{"id":13265,"date":"2025-12-07T11:38:20","date_gmt":"2025-12-07T18:38:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wakeupcall\/?p=13265"},"modified":"2025-12-08T13:52:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T20:52:33","slug":"the-spirituality-of-dolly-parton-a-christmas-reflection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wakeupcall\/2025\/12\/the-spirituality-of-dolly-parton-a-christmas-reflection\/","title":{"rendered":"The Spirituality of Dolly Parton: A Christmas Reflection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"Dolly<\/a>
The true meaning of Christmas from an American icon. Image of Dolly Parton created by Gemini.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The temperatures outside are plummeting and the holiday decorations are going up. In cities, towns and homes around the world, people are preparing for the\u00a0Christmas<\/a> season. It\u2019s a time often marked by reflection, generosity, and good cheer. And outside of Santa Claus himself, no one brings more good cheer to the party than\u00a0Dolly Parton<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

At 79 years of age, Parton remains a vibrant and influential figure, a living legend and a true American icon<\/strong>. As you may recall, a few months ago Dolly cancelled several concerts. Soon after, her sister Frieda asked fans to pray for her due to an ongoing health issue. Many of us breathed a sigh of relief, when Dolly issued a simple statement:<\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t dead yet!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019ve ever seen her interviewed, you can sense a deeply spiritual side to Dolly that seems perfectly aligned with the spirit of giving and hope we celebrate this time of year. She reminds us that the true holiday spirit goes beyond religion and is really about the unconditional love we can offer one another. As she said on her website<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

My wish is that people try to put aside all their differences \u2026 and just try to find that peace that comes from Christmas, and that peace within themselves and just try to love one another.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Dolly Parton may not be religious\u2014but she is spiritual.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In her 2020 book\u00a0Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics,<\/em>\u00a0the singer wrote: \u201cI\u2019m not that religious, but I\u2019m very, very spiritual. I grew up in very religious surroundings. I grew up with a Bible background, and I\u2019m glad I did. I know my Bible stories.\u201d She learned early on to rely on prayer to get her through life\u2019s crises. \u201cA belief in God is essential,\u201d she concluded.<\/p>\n

In the book, she also revealed that one way she connects with God is through nature<\/a>. She explains, \u201cA lot of people think that because I look so artificial, I never spend time outside \u2026 I love to be out in nature \u2026 I sit under trees to write songs. I listen to God\u2019s voice through the wind.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked about her spirituality in the magazine Southern Living<\/em>, Dolly said she lives it each day<\/strong>. It\u2019s an integral part of who she is. She explains, \u201cA lot of people overthink spirituality, you know? And they, therefore they think it has to be some big ritual.\u201d But for Dolly it\u2019s really quite simple. It\u2019s all about \u201cliving with the awareness God is always present.\u201d<\/p>\n

Five points of spiritual wisdom from Dolly Parton.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A few of my favorite quotes from two interviews she did for Southern Living <\/em>follow. The firstt is a nod to Luke 17:21, while others \u00a0showcase her belief that the person most responsible for our happiness is the one we see in the mirror each day.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The kingdom of heaven<\/a> is inside. It\u2019s right inside of you. And you can draw from that wisdom, whether you call it God or higher wisdom or a higher knowing, there\u2019s something bigger than you.<\/li>\n
  2. I don\u2019t think you have to be a saint. I don\u2019t think you have to be so strict that you can\u2019t have fun. You know, it\u2019s all about the intent of your heart.<\/li>\n
  3. We make our own choices as to whether we\u2019re going to be happy or whether we\u2019re going to be miserable. It\u2019s a choice. Everything\u2019s a choice<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  4. You can change things for the good, you can change things for the bad, but you can\u2019t be so damn stubborn that you\u2019re not willing to even try.<\/li>\n
  5. I often say that I was born with a happy heart<\/a>, but boy, my heart gets heavy so much these days. And then I just keep trying to think of ways that I can make a personal difference.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Dolly Parton quietly does make a difference<\/strong>.<\/h3>\n

    Over the years, she has donated her time and money to numerous charitable causes and has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. In 2022, billionaire Jeff Bezos donated $100 million to her Dollywood Foundation, and she uses the funds to donate to her favorite charities and to continue her own charitable work.<\/p>\n

    In researching Dolly\u2019s spiritual nature, I stumbled upon a subreddit called r\/Christianity that discusses various aspects of Christian life.\u00a0It might be no surprise that Dolly has fans there as well, with one person posting \u201cI feel she\u2019s been an excellent example of what a Christian can be.\u201d Another contributor states:<\/p>\n

    \n

    I <\/em>would argue that Dolly Parton lives out her Christian ideals and is the closest thing that we have to the Dalai Lama<\/a> in the U.S.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    A comparison to the Dalai Lama is quite the compliment, but for Dolly, it\u2019s well deserved. As the holiday season beckons us to be our best, kindest, and most generous<\/a> selves, we would all do well to follow the lead of Dolly Parton. Her enduring spirituality is truly the gift that keeps on giving.<\/p>\n

    Merry Christmas Dolly and may you have many more!<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The temperatures outside are plummeting and the holiday decorations are going up. In cities, towns and homes around the world, people are preparing for the\u00a0Christmas season. It\u2019s a time often marked by reflection, generosity, and good cheer. And outside of Santa Claus himself, no one brings more good cheer to the party than\u00a0Dolly Parton. At […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1184,"featured_media":13274,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[251,2621,48],"tags":[2222],"class_list":["post-13265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christmas","category-spiritual-beliefs","category-spirituality-2","tag-dolly-parton"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Spirituality of Dolly Parton: A Christmas Reflection<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The true meaning of Christmas from an American icon, Dolly Parton.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wakeupcall\/2025\/12\/the-spirituality-of-dolly-parton-a-christmas-reflection\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" 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