New Religions, Spiritualities, and Popular Music

This is the first collection of studies to look broadly at the relationship between new religions and popular music, whether in theatrical productions inspired by their beliefs, such as American Prophet or The Book of Mormon, or in the ways in which organizations such as Scientology or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) make use of popular genres. It examines both how devotion to a band can lead to the establishment of a new form of spirituality, such as the Church of the Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion (later changed to the Family of Unlimited Devotion) and The Saint John Coltrane African Orthodox Church and the ways in which new religions use popular music evangelistically, ritualistically and also as a source of income and political influence. It also looks at the significance of popular music for the founders of new religions, such as Father Yod, and the extent to which new religious beliefs shape the thinking and compositions of particular musicians. Finally, there is some discussion of the ways in which music is used liturgically by some groups, such as The Process Church of the Final Judgement or the Source Family. What emerges is a picture in which new religions, spiritualities and popular music cultures cross-fertilize each other in unexpected and fascinating ways.