Shared Religious Soundscapes: Indian Rāga Music in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Devotion in South Asia
Music has played a central role in Indian religious experience for millennia. The origins of Indian music include the recitation of the sacred syllable OM and Sanskrit Mantras in ancient Vedic fire sacrifices. The notion of Sound Absolute, first in the Upanishads as Śabda-Brahman and later as Nāda-B...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/11/1406 |
| _version_ | 1827638935931584512 |
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| author | Guy L. Beck |
| author_facet | Guy L. Beck |
| author_sort | Guy L. Beck |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Music has played a central role in Indian religious experience for millennia. The origins of Indian music include the recitation of the sacred syllable OM and Sanskrit Mantras in ancient Vedic fire sacrifices. The notion of Sound Absolute, first in the Upanishads as Śabda-Brahman and later as Nāda-Brahman, formed the theological background for music, Sangīta, designed as a vehicle of liberation founded upon the worship of Hindu deities expressed in <i>rāgas</i>, or specific melodic formulas. Nearly all genres of music in India, classical or devotional, share this theoretical and practical understanding, extending to other Indic religions like Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. What is less documented is how <i>rāga</i> music has been adopted by non-Indic communities in South Asia: Judaism (Bene Israel), Christianity (Catholic), and Islam (Chishti Sufi). After briefly outlining the relation between religion and the arts, the Indian aesthetics of Rasa, and the basic notions of sacred sound and music in Hinduism, this essay reveals the presence of <i>rāga</i> music, specifically the structure or melodic pattern of the morning <i>rāga</i> known as Bhairava, in compositions praising the divinity of each non-Indic tradition: Adonai, Jesus, and Allah. As similar tone patterns appear in the religious experiences of these communities, they reveal the phenomenon of “shared religious soundscapes” relevant to the comparative study of religion and music, or Musicology of Religion. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:29:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ca5966a47fbb42f18b746a7af52acd03 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:29:47Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-ca5966a47fbb42f18b746a7af52acd032023-11-24T15:03:57ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442023-11-011411140610.3390/rel14111406Shared Religious Soundscapes: Indian Rāga Music in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Devotion in South AsiaGuy L. Beck0Department of Religious Studies, Loyola University New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70118-6143, USAMusic has played a central role in Indian religious experience for millennia. The origins of Indian music include the recitation of the sacred syllable OM and Sanskrit Mantras in ancient Vedic fire sacrifices. The notion of Sound Absolute, first in the Upanishads as Śabda-Brahman and later as Nāda-Brahman, formed the theological background for music, Sangīta, designed as a vehicle of liberation founded upon the worship of Hindu deities expressed in <i>rāgas</i>, or specific melodic formulas. Nearly all genres of music in India, classical or devotional, share this theoretical and practical understanding, extending to other Indic religions like Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. What is less documented is how <i>rāga</i> music has been adopted by non-Indic communities in South Asia: Judaism (Bene Israel), Christianity (Catholic), and Islam (Chishti Sufi). After briefly outlining the relation between religion and the arts, the Indian aesthetics of Rasa, and the basic notions of sacred sound and music in Hinduism, this essay reveals the presence of <i>rāga</i> music, specifically the structure or melodic pattern of the morning <i>rāga</i> known as Bhairava, in compositions praising the divinity of each non-Indic tradition: Adonai, Jesus, and Allah. As similar tone patterns appear in the religious experiences of these communities, they reveal the phenomenon of “shared religious soundscapes” relevant to the comparative study of religion and music, or Musicology of Religion.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/11/1406comparative religioncomparative musicologyIndian musicHinduism and music |
| spellingShingle | Guy L. Beck Shared Religious Soundscapes: Indian Rāga Music in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Devotion in South Asia Religions comparative religion comparative musicology Indian music Hinduism and music |
| title | Shared Religious Soundscapes: Indian Rāga Music in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Devotion in South Asia |
| title_full | Shared Religious Soundscapes: Indian Rāga Music in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Devotion in South Asia |
| title_fullStr | Shared Religious Soundscapes: Indian Rāga Music in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Devotion in South Asia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Shared Religious Soundscapes: Indian Rāga Music in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Devotion in South Asia |
| title_short | Shared Religious Soundscapes: Indian Rāga Music in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Devotion in South Asia |
| title_sort | shared religious soundscapes indian raga music in jewish christian and islamic devotion in south asia |
| topic | comparative religion comparative musicology Indian music Hinduism and music |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/11/1406 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT guylbeck sharedreligioussoundscapesindianragamusicinjewishchristianandislamicdevotioninsouthasia |