Customer Reviews

Music and Worship in Pagan and Christian Antiquity (Npm Studies in Liturgy and Music)

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This work stands as a source reading in christian music. The text is quite academic-like, but without being boring. The method adopted by the author is, for each topic, to cite the sources from the antiquity, criticize them, then comment them.

[Português]
Trata-se de uma obra fundamental para quem desejar aprofundar seus estudos em música litúrgica. A premissa principal do autor é a de que não ser pode compreender as opções musicais adotadas pela Igreja na antiguidade cristã sem levar em conta o pano de fundo musical pagão.

O texto tém caráter acadêmico, porém sem ser cansativo. O método adotado pelo autor é clássico e eficiente: separa a obra por assuntos e, para cada um deles, cita um conjunto de fontes históricas da antiguidade, critica sua historicidade e coerência e, por fim, comenta-a.

Johannes Quasten may be the only known scholar who understands the facts and symbols of instrumental music in paganism and later Christianity. Quasten reviews many of the church Father's opposition to music as worship. He discusses the cultic purpose of sacrificial music and the struggle of Christianity in resisting the strong appeal of music in inducing a certain "feeling" confused as "spiritual." Music was a powerful tool in magical rituals such as divination. Quasten also discusses many of the paintings and statues. For instance, in explaining the harps in the book of Revelation he notes that "heaven" was the place of total joy and the lack of human responsibility. Therefore, images on tombs of the living offering instruments to the dead is their testimony that earthly trials are over. As David calls upon his harp or lyre to "awaken" Quasten speaks eloquently of the awakening or arousal ceremonies in connection with funerals. Others have noted that Amos, the prophet against Israel, condemned the Marzeach which was a feast with and for dead ancestors. I have owned this book for many years and find it an indispensible cross reference for personal reasearch from documents ranging from the Ancient Near Eastern Texts to the latest unwitting attempt to restore ancient pagan rituals in Christianity.

Johannes Quasten may be the only known scholar who understands the facts and symbols of instrumental music in paganism and later Christianity. Quasten reviews many of the church Father's opposition to music as worship. He discusses the cultic purpose of sacrificial music and the struggle of Christianity in resisting the strong appeal of music in inducing a certain "feeling" confused as "spiritual." Music was a powerful tool in magical rituals such as divination. Quasten also discusses many of the paintings and statues. For instance, in explaining the harps in the book of Revelation he notes that "heaven" was the place of total joy and the lack of human responsibility. Therefore, images on tombs of the living offering instruments to the dead is their testimony that earthly trials are over. As David calls upon his harp or lyre to "awaken" Quasten speaks eloquently of the awakening or arousal ceremonies in connection with funerals. Others have noted that Amos, the prophet against Israel, condemned the Marzeach which was a feast with and for dead ancestors. I have owned this book for many years and find it an indispensible cross reference for personal reasearch from documents ranging from the Ancient Near Eastern Texts to the latest unwitting attempt to restore ancient pagan rituals in Christianity.