
Now at 82, Dylan is still an enigma, constantly defying what people expect from him, and that’s exactly why he continues to fascinate. Davidson summed it up by saying that Dylan’s career has “always defied expectations.”
The new book aims to show how Dylan’s turn towards Christianity wasn’t as sudden as it seemed. “In the book, we show how those seeds were planted,” Davidson said.
In essence, “Bob Dylan: Mixing Up the Medicine” serves as a compelling look into the life of a complex man who has been a poet, a rocker, a country crooner, and yes, even a musical preacher.
The book invites us to explore not just the musician, but the man wrestling with big questions about faith and life.
