Sonic theology : Hinduism and sacred sound /

Traditionally Hinduism has appealed to Western eyes though its rich tableau of visual artifacts: temple architecture, sculpture, painting, craft. Guy Beck argues, however, that the focus of Western scholars on Hinduism's visual component has often been at the expense of the religion's most...

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator: Beck, Guy L., 1948-
Format: eBook Electronic
Language:English
Imprint: Columbia, S.C. : University of South Carolina Press, 1993.
Series:Studies in comparative religion (Columbia, S.C.)
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Online Access:Click here for full text at JSTOR
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Summary:Traditionally Hinduism has appealed to Western eyes though its rich tableau of visual artifacts: temple architecture, sculpture, painting, craft. Guy Beck argues, however, that the focus of Western scholars on Hinduism's visual component has often been at the expense of the religion's most important feature - its emphasis on sound. Beck addresses this longstanding imbalance in this pathbreaking study. He contends that sound possesses a central place in Hindu theory and practice and that Hinduism is essentially a sonic theology. Unlike religious traditions that emphasize silence, the Hindu world is permeated by sound. Drums, bells, gongs, cymbals, conches, flutes, and an array of vocalizations play a central role in the worship experience. Beck provides a theoretical exposition of the major textual sources of Hindu sacred sound, namely the Vedas, Upanishads, Mimamsa, Grammar, Yoga, Saiva-Agama, Sakta-Tantra, and Vaisnava Pancaratra. From the Vedic Vak as "spoken word" to the Sabda-Brahman of the Upanishads, Mimamsa, and Grammar, and on to the Nada-Brahman of Yoga, Saivism, Saktism, Vaisnavism, and Indian classical music, Beck argues that sound participates at every level of the Hindu cosmos. As he weaves the theology of sound throughout Hindu textual traditions, Beck provides ample, coherent justifications of the practical use of sound in Mantra repetitions, Om recitations, and Nada-Brahman meditational techniques. He compares the centrality of sound in Hindu theology to its role, or its absence, in other religions. The issues Beck raises about sound and language not only reshape our understanding of Hindu worship but also invite a fresh approach to comparative theology.

A comparative approach to understanding the centrality of sound to Hindu religious practices

The Hindu world is permeated by sound: drums, bells, gongs, cymbals, conches, flutes, and an array of vocalizations play a central role in worship. Guy L. Beck contends that the traditional Western focus on Hinduism's visual component has often been at the expense of the religion's most important feature--its emphasis on sound. In Sonic Theology Beck addresses this longstanding imbalance, contending that Hinduism is essentially a sonic theology.

Beck argues that sound participates at every level of the Hindu cosmos. Comparing the centrality of sound in Hindu theology to its place in other religions, Beck raises issues about sound and language that not only reshape our understanding of Hindu worship but also invite a fresh approach to comparative theology.

Item Description:Print version record.
Physical Description:1 online resource (xvi, 290 pages)
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references (pages 253-273) and index.
ISBN:1643364049
9781643364049
Author Notes:

Guy L. Beck is an assistant professor in the School of Continuing Studies at Tulane University and the editor of Alternative Krishnas: Regional and Vernacular Variations on a Hindu Deity and Sacred Sound: Experiencing Music in World Religions.