Call Me the Seeker: Listening to Religion in Popular Music

-One of very few books on religion and popular music-Covers a wide range of musical styles, from heavy metal and rap to country, jazz and Broadway musicals-The essays are written by academics and informed by their enthusiasm for the musicMany books have explored the relationship between religion and film, but few have yet examined the significance of religion to popular music. Call Me The Seeker steps into that gap. Michael Gilmour's introductory essay gives a state-of-the-discipline overview of research in the area. He argues that popular songs frequently draw from and "interpret" themes found in the conceptual and linguistic worlds of the major religions and reveal underlying attitudes in those who compose and consume them. He says these "texts" deserve more serious study. The essays in the book start an on-going conversation in this area, bringing a variety of methodologies to bear on selected artists and topics. Musical styles covered range from heavy metal and rap to country, jazz, and Broadway musicals.