There’s a growing trend of books that locate spiritual and religious principles and roots in figures, movement, and aspects of popular culture. This may be the first to do so in the work of the American musician known as Prince (1958 - 2016).
Every April, Prince fans celebrate his life with special gatherings, concerts, and commemorations, since the artist died in the month of April. The author of this book professes this kind of passion for her subject, explaining: “Nearly forty years after Prince’s first album was released and a year after his death, I moved to St. Paul, Minnesota — the 'twin city' of Prince’s place of birth and home, Minneapolis.”
Pamela Ayo Yetunde is a pastoral counselor, educator, and Buddhist theologian. We awarded her earlier book on polarization, Casting Indra's Net, as one of our Best Spiritual Books of 2023. At United Theological Seminary in the Twin Cities — the Christian seminary where she teaches — she founded the “Theology of Prince” project. Her book is born out of teachings she began cultivating there.
As the title suggests, this engaging introduction to the spirituality in Prince’s music focuses on what it means to be beloved. Yetunde suggests, for instance, how difficult this can be for people: “The internal saboteur attacks the energy of love…. It’s not always easy to respond positively to being called beloved nor is it easy to feel this way about others without conditions.” Then she turns to Prince’s brilliance for imagery and energy, saying, “I resonate with Prince’s equivalent of the internal saboteur that he called 'Spooky Electric' … that part of ourselves that is so doubtful about ourselves, it hurts to the core, can overtake our confidence and self-worth, and confuse us about our higher nature. He also used the term Spooky Electric to describe evil and Satan.”
The book includes depictions and brief analysis of live performances, particularly Prince’s famously flamboyant and passionate guitar-playing and lyricizing. It also explores the messages in his songs. For example, Yetunde writes: “The bouncy rhythms of 'I Would Die 4 U' are hypnotic from the start. In the chant, Prince seems to channel Jesus Christ himself — as if calling one of his lost sheep sings 'you' and repeats the word in case the listener doesn’t think Prince is singing to them 'you, I would die for you.' “
Yetunde also calls the musician “a funk-rock gospel artist” but then moves beyond Christian themes, discussing Prince as “an imperfect and evolving anti-Black racism performer and thus activist,” and as one “channeling Creator spirit and re-interpreting sacred teachings that didn’t belong to him but to humanity.” And, she explains, “I believe his art inspires spiritual practices that have been included throughout this book.” These include “Renouncing Scapegoating,” “Wholesome Desire,” “Sacred Dance,” and “Humility.” See the spiritual practice below for the last of these.
