Sacred Sound in World Religions

Catalog description

Taught by GTU. Fundamental to this course is an attempt to respond to the question: What is "sacred sound"? We will explore the meanings and motions, the feelings, vibrations and experiences of life, love, longing, and lament in and across the vast inner landscape of world religion. We will listen, create, and immerse ourselves in sacred sound, vibration, silence, music and chant within five world religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. Our phenomenological approach will attempt to understand the meanings, significance and experiences of sacred sound to those within the tradition (emic), and to reflect on what we see and hear from without (etic), noting observations, feelings, and sensations, raising questions, making connections, and affirming differences. Our primary mode for study is sound immersion: incorporating silence, attentive listening, breath practice, vocal and instrumental sound, ritual, chanting, lecture/dialogue, primary source readings, journal articles, class presentations, videos, recordings, and visiting lecturers/performances from scholar/performers within the traditions. Grading is based upon attendance/participation, reading of class assignments, one short in-class presentation/reflection, six brief reflection papers, and one longer, end-of-term paper comparing two world religions in their respective approaches to sacred sound, specifically focused on a particular sound expression/experience/text in each.