The Apocalyptic Theology of Nick Cave

This thesis argues that the concept of apocalypse, or revelation, is central to the theology of Nick Cave as expressed in his body of written and performed work. It examines this work, with particular reference to his lyrics, as expressing a systematic theology rooted in divine revelation. In so doing, the thesis argues the virtues of taking Cave seriously as a contemporary artist engaging with theological concerns, as well as placing him in a literary tradition of writers who have made (particularly, but not solely, Christian) theology a central concern in their work from a position outside and/or critical of an established church. The thesis takes on wider concepts such as Cave’s relation to tradition and the importance of individualism in his work, clarifying these large questions by arguing that they are best approached from a theological standpoint. As well as being an intervention in the nascent and presently stagnant field of Cave studies, the thesis offers a literary paradigm for the reading of lyrics which seeks to emphasise both the continuity and the discontinuity between song lyrics and lyric poetry. In doing so, it synthesises this literary approach with the influence of sociological popular music studies in outlining how media and audience reception operate in relation to the text and the performer.