28/08/2026
Celebrating Dolly Parton: A Christian Faith Lived Through Love in the Public Sphere
I did not grow up listening to Dolly Parton’s music. In my youth, living in a rural town in India, I had little exposure to English-language music. It was only much later, while listening to BBC Radio, that I began to hear some of her songs. In fact, I first saw what Dolly Parton looked like only two years ago. At our church’s special Christmas carol service for people living with mental health challenges, I watched a video of Dolly singing “Circle of Love.” I was deeply inspired by its message, that we are all held within a circle of love. I asked who the singer was and was told, to my surprise, that she was Dolly Parton. When I admitted that I did not know who she was, some of my church friends could hardly believe me. Dolly was, after all, an icon loved by millions across the world. Later that day, someone introduced her to me as “the Taylor Swift of the 1970s and ’80s.” From then on, I developed a keen interest in Dolly Parton, learning more about her life and listening to more of her songs.
Today, upon hearing the news of her death on the 25th of August 2026, I cannot help but thank God for Dolly Parton, who touched millions of lives through her songs, distinctive voice, and, above all, her love and generosity. Her 80 years of life were well lived in song, music, faith, love and generosity.
What stands out to me most is the way Dolly lived out her Christian faith in the public sphere. Raised in a conservative Pentecostal Christian family in Tennessee, she expressed her faith not through rigid dogma or doctrine, creeds or traditions; not through exclusion or fundamentalism; not through oppressive interpretations of sacred texts or colonial missionary legacies; and not through hellfire and brimstone. Rather, she embodied her faith through love, compassion, generosity and joyful acceptance.
Whether through her songs, her ‘Imagination Library’ or her many acts of philanthropy, the faith in Jesus Christ that Dolly embodied was expressed in ways that were neither judgemental nor threatening. Hers was a faith that offered love to all, and all truly meant all, particularly those pushed towards society’s margins.
As a person of faith, what do I learn from Dolly Parton?
I learn to keep singing songs of love, for love is at the heart of Christian discipleship. I learn to create new melodies of hope; to welcome and receive all people; to give as generously as I can; and never to forget my roots. I learn to let the fruits of my life speak more powerfully than any awards or accolades I may receive.
I learn to be authentically myself, refusing to allow others to define who I am; to remain true to myself; and to be content with what I have. I learn never to surrender to far-right extremism or defend Christian nationalism, but instead to resist them by joyfully singing songs of love and loving others just as they are.
Following Jesus Christ in the public sphere is costly. It is the way of the cross: resisting the powers of exclusion, domination and hatred while standing in loving solidarity with those pushed to the margins. It calls each of us to embody the love of God, not merely through what we profess, but through how we welcome, give, resist injustice and love others as they are. Such love is not passive sentimentality; it is a courageous public witness to the inclusive and transforming reign of God.
Among Dolly’s songs, my favourites include “Coat of Many Colours,” which I used during our Racial Justice Sunday service in 2025 when I preached about Joseph’s multicoloured coat, and “Circle of Love,” her beautiful Christmas song. I also cherish “Islands in the Stream” and the timeless “I Will Always Love You.”
Thank you, Dolly Parton. Your songs of love will live on, and your faith in Jesus, a faith embodied through love, will continue to be remembered and celebrated.
Long live your legacy of love.
Rest in love and rise in love, Dolly Parton.
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26.08.2026
