Bluegrass and Religion

Tracks how songs that first arose from a close relationship to the conservative religion of the American South have taken on new meanings in a post-religious environment.

Tracking songs that first arose from a close relationship to the conservative religion of the American South, this book explores the ways in which they have taken on new meanings in a post-religious environment.

Divided into two parts, Pete Ward first gives a historical account of the relationship between Old Time and Bluegrass Music and Religion. These chapters trace the shifting nature of religious life in America and explore how Bluegrass Music interweaves and is changed over the last 100 years. Selected interviews with musicians provide fresh insight into the religious practices and intentions of key performers. Drawing on archival research, the book connects findings to research in the area of the Great Awakening, Appalachian Religion and the development of evangelicalism into the 20th Century.

The second part of the book is based on ethnographic field work, from both the US and the UK, including textual analysis of songs and participant observation of concerts and interviews with performers. The differences of context between the US and the UK are considered as they relate to issues of post Christian sensibilities and non-religion. A particular focus is how what were specifically Christian songs become relocated in post Christian environment. Peter Ward explores how Bluegrass raises a number of troubling political issues, and what it means for the changing nature of the sacred and notions of non-religion. A key issue discussed is the continued significance of this music and why ‘roots’ or ‘nostalgia’ play a role and indeed how and why this might be the case in the UK as well as in the US.

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