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

Print

Identifier

DP0022228

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

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