The Rock and Theology Project is open to potential conversation partners for academic research and musical production. If you are [1] an academic theologian or pastoral/ministerial professional with a doctoral degree or equivalent experience in academic theology, and are also a secular/popular music fan and/or musician; or [2] a semipro or pro secular musician who has substantial experience or interest in theology, and you would like to find out more, please contact Tom Beaudoin (tbeaudoin@fordham.edu).

9 Comments »

1. 

   On the day when I very much hope (for all your sakes!) that U2 appear at Fordham…

   I simply wanted to say I’m very interested in what you’re up to and would be keen to be involved in some way. I’m now a senior lecturer at the Institute of Lifelong Learning at the University of Leicester, and have greater opportunities for interdisciplinary work than I’ve ever had (I’m preparing a major research funding bid for a major U2 project with a colleague in Media and Communication which will focus on fan-reception. if it comes off – we’ll know by the Summer – I’d be keen to feed some of that through your site, if I may). It’s ironical that shifting from theology/religious studies depts and church contexts after 20 years seems to give me so much more opportunity than I’ve had in the past for the religion/popular culture work I’ve been keeping going re. my theology and film work!

   Hope this helps by way of background.

   Let me know how things develop

   best wishes

   Clive

   Comment by Clive Marsh — March 6, 2009 @ 3:11 am

2. 

   hello,
   i’ve been the music and arts director at grace episcopal chuch, bainbridge island, wa for about 12 years. under the premise that all music is sacred we’ve included all kinds of music in our liturgy at grace. bach, chant, tracy chapman, foo fighters, eddie vedder, patty griffin, bob dylan, joni mitchell, michael franti, schubert, r. vaughan williams…often a mix of the like in one sunday’s liturgy. i am excited and interested in what you’re talking about and would love to contribute to the conversation!
   thanks for what you’re doing,
   annie strickland

   Comment by Ann Strickland — November 2, 2009 @ 8:07 pm

3. 

   I’m a theology student from the Philippines and my current academic project is on the religious themes promoted by Christian rock bands here in Cebu City, Philippines. can you recommend any online (or PDF format) scholarly articles or resources related to christian rock or christian worship and contemporary theology?
   thanks anyway for such innovative endeavor on your part. more power and God bless.

   Comment by Gilbert Eric Quiqui — December 5, 2009 @ 1:10 am

4. 

   I am very interested in what the Rock and Theology project are doing and would love to connect. I am Professor of Ministry, Theology and Culture at Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, have a monthly Theology and Culture podcast on iTunes called ‘The Kindlings Muse’ which is a live arts podcast at a local pub in Seattle and am on the editorial board of the Oxford University Press Journal ‘Literature and Theology’. I just completed a book on pop music and theology entitled “Your Neighbor’s Hymnal” that will be coming out later this year and would be interested in sending a copy to you for review.

   Best wishes to the project and look forward to hearing and reading more.

   Jeff Keuss
   Seattle Pacific University
   http://www.spu.edu/depts/theology/

   Comment by Jeff Keuss — January 3, 2011 @ 10:29 pm

5. 

   Great stuff BUT please stop referring to mainstream music as secular!!! It isn’t, often it is actually more spiritual than church stuff… My blog post and comments on this topic

   Regardless, would love to contribute!

   Best, PB

   Comment by Peter Banks — March 8, 2011 @ 3:24 am

6. 

   Your project is wonderful, and I only wish I’d discovered it much earlier. I edit an international website — http://www.jesusjazzbuddhism.org – one aim of which is to foster cross-cultural dialogue between spiritually interested people in China and the West on subjects of food, music, art, philosophy, and theology. I will look for ways to share your links on that site, and hope you might do the same on your end. China does not get Youtube, but we can alter Youtube videos so that they are viewable on the China side. If you have authors who would like to write for us, too, we would like that. Jay McDaniel

   Comment by Jay McDaniel — November 9, 2011 @ 6:31 am

7. 

   C. S. Lewis used to talk a good bit about how we may find truths of Christianity expressed in everything from daily affairs to mythology. I for one have always found the secular music that I like far more moving — even more “spiritual” — than the phenomenon of “Contemporary Christian Music.” All art, having no per se responsibility to ethics or philosophy — i.e., being about beauty for its own sake (ars gratia artis) — inevitably leads the theological thinker back to God simply by virtue of its status as man’s participation of the infinite fecundity of the Creator. “Whatever you do, do as to the Lord.”

