This innovative book explores religion through music – the source of spiritual elation, social cohesion, and empowerment in cultures around the world. The only art form named after a divinity, music has been documented from pre-history to the present age in virtually all known cultures.
Traditionally, when religious scholars talk about music, it's as a kind of aesthetic supplement to the important spiritual content of a religion, analogous to stained-glass windows or temple paintings. In contrast, sacred sound: experiencing music in world religions acknowledges the critical role of musical activity in religious life. Music, including chant and vocal utterane, is not incidental in religious practice but a sacred treasure that is central to the growth and sustenance of religions through out the world. Musical sound is sacred in most religions because it embodies the divine and can be shared by all participants. It endures among diverse communities of people despite theological differences.
The contributors to this volume are respected scholars in religious studies and musicology and provide insights from both disciplines. The first book of its kind, Sacred Sound is a milestone in the growing cross-disciplinary study of religion and music.
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