All in Sync: How Music and Art are Revitalizing American Religion

Sociology of Religion, Summer, 2004 by Sally Armstrong Gradle

Wuthnow concludes the panoramic study by suggesting that the link between spirituality and the arts is larger than a context of specific institutions and encompasses the individual experience of the sacred found in a myriad of contexts, with a wealth of imagery, musical and dramatic forms that reflect a democratic belief that "experience is there for the taking" (238) in ways that validate a personal sacred search. The exciting implications of moving away from a cognitive approach to "a more complete integration of the senses" (245) invite opportunities for research, for involvement, and further explorations based upon Wuthnow's hopeful complexities seen in this study.

Sally Armstrong Gradle

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign