Wagner's Parsifal: An Appreciation in the Light of His Theological Journey

by Richard H. Bell

Overview

Parsifal, Wagner's final opera, is considered by many to be one of the greatest religious musical works ever composed; but it is also one of the most difficult to understand and many have questioned whether it can be considered a "Christian" work at all. Added to this is the furious debate that has surrounded the composer as an anti-Semite, racist, and inspiration for Hitler. Richard Bell addresses such issues and argues that despite any personal failings Wagner makes a fundamental theological contribution through his many writings and ultimately in Parsifal which, he argues, preaches Christ crucified in a way that can never be captured by words alone. He argues that Wagner offers a vision of the divine and a "theology of Good Friday" that can both function as profound therapy and address current theological controversies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781630870010
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	11/12/2013
Series:	Veritas , #10
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Richard Bell is Professor of Theology at the University of Nottingham, UK. He studied theoretical physics at University College London and theology at Oxford and Tubingen. He is author of Provoked to Jealousy (1994), No One Seeks for God (1998), The Irrevocable Call of God (2005), and Deliver us from Evil(2007).

Table of Contents

List of Musical Examples ix

Foreword xi

Preface xiii

Acknowledgements xv

Abbreviations xvii

1 How Can Wagner Inform the Christian Theologian? 1

2 Background to Parsifal I: Development of Wagner's Thought 16

3 Background to Parsifal II: Wagner's Development of the Drama 44

4 The Dramatic Outline of Parsifal 66

5 Encounter with "Christ" in Parsifal 85

6 Theological Reflections I: Christology and Atonement 111

7 Theological Reflections II: Sin, Sex, and Suffering 135

8 Theological Reflections III: Predestination, Free Will, Conversion, and Denial of the Will 164

9 Theological Reflections IV: Parsifal, Judaism, and the Jewish People 181

10 Theological Reflections V: To What Extent is Parsifal a Christian Work? 223

11 Revealing the World and the Divine through Parsifal 273

12 Wagner in the Pew and Pulpit 313

Bibliography 321

Index of Authors 339

Index of Biblical Texts 345

Index of Wagner's Works 349

Index of Subjects and Names 354

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"It is impossible to overstate the profundity, insight, and illumination of this extraordinary study. Richard Bell combines his detailed knowledge of Wagner's music and writings with his professional expertise as theologian to offer a series of theological reflections on the composer's last masterpiece, culminating in a view of its revelatory nature. The book represents a major contribution to Wagner studies and is simply a must for all lovers of the composer."
—Robert Pascall, Honorary Professor of Music Philology, University of Cambridge.

"Richard Bell has done Wagner scholarship an enduring service. Wagner's theology is an aspect of the composer's intellectual universe that is seldom even acknowledged, let alone researched or understood; yet as Professor Bell demonstrates beyond any doubt, it is crucial to an understanding of Parsifal. . . . Bell is an eloquent and sure-footed guide through the labyrinth of theological and philosophical discourses that nourished Wagner's final opera."
—Roger Allen, Fellow and Tutor in Music and Dean of St Peter's College, Oxford

"Whoever may be interested in Richard Wagner's music will appreciate this book, full of biographical, historical, philosophical, and musicological background information on the origins of his final stage work, Parsifal. But for a theologian interested in Wagner . . . this book can be an eye-opener. It demonstrates convincingly how many of Wagner's literary motifs and musical/dramatic ideas have been deeply rooted in biblical tradition and Christian faith."
—Karl-Wilhelm Niebuhr, Professor for New Testament Studies, University of Jena, Germany

Editorial Reviews

"It is impossible to overstate the profundity, insight, and illumination of this extraordinary study. Richard Bell combines his detailed knowledge of Wagner's music and writings with his professional expertise as theologian to offer a series of theological reflections on the composer's last masterpiece, culminating in a view of its revelatory nature. The book represents a major contribution to Wagner studies and is simply a must for all lovers of the composer."
—Robert Pascall, Honorary Professor of Music Philology, University of Cambridge.

"Richard Bell has done Wagner scholarship an enduring service. Wagner's theology is an aspect of the composer's intellectual universe that is seldom even acknowledged, let alone researched or understood; yet as Professor Bell demonstrates beyond any doubt, it is crucial to an understanding of Parsifal. . . . Bell is an eloquent and sure-footed guide through the labyrinth of theological and philosophical discourses that nourished Wagner's final opera."
—Roger Allen, Fellow and Tutor in Music and Dean of St Peter's College, Oxford

"Whoever may be interested in Richard Wagner's music will appreciate this book, full of biographical, historical, philosophical, and musicological background information on the origins of his final stage work, Parsifal. But for a theologian interested in Wagner . . . this book can be an eye-opener. It demonstrates convincingly how many of Wagner's literary motifs and musical/dramatic ideas have been deeply rooted in biblical tradition and Christian faith."
—Karl-Wilhelm Niebuhr, Professor for New Testament Studies, University of Jena, Germany

From the Publisher