Danielle Anne Lynch 
God in Sound and Silence 
Music as Theology

Music, by its indeterminate levels of meaning, poses a necessary challenge to a theology bound up in words. Its distinctive nature as temporal and embodied allows a unique point of access to theological understanding. Yet music does not exist in a cultural vacuum, conveying universal truths, but is a part of the complex nature of human lives. This understanding of music as theology stems from a conviction that music is a theological means of knowing: knowing something indeterminate, yet meaningful. This is an exploration of the means by which music might say something otherwise unsayable, and in doing so, allow for an encounter with the mystery of God.

About the author

David William Brown FBA is an Anglican priest and theologian who currently serves as Professor of Theology, Aesthetics and Culture in the Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Arts and as Wardlaw Professor at St Mary’s College, University of St Andrews.