Bruce Springsteen as Post-Christian Pastor

Abstract

This article explores how Bruce Springsteen embodies a North American/Western European twenty-first century religious sensibility that encompasses a secular outlook but is colored by the Christian tradition and is informed by biblical language, images, and ideals. Because Springsteen is able to give voice to an orientation to the world that resonates with the experiences, aspirations, and religious understanding of those who have grown up in the same world as him, Springsteen has become a pastoral/priestly figure to the extensive community that identifies with his work.