Each and Every Door
Each and Every Door is an educational podcast about Bob Dylan, Religion and Spirituality. Arguably the most influential singer/songwriter of our era, Dylan has been making music, in the words of some English folk, for "donkey's years." That means a very long time. During his long, unpredictable career, he has exhibited a fascinating relationship with religion and spirituality, one that extends far beyond his "gospel years." On this podcast, Malcolm Gold, a sociologist of religion at Messiah College and Jay Case, a professor of American religious history at Malone University, explore everything from what Dylan may or may not have believed, to the ways spirituality emerges in his songs and music, to the shifting religious context framing his life, and much more. (Artwork by David Everett. everettdavide@gmail.com)
Episodes
20 episodes
Episode 20: Thinking about Tired Horses
In a periodic feature, "What Was He Thinking?" Mal and Jay try to figure out what might have been going on in Bob Dylan's head when he released the song, "All the Tired Horses." It seems to have something to do with what he was doin...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 20
•
52:34
Episode 19: Gen Z Students Encounter Dylan's Voice. How's That Going to Go?
In the fall of 2021, Mal taught a course on Bob Dylan to first-year students at Messiah University. Jay asks Mal how the course went. It turns out that Dylan's voice was something of an obstacle. At first, at least. Mal ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 19
•
43:47
Episode 18: Thinking about Mortality
Right of the bat, Jay demonstrates why his brother is the mathematician, since Jay says this is Episode 19 and is a continuation of Episode 18. Don't let his absent-minded professor schtick fool you: this is really Episode 18, which...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 18
•
31:43
Episode 17: Dylan Freaks and Dylan First-Timers
With Bob Dylan out on tour once again (that old guy just won't stop) Mal and Jay present a couple of tour-related themes. First, we have a "Stump the Dylan Freak" segment, involving reviews of concerts from old 70s bands. Is it a Dy...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 17
•
25:15
Episode 16: Shadow Kingdom, The Early Weeks
Mal and Jay discuss Dylan's 2021 summer event (?), concert (?), music video (?), performance (?), thingy-ma-jig, called "Shadow Kingdom." It came, it went. Maybe it will return some today, but for now, you can hear them talk about i...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 16
•
46:37
Episode 15: The Spirit of Idiocy, Part 2
More explorations here into what is going on with Bob Dylan's song, "Idiot Wind." Mal and Jay dive into "alternative tunings" and ancient Jewish scholars, but don't let that discourage you -- there are real treasures here! (Ho...
•
31:37
Episode 14: The Spirit of Idiocy, Part 1
No, the title does not describe the conversation Mal and Jay have on this episode. Well, it's not supposed to. It does, however, refer to one of Bob Dylan's most notable songs, "Idiot Wind," which they discuss here. And it is ...
•
25:48
Episode 13: Long and Not-So Wasted Years of Lyric Tinkering
Bob Dylan turned 80 this week and Dylan aficionados held an online academic conference in honor of the event. Mal and Jay, who attended the conference (of course they did) talk about how Dylan freaks respond to online frustrations. ...
•
44:02
Episode 12: So, a sociologist walks into a concert....
A sociologist walks into a Dylan concert with a priest and a rabbi. No, scratch that. It's with a historian and I'm afraid there is no punchline. But in this episode Mal brings his sociological expertise to bear on an event in...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 12
•
40:30
Episode 11: Dylan Amidst the Pandemic
A major part of Bob Dylan's existence since the mid-70s has been the "never-ending tour" - the live concert tour that has taken up most of his life each year. The pandemic, however, has forced the cancellation of most of that tour in 2020...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 11
•
37:08
Episode 10: Music, Transcendence, Death
A depressing topic? Mal and Jay do not think so. Not when the themes are explored as Dylan does on Rough and Rowdy Ways. Mal unpacks the art of the 17-minute epic song, "Murder Most Foul" and Jay adds a few comments a...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 10
•
45:45
Episode 9: Rough and Rowdy Analysis
On June 19th, 2020, Bob Dylan released "Rough and Rowdy Ways," his first studio album in eight years. The album has found widespread appreciation by critics -- though many of them do not mention or notice the abundant religious themes on ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 9
•
50:44
Episode 8: Busy Being Born Revisted
After some Bob News, Mal interviews Jay about how and why he came to join this strange collection of people known as Dylan Fans, especially given his first Dylan concert experience.
•
Episode 8
•
49:15
Episode 7: A Wildcat Did Growl
"All Along the Watchtower" is one of the greatest songs Bob Dylan ever wrote, according to many. By that measure, it is one of the great songs of the late twentieth century. But few people recognize the Scriptural inspiration for th...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 7
•
45:28
Episode 6: Busy Being Born
Why would a person become a Dylan freak? And what might it have to do with religion? Mal explains how he got hooked on Dylan as a lad in Hull, England. He also gives insight into his first Dylan concert in London in June, 1981...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 6
•
43:57
Episode 5: "We love you Bobbie!" and other unsettling concert moments
Fresh from a Dylan concert in Akron, Mal and Jay discuss odd, unsettling, and moving aspects of the evening. Mannequins, mysterious forests, F. Scott Fitzgerald, celebrity affection, mystery, Igor Stravinsky, death -- it's all here. ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 5
•
46:28
Episode 4: Anomic Social Vertigo
Episode 4 introduces a new segment: "What was he thinking?" They mean Dylan, of course. In this case, it's a song that one critic calls the worst thing Dylan ever recorded. But our hosts rather like it and have a theory ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 4
•
20:52
Episode 3: Dylan's Brain
Mal and Jay detail the origins of their intro and what it has to do with Dylan concerts and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then they make a valiant attempt to figure out what is going on inside Dylan's head with the selection of songs he is per...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 3
•
33:46