Traces of the Spirit

The Religious Dimensions of Popular Music

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality
Cover of the book Traces of the Spirit by Robin Sylvan, NYU Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Robin Sylvan ISBN: 9780814708651
Publisher: NYU Press Publication: July 1, 2002
Imprint: NYU Press Language: English
Author: Robin Sylvan
ISBN: 9780814708651
Publisher: NYU Press
Publication: July 1, 2002
Imprint: NYU Press
Language: English

"Sylvan's thesis furnishes far more of the same valued experiences than is usually realized: ritual activity, communal ceremony, a philosophy and worldview, a code for living one's life, a cultural identity, a social structure, a sense of belonging, and crucially, Sylvan argues encounters with the numinous."
-Journal of Religion
Most studies of the religious significance of popular music focus on music lyrics, offering little insight into the religious aspects of the music itself. Traces of the Spirit examines the religious dimensions of popular music subcultures, charting the influence and religious aspects of popular music in mainstream culture today and analyzing the religious significance of the audience's experiences, rituals, and worldviews. Sylvan contends that popular music subcultures serve the function of religious communities and represent a new and significant religious phenomenon.
Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork using interviews and participant observation, Sylvan examines such subcultures as the Deadheads, raves and their participants, metalheads, and Hip Hop culture. Based on these case studies, he offers a comprehensive theoretical framework in which to study music and popular culture. In addition, he traces the history of West African possession religion from Africa to the diaspora to its integration into American popular music in such genres as the blues, rock and roll, and contemporary musical youth subcultures.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

"Sylvan's thesis furnishes far more of the same valued experiences than is usually realized: ritual activity, communal ceremony, a philosophy and worldview, a code for living one's life, a cultural identity, a social structure, a sense of belonging, and crucially, Sylvan argues encounters with the numinous."
-Journal of Religion
Most studies of the religious significance of popular music focus on music lyrics, offering little insight into the religious aspects of the music itself. Traces of the Spirit examines the religious dimensions of popular music subcultures, charting the influence and religious aspects of popular music in mainstream culture today and analyzing the religious significance of the audience's experiences, rituals, and worldviews. Sylvan contends that popular music subcultures serve the function of religious communities and represent a new and significant religious phenomenon.
Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork using interviews and participant observation, Sylvan examines such subcultures as the Deadheads, raves and their participants, metalheads, and Hip Hop culture. Based on these case studies, he offers a comprehensive theoretical framework in which to study music and popular culture. In addition, he traces the history of West African possession religion from Africa to the diaspora to its integration into American popular music in such genres as the blues, rock and roll, and contemporary musical youth subcultures.

More books from NYU Press

Cover of the book Women as Wartime Rapists by Robin Sylvan
Cover of the book The Good Fight Continues by Robin Sylvan
Cover of the book The Post-Secular in Question by Robin Sylvan
Cover of the book The Shtetl by Robin Sylvan
Cover of the book On the Side of My People by Robin Sylvan
Cover of the book Sperm Counts by Robin Sylvan
Cover of the book Antiracism by Robin Sylvan
Cover of the book Gender, Psychology, and Justice by Robin Sylvan
Cover of the book What Brown v. Board of Education Should Have Said by Robin Sylvan
Cover of the book Inner Lives by Robin Sylvan
Cover of the book Horace Greeley by Robin Sylvan
Cover of the book Citizen, Student, Soldier by Robin Sylvan
Cover of the book The Crime of All Crimes by Robin Sylvan
Cover of the book After the Crime by Robin Sylvan
Cover of the book Women of the American South by Robin Sylvan
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy