Weelll, but then there's lyrics like "savior in the square" and stuff. I don't find TA to be preachy either, but I think it's without doubt that Gabriel has elements of Jesus in him.
Yeah, I agree with that. And I made this point in one of the threads awhile ago, but I'll repeated it: I think there is a cool double meaning for the title in Savior In the Square. If we are debating symbolism, I think that while the title is obviously meant to refer to Gabriel, it also refers to Faythe, since she also has some Jesus symbolism built into her character as well. First, her actions set in motion the series of events that eventually lead to the "salvation"/freeing of the people of Ravenskill and, presumably, the other commoners throughout the empire. Second, she is (unwittingly) betrayed and killed. Third, she is resurrected. It isn't a perfect correlation to the accounts of Jesus, but as is the case with most Jesus symbolism in literature, it isn't meant to be. But there is enough there that I think she is most definitely a "savior" in the story. ...which makes her the other "savior in the square" at that time in the story.
Again, that doesn't make it "religious" or "preachy." It's being used as a literary device, just as countless authors, playwrights, songwriters, etc. who aren't necessarily religious and aren't necessarily trying to convey a religious message in their art.