Musical Religiosity

Authors

  • Martin Hoondert Tilburg University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33356/temenos.48554

Keywords:

Music, Religion, Transcendence, Experience

Abstract

In this essay the author explores the thesis that music is by its nature religious, or rather, that it has qualities that correspond well with what religion, in a broad sense, aspires to be. Four musical qualities are explored: timbre, the tonal system of western music, the time relations within the tonal network, and the non-referential nature of music. These qualities are linked to the definition of ‘the religious’ by John Dewey. The main conclusion is that an analogy can be shown between the musical and the religious experience: both composers and musicians challenge the listeners to explore the hidden religiosity in the performance of music.

Author Biography

Martin Hoondert, Tilburg University

Assistant professor of Music, Religion & Ritual

Tilburg School of Humanities

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Published

2015-06-08

How to Cite

Hoondert, M. (2015). Musical Religiosity. Temenos - Nordic Journal for the Study of Religion, 51(1), 123–36. https://doi.org/10.33356/temenos.48554

Issue

Vol. 51 No. 1 (2015)

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2015 Temenos - Nordic Journal of Comparative Religion

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