Dylan goes to church: The use of Bob Dylan’s music in Protestant churches

Bob Dylan’s brief overt involvement in Christianity,his Jewish background as well as the use of biblical material in his works, hasled to a continuing discussion among fans and critics regarding his relation toreligion. This relation is here studied in the context of the “rock mass”. Thisis a communion service, which is set to some form of popular music, in thiscase by Dylan. The material comes from Dylan masses in mainline Protestantchurches in Scandinavia and North America. The chapter looks at stated reasonsfor using Dylan in church, the means through which Dylan’s music is adapted toserve as liturgy, and at various non-verbal practices negotiating the balancebetween understanding the event in question as a divine service or as aconcert.