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List Price: $13.99 | | Publisher: Relevant Books
Salesrank: 589908
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Editorial Review:
From his apocalyptic expressions onstage and in the studio, to his unapologetic biblical views that leak out during interviews, Bob Dylan's spiritual journey makes for a fascinating story. A curious icon of popular culture, yet distinct in his Judeo-Christian expressions, Bob Dylan doesn't fit neatly into the typical rock 'n' roll mold. Who else would have the chutzpah to publicly contribute to Orthodox Jewish communities while publicly singing songs about Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection and eventual return? RESTLESS PILGRIM wrestles with the seemingly contradictory facts of Dylan's preoccupation with Jesus and his own Jewish heritage, by looking through the lens of this reluctant legend's four-decade career.
Restless Pilgrim: The Spiritual Journey of Bob Dylan Reviews:
Restless Fan 
2009-11-08 - I am a committed Christ-follower in pursuit of truth. I hope Mr. Dylan in his search for 'salvation' has truly found it. This book may not have answered that for me (who can know the heart of another?), but it gave evidence that he may be a fellow Christ-follower. I hope so.
Clues to the Spiritual Side of Dylan 
2009-09-07 - Much has been written about the many phases of Bob Dylan. And there are many points of view. This book offers a compelling case for Bob Dylan, the ongoing Christian. If you are interested in spiritual side of Dylan and his lyrics, this book is for you.
Bob Dylan's Spiritual Journey
2007-04-06 - Bob Dylan is a wizard with words. But his life is almost as interesting as his compositions, especially his spiritual life. Scott Marshall takes us on a tour of Dylan's spiritual life. His thesis seems to be that even though Bob is a seeker of truth, he is still a Christian after all these years. He highlights interviews that Dylan has given through the years, from the Sixties all the way to the present day.
However, when you read a Dylan interview, you never know whose answering the questions; the real Bob Dylan baring his soul, or Dylan the icon, or Dylan the whatever. Bob seems to enjoy being masked and anonymous, so I think it is tenuous at best to make a firm conclusion based on his interviews.
I think Dylan has gone back to the Judaism of his youth, and so I disagree with the author. Yet I also appreciated the fascinating journey that this book takes you on. Dylan truly is a restless pilgrim, and Marshall's book is faithful to its title. Recommended reading.
Pilgrim's Progress
2005-12-13 -
One thing that really struck me about Martin Scorcese's recent Dylan documentary, "No Direction Home," is how much integrity Dylan displays when considering his artistic vision. And the pressure has been tremendous, as different camps have sought him out to make him their own. Joan Baez's comments regarding the desire to enroll him in protest efforts is perfectly illustrative of this. Just as illustrative is Dylan's push-back, which would result in his severing, at least partially, ties with that activist singer. His words have that kind of pull, but Dylan insists that the songs stay in a territory that he, not others, defines.
Still, the real career capper that went beyond Dylan's rejection of the folk movement, is his turn to Christianity. What to make of this turn? As Marshall and Ford point out in their book "Restless Pilgrim," his fans shouldn't have been that surprised, since Dylan has been signaling a religious sensibility for years in a number of his songs. And Dylan has said, look to his songs, if folks want answers about where his head and soul are at.
"Restless Pilgrim" is for the most part a distillation of things Dylan during the "faith" part of his career. Following this progression, Marshall and Ford make a strong case for Dylan still being a Christian - and a Jew, which are not at odds with each other. Looking at the songs Dylan still plays in concert, not to mention any number of comments made to interviewers over the years, you can't help but shake your head at the various Dylan "experts" out there who insist the Christian thing was just a phase. Well, clearly it's a phase that goes on.
One aspect of the book I really liked, were the various discussions of neglected albums. For example, Marshall and Ford suggest that the much maligned gospel albums "Shot of Love," and "Saved," are, upon examination of the actual songs, much better than critics have given them credit for. Listening to "Shot of Love," after reading the book had me agreeing. "Shot of Love" is a very good album, and I didn't even know that the great song "Every Grain of Sand" could be found on it. But Dylan's biblical interest didn't stop with these albums. Far from it. Marshall and Ford follow the thread up to the near present. If anything, Dylan's biblical vision is of a conservative and apocalyptic nature. But Dylan being Dylan, it's a vision that operates as a prophetic sword, one that cuts neither right nor left, but only aims at the truth.
too much propaganda 
2003-03-16 - Very interesting subject, but as I got farther into the book, I noticed that some of the reference Bible verses and quotes were starting to last over a page. I soon came to realize that the book was published by a Christian publishing company (Relevant Books). I learned more about "the sermon on the mount" than I did new information about Bob Dylan. "Restless Pilgrim" included some interesting facts, but was definitely written from a point of bias.
