Religion in Van Morrison's Songs Quiz

Answer: All of these

He has songs with Christian content, such as "Whenever God Shines His Light on Me," songs with Buddhist or Hinduistic content, such as "Satisfied," and songs with Pagan content, such as "High Summer" and "Piper at the Gates of Dawn." In many of his songs, the religious content is so intertwined that it is nearly impossible to label a single song as being purely "Christian" or "Buddhist" or "Pagan." One person from one religious tradition might listen to the same song and take an entirely different interpretation away.

For example, in Van's "Daring Night," there is a refrain about the "Lord of the Dance." Hindus may take this to refer to Shiva, and Christians to Jesus, since the term applies in someway to both figures in both traditions.

Answer: Avalon Sunset

Although it is usually difficult to identify any Van song as purely Christian, Avalon Sunset contains the clearly Christian-themed "Whenever God Shines His Light on Me," the Judeo-Christian "When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God," and "These are the Days," which alludes to Christ (the one who turned the water into wine).

The influences on "Beautiful Vision" are more arguably Buddhist, Hindusitic, and Celtic pagan than Christian; at least, there is nothing explicitly Christian about these songs, as there is with "Whenever God Shines His Light." The other two albums are not particularly religious.

Answer: Ancient of Days

Daniel 7:9 (KJV) says, "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire."

Answer: Both of these

"The holy grail we seek / On down by haunts of ancient peace" in "Haunts of Ancient Peace" and "Oh the Holy Grail /Baby behind the sun /Oh the Holy Grail / Down by Avalon" in "Avalon of the Heart." The Holy Grain is presumably the cup from which Christ drank at the last supper or, in other legends, the cup that collected drops of His blood at the crucifixion.

Answer: the phantoms of the old men he once was

According to the Van Morrison website, which quotes the "Collation Of Theosophical Glossaries," the term "dweller on the threshold" originated with "English mystic and novelist Sir Bulwer Lytton" and represents the "ghosts of the dead men that the present man formerly was." More specifically, it "refers to the imbodied (sic) karmic consequences or results of the man's past, haunting the thresholds which the initiant or initiate must pass before he can advance or progress into a higher degree of initiation." To add my own note: The concept of putting off the "old man" to put on the "new man" also has Christian applications (see Ephesians 4:23-25). Van's lyrics actually accord well with a Christian interpretation, since he is saying he IS the dweller "waiting at the door" (i.e. Christ says, "knock and it shall be opened unto you") wishing to get out of the "darkness." So we could also interpret this as a man on the verge of accepting (NOT rejecting) Christ, though the term "dweller on the threshold" is foreign to Christian tradition. (Van sings about "A New Kind of Man" on his album "Sense of Wonder" also.)

Answer: Tore down a la Rimbaud and Poetic Champions Compose

The Spanish mystic St. John of the Cross wrote a religious reflection called "The Dark Night of the Soul," in which he described that hard time when a Christian ceases to find pleasure in his or her devotions and feels as if God is absent.

Answer: Give Me My Rapture

No, I wasn't trying to trick you; it is the obvious title after all. In Christian tradition, the rapture is the time when believing Christians are snatched up in the air to meet Christ upon His second coming.

Answer: The song does not say

This is another example of the spiritual vagueness of much of Van's music, which has the advantage of allowing people from all sorts of religious traditions to relate to the songs.

Answer: enlightenment

From his song "Enlightenment": "Chop that wood / Carry water / What's the sound of one hand clapping / Enlightenment, don't know what it is." I'd define Enlightenment for you, but I don't know what it is either. The Buddhists and Hindus use it to mean a state of spiritual awareness.

Answer: The ancient of days

From "Youth of a Thousand Summers": "He's the king of the mountain / And the clear crystal fountain / He's the saint of the river / He's the ancient of days." The Ancients of Days is a name used for God in the Old Testament.

Answer: Jesus'

This is the most explicitly Christian of Van's songs. Matthew 15:30 says, "And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus's feet; and he healed them." Acts 4:30 says, "By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus." Peter healed in the name of Jesus: "Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6).

Answer: live in God

The song is "When Will I Ever Learn To Live In God?" A cover of the song was done by Christian musician Phil Keaggy.

Answer: Because the whole world has gone astray

He sings: "It's a choice between fact and fiction / And the whole world has gone astray / That's why there's no religion, no religion, no religion here today."

Answer: "Rough God Goes Riding" and "For Mr. Thomas"

In my opinion, the "rough God" term refers to Christ at his Second Coming and the Day of Judgment. Here's some evidence: (1) William Butler Yeats in his poem "The Second Coming" refers to Christ a "rough beast." (2) In the song "Rough God Goes Riding," Van says that when the rough God goes riding "they'll be nobody hiding." In Revelation, it is said men will attempt to hide from God (Rev. 6:15-17) but they will not be able to escape "for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ" (Rom. 14:10). (3) In "Mr. Thomas," the rough God is riding with his "shears," which suggests to me the image of Christ rooting up the chaff and separating it from the wheat to be burned (Matthew 3:12). (4) And when that rough God does go riding, Van wants somebody to "hand [him] a Bible" and to give him "that number to call." (This latter is perhaps a reference to the Christian song "Jesus is on that mainline / you can call Him up anytime you want.")

Answer: The fallen angel Lucifer

He sings: "And they shut him out of paradise / Called him Lucifer and frowned / 'Cos he took pride in what God made him / Even before the angels shot him to the ground."

Answer: Man Has to Struggle

He sings, "Man was told that he was born in original sin / By people long ago that were conning him." In Christian theology, original sin is the doctrine that, because of the Fall and the sin of Adam and Eve, man is born in a fallen state, already tainted by sin, and incapable of achieving good without the grace of God.

Not all Christians accept this doctrine; the Church of Christ, for instance, considers it to be unbiblical, but most Protestants and Catholics ascribe to it (or at least their churches do).

Interestingly, in the very same song in which Morrison refers to original sin as a con, he talks about what Christians traditionally regard as the consequences of original sin: "Man is in conflict with his natural self / Man has to suppress his own desires and instincts / Man has to work so hard to keep them at bay" and also "Man has to work so hard to make it all pay" (this latter being the curse Adam received for his sin in Genesis.)

Answer: to be with his love tonight

He sings, "Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord / Just wanna be with my love tonight."

Answer: Ball and Chain

This is an allusion to Matthew 15:14: "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."

Answer: Just a Closer Walk With Thee

He sings "Be Thou My Vision" on Disc Two, not Disc One, though it too is a traditional Christian hymn.

Answer: full force gale

From the song "Full Force Gale" on his album "Into the Music."