Leonard Cohen

As the author of Leonard Cohen: A Jewish Mind's Fascination with Jesus of Nazareth, I would like to briefly justify its genesis. During the late 1980s, like many other fans, I became aware of Cohen's ability to grapple with complex existential quandaries through his creative expression, making his lyrics a compelling subject for textual study. While I loved Cohen as an existentialist musician and poet, my knowledge of his work was limited and grew over time, consequently leading me to see the interesting fusion of various powerful aspects inside his work: the Old Testament, the Gospels and the figure of Jesus of Nazareth as an ancient "pop-star". The incorporation of these aspects into Cohen's songs promised to provide a deeper philosophical viewpoint on the intersection of art, faith, and self-exploration. With this premise in mind, this book endeavours to elucidate how Cohen, an artist who mastered literature, music, theology, and philosophy, was drawn to the metaphysical underpinnings found in the teachings of Jesus long before he penned songs incorporating such references.