Sound, Spaces and Celebrations
Sound, Spaces, and Celebrations – The Feel of the World's Religions
In this series, we will explore how we experience the world’s religions with our senses. Together we will encounter soundscapes, sacred spaces, the experiences of key holidays that mark festivities and remembrance, and learn how adherents learn from and use their sacred texts. Each of these talks will explore the richness of many religions, rather than learning about a single tradition.
Wednesday, January 28, 2025: Sacred Texts
In this talk, we will explore the sacred texts of the world’s religions, looking not merely at their contents, but rather the role they play in their community. These books may be read, chanted, sung, venerated as objects or turned into works of art. Through exploring these texts, we will gain a window into some of our planet’s most meaningful traditions.
Wednesday, February 4, 2025: Sacred Spaces
In the West, we have a tendency to reduce religions to their beliefs, a set of propositions to say yes or not to. But religions are thick cultural systems that engage our senses in ways that excite, quiet, nurture, or provide a sense of awe or of home. We will look at the meaning and aesthetics of sacred spaces, be they natural or built.
Wednesday, February 11, 2025: The Religious Soundscape
Building on last week’s talk, we will continue to explore the aesthetics of the world’s religions by opening our ears to hear what these traditions have to say. The diverse traditions use sound in unique ways, where these sounds convey emotions, theologies, transcendent states, or remind us of stories and aspirations. Here we will consider the sound of the sacred.
Wednesday, February 18, 2025: Sacred Holidays
Holidays capture some of the essence of the world’s religions – they highlight key figures, major events and central themes. And while religion usually makes the news for stories of extremism or violence (giving a very one-sided perspective on religious life), holidays capture aspects that are more part of the lived experience of most devotees, namely celebrating traditions, time-honoured rituals, and spending time with community and loved ones. We will look at some of the key holidays of major traditions to learn more about our neighbours.
Register for one or more, or join us for the full series.
The 90 minute classes will be held online and will include time for questions and discussion.
Recordings of the sessions will be available for 2 weeks beyond the series' conclusion.