The Secret Chord

Leonard Cohen sang of “the secret chord that David played” — and that’s what this course listens for: the stories of the Bible, singing inside our songs with a wink and a whisper. For generations, songwriters far outside the sanctuary have been quietly retelling scripture’s greatest stories: Dolly Parton stitching a mother’s love into Joseph’s coat of many colors, Bruce Springsteen climbing Jacob’s ladder, Bob Marley singing Exodus to a new diaspora, the Rolling Stones walking the prodigal son back up the road, Johnny Cash hearing the trumpets of Revelation. Over five weeks, we’ll hang out with storytellers and songwriters as we revisit a collection of ancient texts and tune our ears to their creative reimagining. In this class that feels more like a listening party, we’ll come to appreciate the pull of a timeless tale and the craft of a modern song.

Last updated October 7, 2026