Twelfth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

What does sacred text sound like? How does listening to sacred texts affect interpretation and analysis? What are the affordances and challenges for scholars and the public who use a digital platform to hear sacred text? I play audio clips from the American Religious Sounds Project to provide answers to those three questions. Specifically, I present vocalized sacred texts recorded during Greek Orthodox Holy Saturday liturgy, Sikh scripture singing, Zen Buddhist Great Vow For All chanting, Quranic recitation, and praying the Sh’ma. In recent years, religious studies scholars who focus on sacred texts have embraced approaches to the study of visual and material culture, yet their understanding of the role that sound plays in religious textual practices remains comparatively under-developed. Listening to and for sacred texts opens promising avenues for exploring the dynamics of religious contact and conflict, the varied spatial locations of religious (and secular) practice, and sacred texts’ entanglement with other spheres of everyday life. I argue that hearing sacred text performed expands interpretation and deepens analysis because it provides a rich aural context for sacred text replete with vocal intonation and ambient sounds. I also argue that an emphasis on listening provides a clear example of how digital technologies can enhance and problematize research and collaboration.