“There Is a Higher Height in the Lord”: Music, Worship, and Communication with God

Journal Title: Religions - Year 2015, Vol 6, Issue 2

Abstract

Music is so vital in the services of African American Baptist churches that there are few moments in the service when music—either congregational or choral singing, or instrumental music of some sort—is not being performed. Sustained as an auditory or imagined presence, music acts almost as a timbral membrane for the presence of the Holy Spirit throughout the service. The Holy Spirit is physically manifested (inspiration by the Holy Spirit) in the church membership, predominantly (if not exclusively) in a musical context. In order to ground the general in the particular, I will give detailed consideration to two musical instances or events from the Sunday morning service at Clear Creek Missionary Baptist Church on 4 November 2012, contextualising those within a broader context.

Authors and Affiliations

Therese Smith

Keywords

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  • EP ID EP25442
  • DOI https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6020543
  • Views 286
  • Downloads 9

How To Cite

Therese Smith (2015). “There Is a Higher Height in the Lord”: Music, Worship, and Communication with God. Religions, 6(2), -. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-25442