The Importance of Acoustic Environment in Charismatic Worshipping

FACULTY OF COMMUNICATION DEPARTAMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES

1.study year Essay
The importance of acoustic environment in charismatic worshipping in the Christian congregation “Prieka Vēsts”

Master studies "Social Anthropology"
Student ID nr 011272

Matīss Šteinerts

2012, Riga

The importance of acoustic environment in charismatic worshipping in the Christian congregation “Prieka Vēsts”
For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day [1, Acts 2:15] In this work I would like to study theories and practice regarding religious Christian ceremonies which are practiced in charismatic churches. I will be paying special attention to worship, during which the members of the congregation find themselves in a trance-like state, characterised by speaking in tongues, euphoria and sometimes even loss of consciousness and convulsions. The topic of this work is the role of music in inducing trance. The work consists of two parts. The first part is theory, where, firstly, I will be paying attention to explanation of what is a charismatic Christian congregation, their main gospel and brief description of rituals, and, secondly, the meaning of trance and its importance in religious ceremonies, and thirdly, the role of music in inducing trance and mania in religious ceremonies from the point of view of neuroscience, I will describe trance music and the nature of transcendental music in trance rituals. The second part of the work is a description of the field work, in which I will analyse the chosen method – observation and interviews. I will analyse Christian congregation „Prieka Vēsts” („Joyful Message”) in context of the theory described in the first part. I have to add that the educational purpose of this essay is to test the ability to apply theory to practice, not to discover some new truths about one of the topics. This is more like an introduction to a research, not a research itself. Part I, Theory Charismatic and

