Music and Religion

Catalog description

This course explores the relationship between music and religion from a global perspective, examining ideas, values, and practices of music and sound in various religions and spiritual traditions around the world. In addition to learning about the music-cultures (context, instruments, repertoire, etc.) that coincide with various religious traditions, students will be encouraged to consider how worldview and ideology lend to differing perceptions of musical meaning, performance, form, symbolism, and the importance of sound, generally. This survey covers the most prominent world religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and their denominations, as well as Central Asian Shamanism, Japanese Shinto rituals, and religious traditions of Native Americans. Syncretic religious practices in the Americas, including, African American gospel music, Brazilian Candomblé, Cuban Santeria, Haitian Voodoo, and Jamaican Rastafarianism are also presented to examine global issues such as colonization, transculturation, and the localization of culture and religion. Drawing upon academic articles, indigenous texts, musical recordings, and videos, students can expect to be introduced to a number of theoretical dimensions that arise within studies of music and religion globally. Also listed as RS-465 .