Musical Spirituality: The Transformative Power of Popular Music
Abstract
Although music is commonly considered to be a form of entertainment by musicians, fans, and scholars, its religio-spiritual dimension goes widely unrecognized. However, throughout history many cultures and thinkers have emphasized the importance of music in matters of ritual and worship. The intimate association of religion and music in these ancient cultures has led contemporary scholars to rethink the relationship between popular music and religion in terms of its spiritually transformative aspects. This thesis explores some of the more prominent views of the past regarding this religiospiritual dimension, and presents certain contemporary scholarly analyses, along with those of musicians and funs, in order to show the relevance these worldviews have today. Accordingly, this thesis emphasizes the spiritually transformative power of popular music and demonstrates that the element of entertainment is but one of many inherent within the musical experience.
Notes
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Thesis Completion
2007
Semester
Spring
Advisor
Schippert, Claudia
Degree
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
College
College of Arts and Humanities
Degree Program
Humanities
Subjects
Arts and Humanities -- Dissertations, Academic; Dissertations, Academic -- Arts and Humanities
Format
Identifier
DP0022228
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Document Type
Honors in the Major Thesis
Recommended Citation
Walker, Seth, "Musical Spirituality: The Transformative Power of Popular Music" (2007). HIM 1990-2015. 667.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses1990-2015/667