MUSC3354 (Sound and the Sacred) course reviews and ratings at Northeastern (NEU). Compare professors with RateMyProfessor reviews.
Considers the ways in which religious beliefs, ethics, meaning, and practices are embodied within music and what music contributes to faith identities in a variety of religio-cultural contexts, both present-day and historical. Music plays important roles in religious contexts: Among other things, it connects worshippers to spiritual realms; centers practitioners within continuous traditions; distinguishes between sacred and secular spaces (and places); enables communal cohesion; facilitates transcendent experiences; imbues everyday activities with religious intent; orients believers to ritual practices; and contributes to religious identities, both at the individual and at the collective (or congregational) levels. Approaches the study of music and religion as one that benefits from intense attentional investment, using detailed scholarly works to provide intricately nuanced perspectives.
Data updated October 2026.