Save

Making Sense of the Psalms

Aesthetics and Embodied Experience in the Performance of Psalms

In: Religion and the Arts
Authors:
Henk Vogel Protestant Theological University The Netherlands Amsterdam

Search for other papers by Henk Vogel in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2985-9084
,
Mirella Klomp Protestant Theological University The Netherlands Amsterdam

Search for other papers by Mirella Klomp in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6659-2411
, and
Marcel Barnard Protestant Theological University The Netherlands Amsterdam

Search for other papers by Marcel Barnard in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8725-9784
Download Citation Get Permissions

Access options

Get access to the full article by using one of the access options below.

Institutional Login

Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials

Login via Institution

Purchase

Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):

$40.00

Abstract

This article discusses the appropriation of psalms in contemporary Dutch and Flemish culture through their performances in ‘extra-ecclesial’ settings and the ways in which aesthetics and embodied experiences play a role in this appropriation. Drawing on postsecular theory, we describe how both religious and secular dimensions are manifest in the performance of psalms on the level of aesthetics. Our contribution is a detailed analysis of empirical research data regarding different sensory perceptions (bodily, auditory, visual, synaesthetic), which we have studied both in isolation and interrelation. We show that religious and secular dimensions become intertwined in the temporally and spatially organized stimulation of different senses. A balancing act takes place between synaesthetic immersion in a collective ritual, and a more distanced, unisensory involvement to maintain individual authenticity. In this balance, an immersive ritual experience can become fertile soil for interaction with the transcendent. We argue that a postsecular stance should entail the interrogation and contextualization of immanent/transcendent dichotomies.

Content Metrics

All Time Past 365 days Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 527 150 28
Full Text Views 41 5 0
PDF Views & Downloads 89 14 0