BACM, 2018, Dissertation, Natalie Miya-Fluxman

MUSIC AND SPIRITUALITY: THE ROLE OF MUSIC IN RELIGION

There is no denying the spiritual nature of music. Christians have Hymns and Gospel
music, Hindus have Sangeet and Samagana, and Muslims employ beautiful melodies in
the call to prayer. Even in a secular setting music has the power to uplift, heal and free the
human spirit.

My final dissertation aims to explore the many ways that music manifests itself in religious
settings and the effect it has on those who use it in their spiritual practice. I will ask the
question “what role does music play in spiritual practice,” and furthermore “does it enhance
or hinder a perceived connection to God?” I will focus specifically on the following
religions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism to better my understanding of the
spiritual power of music, and will briefly cover secular music also.

I have, and will continue to gather reliable research by looking into academic and historical
books and articles, studying religious texts, the work of musicologists and theologists, and
watch documentaries on my chosen subject.

Important Note
It is imperative to be clear on the definition of the word ‘spirituality’. Oxford Dictionary gives
us two definitions: 1 “relating to the human spirit as opposed to physical things,” and 2
“relating to religion or religious belief.” I use the latter definition throughout my writing.

Literature Review

Music and Spirituality (1988) is a book edited by Edward Foley. He selects writings from
different musicologists, theologists, musicians, and professors who examine the spiritual
nature of music, and collates their findings into one text. Foley has written and edited
many works on religion, spirituality and ritual and is highly respected in these fields,
proving a reliable source.

One contributor, Therese Smith, shares her discoveries from a Baptist congregation in
Mississippi and ‘demonstrates how the presence of music throughout the religious service
calls forth and sustains the perceived presence of the Holy Spirit,’ (Foley, 1988) suggesting
 BACM, 2018, Dissertation, Natalie Miya-Fluxman

the role of music in a Christian setting is to call forth the Holy Spirit. While Maeve Louis
Heaney uses Spiegel im Spiegel, a composition by Arvo Part, as a case study to explore
how a piece of music has the capacity to reveal God’s presence, supporting a more
secular approach to music and spirituality. She states that the power lies with the
composer and possibly a higher being to make a piece spiritual, suggesting that music
need not be strictly religious to affect the human spirit.

A gap in this literature is the limited inclusion of religions outside the Western and Christian
world. Inclusion of different groups would have given a more rounded overview of the
topic.

In attempting to fill the gap in Foley’s literature, I discovered Philip Bohlman’s book - World
Music: A Very Short Introduction (2002). Bohlman includes an array of information on
music from cultures and religious groups around the globe (including Christianity,
Hinduism, Islam and Judaism), only scratching the surface of the music he includes, yet
providing well-informed starting points for broader research. Bohlman’s study places world
music squarely in history, reaching back to the Age of Discovery and even beyond
(Middleton, 2002).

In the section on Islam, Bohlman explains ‘the role of music in the reading of (Islamic)
religious texts is to enhance the meaning through clarification.’ Implying that music makes
the meaning of religious texts clearer and enhances spiritual practice.

Although quite different in nature, both Foley and Bohlman’s work suggest that music
enhances spiritual practice rather than distracting from it, and that the role of music is to
bring believers closer to God.

Another, more detailed text on world music is The Rough Guide to World Music: Africa and
Middle East (2006). The book covers African and Middle Eastern music of every style -
popular and classical, religious and secular, new and traditional. This weighty book
includes extremely detailed analyses of world music, historical and theoretical information.
Similar to Bohlmans work, this is a factual and historical text, making it reliable and an
unbiased source. I will be reading further into sections on Gospel music and Islamic music.
 BACM, 2018, Dissertation, Natalie Miya-Fluxman

The last two chosen texts are Music in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity (2016) by
John Arthur Smith, and Sonic Liturgy: Ritual and Music in Hindu Tradition (2012) by Guy L.
Beck. Both of these works zero in on one or two specific religions, making their research
extremely thorough and in-depth.

Smith’s text has been described as the first full-length study of music among the ancient
Israelites, the ancient Jews and the early Christians in the Mediterranean lands during the
period from 1000BCE to 400CE (National Library of Australia). He considers the physical,
religious and social setting of the music and how it was performed.

This text doesn’t so much describe the role of music in these religions, but more so looks
at the origins of the music and the theory used to create it through analysing ancient
manuscript.

