Sound as Religion

American Academy of Religion

AAR, Boston, Massachusetts, November 20, 2017.

Roundtable Abstract

While interdisciplinary interest in the phenomenon of sound has been growing apace, understanding the diverse ways in which sound is implicated in religious practice and spiritual experience remains under-researched in the field of religious studies. This lacuna can be attributed in part to the dominance of textual, visual, and liturgical paradigms in the field, but also the challenges of conducting research on sound (including music), noise, and silence.

At this juncture, we feel the need to team up and share resources in order to promote more research and theoretical reflection on the auditory and acoustic dimensions of religion. The AAR offers an ideal venue to pursue collaborative research on sound as religion and to expand the sub-field. The core group of scholars is diverse in interests and approaches (e.g. Islamic acoustics of Turkish Berlin; sound, text, and ritual in premodern South Asia; mantras, sound, and technology in modern Hinduism; aesthetics/aisthetics of religion with special focus on sounding religion; sonic theologies and bans on “noise-making” in contemporary Ghana; religious sounds, public space, and American pluralism; soundscapes and gospel music in Brazil; sound elements of “liveness” in evangelical worship music; sound, listening, and religious publics in Lagos, Nigeria; “vocality” as therapeutic tool; improvisation, body, identity, experimentalism, ritual; and sounds of global indigeneity) which is critical for effective scholarship in this area. Because of our broader conception of sound, outlined above, rather than a more conventional focus on musical sounds, we are strongly committed to operating as an independent group rather than under the auspices of the Music and Religion Unit.