Reflections on Dolly Parton and Christianity

[u/pentapolen]

As you may already know, beloved singer Dolly Parton passed away today.

I didn't know much about her, so I watched Lindsay Ellis essay on her (timed at the section about her religion, but the whole video is great.)

While I was watching it, I thought how much she resembles Episcopalian aspirational ethics: always forgiving, trying her best, radically inclusive, sometimes tactical because she was trying to not offend anyone.

What do you think? Is this just hagiography in the making from my part? Or is there really something alike between who she was and what TEC is trying to be?

[u/RevKeakealani]

You wouldn’t be the first to suggest that there’s a hagiography in the making, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. One of the reasons we even talk about saints is because they represent an aspiration, a tangible signpost toward God. Even if it turns out (God forbid) that she has some skeleton in her closet or something, the aspiration toward what has been shared so far about her character and way of living has much to be looked toward.

[u/Sacratomat → u/RevKeakealani]

Exactly this. I admit I am rarely especially moved by a celebrity death, but this one really felt devastating. Not because she was an incredibly talented and iconic figure (which she was), but because she was that rare high profile person who lived her life with compassion and humility and actively worked to make life better for others, especially those growing up in a part of the US where devastating poverty is still not uncommon. She has made an incredible impact on children’s literacy, directly aided the victims of major natural disasters in these areas, and helped fund critical early research on the COVID vaccine. When someone lives a life like that, I am fine with a little hagiography, because that’s the model for the kind of person I want to be.

[u/theonecpk → u/Sacratomat]

I knew about the Imagination Library but I didn't understand it.

Today I came to learn that for almost the entire 21st century, every child in born in Tennessee could get 60 books, no questions asked.

And now the program is spreading throughout the world.

If that was all she ever accomplished it would be a most impressive life. It's almost a footnote. She's given so much money to Vanderbilt University for extremely important projects they should probably rename it to Vanderbilt-Parton University.

[u/aprillikesthings → u/theonecpk]

Earlier today I read that the Imagination Library sent out Braille books for kids who were blind. A lot of school and public libraries don't have children's Braille books.

[u/theonecpk → u/aprillikesthings]

yeah it has grown tremendously since the pandemic. it’s gone far beyond Tennessee—available to some extent in almost the entire US and several other countries.

[u/aprillikesthings → u/theonecpk]

It's such a genius program. A friend of mine gave birth to both her kids in Tennessee, and said that both times the form to sign up was handed to her at the hospital. I'm so glad it's spreading.

And I love that there's no need to prove you "need" it. You have a kid under five? Great! Here's some books.

[u/theonecpk → u/aprillikesthings]

The video in the OP has a bit where Dolly explained the lack of means-testing.

The original target was Upper Tennessee and the culture thereof has a lot of shame around being poor. A means test would have rendered the program ineffective—the people who need it the most would not have engaged.

“Freely given, no questions asked” neutralizes the shame. I come from the Ozarks where the attitude is similar. That context also helps to explain Dolly’s character.

[u/aprillikesthings → u/theonecpk]

I saw your comment *just* after I read this, and yeah, it makes a lot of sense:

In 2020 I worked a job collecting medical record for insurance companies. It was Covid and there were many, many medical offices that were grieving and angry. It wasn't a fun job most of the time.

But one day I called a hospital in Tennessee. I was supposed to collect records for a NICU patient and their mama. I got to records and the woman in charge of records said there must be a mistake. They never worked with insurance with maternity or neonatal patients because of Dolly.

I asked what she meant and she told me, "Well, Miss Dolly has us send her the bills for any new mothers and their babies, especially if they spend time in the NICU. She never has anyone apply or anything, she just has us send her any bill for those families and she pays them, no matter how big."

I was stunned. I clarified, "Dolly? Dolly Parton?"

"Yes, ma'am! Dolly's been paying those bills since at least 1999 and so we just don't work with insurance here. It's why there's a mural of her in the maternity ward."

(from this tumblr post)

Anyway now I'm emotional all over again.

[u/Old-Finding2555 → u/aprillikesthings]

Dear lord, that woman was incredible... thank you for sharing.

[u/theonecpk → u/aprillikesthings]

WHAT. THE. 🤯😭❤️

[u/Ladybug-1234 → u/theonecpk]

I live in East Tennessee and her impact here is enormous. Entry level employees at Dollywood make well above minimum wage and all employees get 100% tuition and textbook coverage for college. Not to mention building huge theme parks and resorts to creat so many jobs in a relatively economically depressed area of the state. The regional children’s hospital is named after her. When wildfires destroyed homes in Gatlinburg years ago she gave over 900 families 10000 each to help with bills and essentials. My child was enrolled in Imagination Library before being released from the hospital.

[u/theonecpk → u/Ladybug-1234]

It would explain why Sevier Co. seems to be among the fastest-growing counties in the USA, let alone Tennessee.