   Comment by Flitcraft — April 27, 2012 @ 10:27 pm

8. 

   Hi there. Like your site & identify with the concept. Will come back often. I have an interest in identifying existing bridges, and building new ones, between various forms of the arts (but particularly music) and Christian thought, as well as interfacing with science – and attempt to do this on my blog. I have published academically (but in science rather than in theology), and practice critical care medicine. Some posts tackle heavy issues, some are unashamedly light-hearted and just for fun.

   Check out a few examples (all need prefaced with http://)

   Blue Oyster Cult
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2012/02/on-your-feet-or-on-your-knees.html

   Leonard Cohen
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2012/02/lennys-ideological-advance.html

   The Ramones
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2011/10/generatin-steam-heat-been-there-got-the-t-shirt.html

   The Beautiful South
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2012/06/good-as-gold-or-walking-by-on-the-other-side.html

   Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2012/06/rebels-refugees-royalists-republicans.html

   John Mayer
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2012/05/mellow-but-not-yellow.html

   Jazz/Hip-hop fusion
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2012/11/will-there-always-be-those-in-society-who-wish-to-use-violence-to-achieve-their-ends-why-are-we-all-not-motivated-by-justice.html

   Dr John
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2012/04/on-the-virtues-of-mac-1.html

   Tom Waits
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2012/07/heavens-to-murkatroid-tom-waits-on-nature-v-nurture.html

   The Wallflowers
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2012/10/love-is-a-country-that-wont-be-overcome-has-jakob-been-reading-rob-bell.html

   Blues
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2012/10/theres-somethin-out-there.html

   British Punk
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2012/10/old-grey-whistle-test-1978-i-love-my-baby-cos-she-does-good-sculptures-flying-saucer-attack-live.html

   LOTS are either DYLAN-focused, or cross-reference his Bobness
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2012/09/the-titanic-sails-at-dawn-and-everybodys-shouting-which-side-are-you-on.html

   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2010/11/adeles-cover-or-bobs-original-version-which-to-choose.html

   Not all have music as their primary subject matter, but most have a musical soundtrack in there somewhere.

   Some are on theological controversies:
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2012/11/slicer-is-indebted-to-jr-daniel-kirkfor-drawing-attention-to-this-useful-clip-slicer-agrees-with-the-comment-made-by-anot.html

   Some are topical and politically controversial:
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/mama-put-these-guns-in-the-ground.html

   Some are light-hearted treatment of science
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2012/07/the-dark-secret-of-cern-parties-pantos-cross-dressing-.html

   Others are serious consideration of SCIENTIFIC revelation through a Christian lens

   (eg with Jack Johnson as a soundtrack)
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2010/08/what-are-little-boys-made-of-the-lightness-of-being-2008-frank-wilczek.html

   (or Ireland’s Juliet Turner)
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2011/12/through-a-particle-accelerator-darkly.html

   (or Coldplay, Elton John & Leon Russell)
   t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/2011/04/do-you-mind-verb.html

   Feel free to look around the rest of the blog where there are also reviews of books and films, including JACK REACHER:

   http://t-rinder.typepad.com/blog/

   Comment by The Slicer — January 13, 2013 @ 3:14 pm

9. 

   I am not a theology student–have a MEd in Counseling but have a great love for music and ministry. My hubby has an MBA and a few years of seminary. We do youth ministry, my hubby preaches, I homeschool 2 of our children (one now in high school) and teach other homeschoolers in a coop. My 16, 13 and 10 year old lead worship at our church. My 13 year old started playing in a worship band when he was 9. We do everything we can to support our local music stores, public school music programs, local bands, local fundraising groups like Terra Rising Records(a great organization) and try to minister to musicians who often are living a tough life so they can make their music. My parents met in choir, my dad was a church organist, my husbands parents met in a musical. Music is in our hearts and in our blood. We are devout Christians and have a great heart for people of all faiths and especially musicians. If you interested in researching real people, real musicians, the spiritual side of both, we know and love many. Would love to support anything you are doing. Now that we have found you, we will be following your website for sure.

   Comment by Nancy Monfredo — February 9, 2013 @ 7:03 pm

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