Bibliography: [1] The Holy Bible, New Testament English Standard Version . Acts 2. [2] Barrett DB, Johnson TM. 2002. Global statistics. In The New Intemational Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, ed. SM Burgess, EM van der Maas, pp. 283-302. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan[2] Robbins Joel, 2004, The Globalization of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity, Annual Review of Anthropology. Vol. 33, Palo Alto, CA, USA [3] Dayton DW 1987. Theological Roots of Pentecostalism. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson [4] The encyclopedia of religions in the internet site of Latvian Bible society: http://www.bibelesbiedriba.lv/religijuenciklopedija/kristietiba/vasarssvetku-draudzes-latvija.html [5] Casanova J. 2001. Religion, the new millennium, and globalization. Soc. Relig. 62:415-41 [6] Rouget, G, 1985. Music and Trance. A theory of the relations between Music and Posession. Chicago, London: The university of Chicago Press [7] Taber 's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary 9th ed. 1963 [8] Leiris, M. 1958. La Posession et ses Aspects Theatraux chez les Ethiopiens de Gondar. Paris:Plon. [9] Mars,L. 1953., Nouvelle contribution a l 'etude de la crise de possession. Izdevumā Les Afro -Americains Dakar: IFAN [10] d’Aquili,E.G., Newberg, A.B. 1999 The Mystical Mind: Proving the Biology of Religious Experience . Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press. [11] Pilch,J.J. 2004. Music and Trance Music Therapy Today interneta materiāls Vol. V, Issue 2, pieejams: http://musictherapyworld.net [12]Trehub,S E. 2003 The Developmental Origins of Musicality. Nature Neuroscience 6: 669-673. [13] Danielou, A. 1967. Semantics of Music. Essay of Acoustic Psycho-physiology. Paris : Hermann [14] Harrison, J.E. 1908. The Kouretes and Zeus Kourus: A Study in Prehistoric Sociology. The annual of British School at Athens [15] Interner resource of “Prieka Vēsts”: http://www.priekavests.lv/lv/par_mums/kadai_konfesijai_piederam_? read=1144 Appendices Observations during the worship service, 03.06.2012 1) The worship service on June 3 began with a short speech by the worship service leader, he greeted the congregation, evaluated the amount of attendees (there were 400-500 people, the hall is suitable for about 1500 people) and voiced his satisfaction with the ones who had arrived. 2) After this speech the congregation members stand up and a band (consists of a singer – leader of praise, 6 background singers, percussionist and electric guitar piano player, drummer, acoustic and electric guitar player, and bass guitar player) begin performing a melodic jazz composition, congregation members sing and dance along freely. There are long choruses of „we praise you”. Two similar jazz compositions are played afterwards, the second one is more melodic, but the first one is more rhythmic and active. The third composition is a mixture of gospel and country; emotionally it makes one think of a fun open-air dance and church atmosphere at the same time. There is a phrase repeated as a mantra: „Jesus, I love you”. It is long and melodies seem to be linked into one composition as a medley. The length of three separate compositions is 32 minutes. 3) A female preacher steps up; in a persistent, exaggeratedly excited voice she calls upon the congregation about God’s ability to solve different problems – financial, heath and relationships. During the sermon congregation members sit down. As soon as Bible is mentioned during the sermon or there is an invitation to turn to a specific Bible passage, congregation members (about 85-90% of the attendees have their own Bibles, children and some very few people without any specific traits do not have their own Bibles) open the book and follow the passage. The preacher talks on verge of breaking her voice and it seems like she grows hoarse by the end of the sermon. The message of the first sermon is related to the first Sunday of the month and about importance of paying one tenth of one’s income in the life of each Christian. She tells about her former financial troubles and how God helped her to overcome them. At the climax of the sermon she quiets her voice and in the background there is light, slow, barely noticeable piano music. The preacher begins a quiet, heart-felt prayer which is in contrast with the exaggerated yelling beforehand. In the prayer she thanks God for all the good things she and the entire congregation have, with emphasis on the financial benefits. The main topics of the sermon are: (1) love is not wrong, (2) one tenth is a form of love, (3) you must love God for God to love you, (4) God gives back tenfold. White envelopes are handed out and donation bags are passed around, coins or white envelopes with paper money are dropped in there. A melody characteristic to popular music is sung. 4) The musicians leave the hall. The preacher invites to the baptism the parents of a recently born child. The preacher begins a prayer for the child, holds one hand on the child’s head. A similar prayer and blessing happens over the parents and childs’ head is anointed with a small amount of oil. 5) Engagement of two couples. The preacher invites two couples, one after another, each one is asked if they have really decided to get married and gives them his blessing. There seems to be no ritualised actions other than putting hands on people’s heads during the prayer. One of the couples does not sit next to each other after the act of engagement. Other couple sits, but their mutual communication seems to be minimal compared to that of preacher and congregation. The members of the congregation continuously are active with their exclamations, affirmations and jubilances. 6) Everyone who is born in June is invited on stage. About 30 people come up. Each is given an opportunity to speak – one has to say his or her name and birthday. They are allowed to bespeak, wish or tell something – some of them do it. 7) The preacher invites children to attend their Sunday school. 8) The second part begins; people participate with completely different attitude and seriousness. Everyone bows their head and pray. A girl comes up on the stage and prays in a quiet voice, she is using a microphone. Musicians return. The prayer turns into a melodic, slow singing with a slow rhythm. After 10 minutes of singing music does not stop but the girl who was praying begins to speak in tongues, inarticulate speaking in tongues can be heard from the audience now and then. Genre of the song reminds of a post rock song with slow, growing increase towards the climax. The girl goes back to singing in Latvian. The song goes towards the climax, the text repeats, at the end there is only one word „Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!” The congregation speaks in tongues actively. Overall length of the song is about 20 minutes. 9) The preacher is on stage with his hands lifted up high. He prays for all the bad to go away. In the background there is post rock style music. The preacher talks to God. The whole hall speaks in tongues. The observer has hard time concentrating. Going through the shorthand record after the field research I concluded this part has almost entirely disappeared from my memory and only after I read the notes I was able to reconstruct it. Music grows lower. The preacher’s voice is low and deep-chested; sometimes it gets louder and imitates crying. Stage lights flash now and then as if there was a power line failure. 10) The preacher invites the congregation to sit down. All grows quiet. On stage there is only the musician who plays the synthesizer, he plays with a single finger a slow and flowing high frequency pulsing sound. 11) People bow their heads and pray in tongues. After the preaching part the event has turned from a pop concert into a deeply religious one. It is hard to concentrate on writing down the observations. 12) A woman is called on stage- Marija. She witnesses of her experience with healing – since the worship service on last Sunday she has gotten rid of breast cancer. 13) Musicians return. The preacher prays for Marija and the congregation, he corses all cancers, cysts and tumours. He orders them to go away. He thanks for the healed souls. The preacher invites everyone to place one’s hand on his or her heart to heal the soul. Light effects flash now and then. 14) The preacher reads a sermon about „not looking back”, as people are changed here and become different, unlike they were before. 15) The part of oblation approaches. The preacher invites everyone to take part and go to the Holy Communion, because it is a way for people to affirm their belief in an active way. He blesses the oblation and does it in tongues. He invites the Holy Spirit to speak upon everyone who is present. In the background of the preacher 's talk there is a melody performed by musicians for about 15 minutes. It is muffled. The singer takes over preacher’s speech with a song „Near you”. The song loses some of its text sometimes, as the singer begins to sing in tongues. 16) The female preacher returns. Her speech reminds of a TV gambling shows presenters, those like „Bingo Loto”, „Gold fever”. The excitement is fake. Everyone who would like to transform in a spiritual way is invited on stage. One woman comes up. The preacher puts his hands on her head and says that from now on her sins are forgiven. Screams and talks in tongues. Behind the woman there are guards, in case she falls down, they are ready to catch her. 17) Technical information about congregation’s financial needs. 18) The music returns to the way it was at first – light pop music, people are getting up and leaving the hall.