12 Bar Theology

A new book by Steve Nichols has just been released called Getting the Blues: What Blues Music Teaches Us about Suffering and Salvation. As an avid fan [and player] of blues music, I am very interested in reading this book. From the publisher:

In Getting the Blues, Stephen Nichols examines this dissonance in the Bible—what he calls “theology in a minor key”—and leads the reader in a vivid exploration of how blues music offers powerful insight into the biblical narrative and the life of Jesus.

Subtly weaving Bible stories together with intriguing details of the lives of blues musicians such as Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, Nichols reveals what blues music teaches about sin, suffering, alienation, and worship. He delves into how the blues can intensify our understanding of bondage to sin and redemption and how the blues encourage us to strive for justice and righteousness.

Getting the Blues will resonate with anyone interested in Christianity and culture. In the end, readers will emerge with a deeper understanding of the value of a theology that lingers on the dark side and embraces Good Friday as well as Easter, suffering as well as joy.