Similarly, although shifting the focus from theory to use of music, Beck establishes a
historical foundation for an understanding of the role of music in worship traditions in his
work on music and Hinduism. He reveals a template of interwoven ritual and music in
Hindu tradition that he calls “sonic liturgy” - religious worship that incorporates sound and
music (University of South Carolina Press).

I will read the following chapters which present different rituals and their accompanying
musical forms:
1) Ancient India: Yajna and Sama-Gana
Yajna being the ritual and Sama-Gana the musical form.
2) Classical India: Puja and Gandharva Sangita
Puja being the ritual, and Gandharva Sangita a musical performance in the name of
heavenly beings.
3) Medieval India: Temple Hinduism and Bhakti Sangit
Hinduism in a temple setting accompanied by devotional music.

Through also studying The Bible, Quran, Torah and The Vedas I will gain a deeper
understanding of each religious groups attitudes towards music within spiritual practice.
 BACM, 2018, Dissertation, Natalie Miya-Fluxman

Ethical Considerations

I will continue my research online and at the library, read articles and watch credible
documentaries. My research won’t be infringing any ethical guidelines as any information I
use has been put into the public domain by choice and with consent. It is not necessary to
personally interview study groups as there is enough information readily available through
the mentioned avenues.

Research and Writing Timetable

Below I have written a detailed timetable, outlining specific dates for which I will conduct
research and write sections of my dissertation. I have ensured inclusion of any dates I will
be away or unable to work to make this timetable as realistic as possible.

Nov 15th - Jan 1st: Research

• Continue collecting and reading relevant texts, books and articles. Take note of all
research sources in one word document to prepare for bibliography.

• Read previous dissertations for inspiration and guidance.

• Read assessment criteria for clarity.

* away on holiday from 14th - 4th Jan. COMPLETE 3 HOURS RESEARCH/DAY WHILE
AWAY. Write a daily schedule to ensure this happens.

Jan 2nd - 13th: Structure

• Outline the main topics and conclusions reached from research.

• Create an order for these topics/sections, and an overall structure for the dissertation.

• In each section, write a summary of what will be explored.

• Match up relevant research to each section.

• Finally, group smaller sections into 3 main sections.

Jan 14th - 20th: Section 1, First draft

 BACM, 2018, Dissertation, Natalie Miya-Fluxman

• Write draft section 1. Include research and references.

• Work on section every day.

Jan 21st - 27th: Section 2, First draft

• Write draft section 2. Include research and references.

• Work on section every day.

Jan 28th - Feb 3rd: Section 3, First draft

• Write draft section 3. Include research and references.

• Work on section every day.

Feb 4th - 10th: Revisit Section 1, Final draft

• Revisit draft section 1. Improve and refine.

• Work on section every day.

Feb 11th - 17th: Revisit Section 2, Final draft

• Revisit draft section 2. Improve and refine.

• Work on section every day.

Feb 18th - 25th: Away on holiday

Feb 26th - March 2nd: Revisit Section 3, Final draft

• Revisit draft section 3. Improve and refine.

• Work on section every day.

 BACM, 2018, Dissertation, Natalie Miya-Fluxman

* * March 2nd/3rd - Submit full draft for feedback * *

March 4th - 10th: Reviewing work

• Re-read draft and make changes/improvements.

• If feedback is given during this time - implement feedback and advice.

* * March 11th - Personal deadline (2 weeks before final deadline) * *

March 11th - 23rd: Reading, tweaking & bibliography

• If possible, have a teacher read over the dissertation for a last proof read.

• Read over work and edit until dissertation meets all assessment criteria.

• Write bibliography.

* * March 24th - Submit final dissertation * *

 BACM, 2018, Dissertation, Natalie Miya-Fluxman

Bibliography

Beck, G. (2012). Sonic Liturgy: Ritual and Music in Hindu Tradition. South Carolina:
University of South Carolina Press.

Bohlman, P. (2002). World Music: A Very Short Introduction. Great Britain: Oxford
University Press.

Broughton, S. (2006). The Rough Guide to World Music: Africa and Middle East. Rough
Guides.

Foley, E. (1988). Music and Spirituality. Basel, Switzerland: MDPI.

National Library of Australia website. Trove. Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/

37810852?q&versionId=49879454. (Accessed 6th November 2018)

Smith, J. (2016). Music in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity. New York: Routledge.

University of South Carolina Press website. Religious Studies. Available at: https://
www.sc.edu/uscpress/books/2011/7037.html. (Accessed 7th November 2018)