Guest lecturer Rev. Dr. Braxton D. Shelley explores the worldview—the history, aesthetics and theology—that gives rise to Black gospel music. Surveying a diverse array of gospel selections, this presentation will clarify what this tradition shares: the belief that musical sound can turn spiritual power into a physical reality.
This free public lecture is on Wednesday, November 19, at 7:30 PM, in the Grebel Chapel. Reception to follow.
Please register in advance to reserve your seat.
Rev. Dr. Braxton D. Shelley is the George Washington Williams Professor of Music, of Sacred Music, and of Divinity at Yale University, where he is also faculty director of the Interdisciplinary Program in Music and the Black Church. A specialist in African American popular music, his research and critical interests, while especially focused on African American gospel performance, extend into media studies, sound studies, phenomenology, homiletics, and theology.