Sonic Theology

Sonic Theology

Hinduism and Sacred Sound

A comparative approach to understanding the centrality of sound to Hindu religious practices

The Hindu world is permeated by sound: drums, bells, gongs, cymbals, conches, flutes, and an array of vocalizations play a central role in worship. Guy L. Beck contends that the traditional Western focus on Hinduism's visual component has often been at the expense of the religion's most important feature—its emphasis on sound. In Sonic Theology Beck addresses this longstanding imbalance, contending that Hinduism is essentially a sonic theology.

Beck argues that sound participates at every level of the Hindu cosmos. Comparing the centrality of sound in Hindu theology to its place in other religions, Beck raises issues about sound and language that not only reshape our understanding of Hindu worship but also invite a fresh approach to comparative theology.

  • Cover
  • SONIC THEOLOGY
  • Title
  • Copyright
  • Dedication
  • CONTENTS
  • Series Editor's Preface
  • Foreword
  • Preface
  • Introduction
    • Approach and Design
  • PART 1: BASIC SOURCES FOR SONIC THEOLOGY IN HINDUISM
    • Chapter 1: Vedic Sound
      • The Principle of Vāk
      • Vedic Ritual Language: Mantra
      • Śabda-Brahman in the Upaniṣads
    • Chapter 2: Indian Philosophies of Language
      • External Śabda-Brahman: Mīmāṁsā and Varṇavāda
      • Internal Śabda-Brahman: Grammar and Sphoṭavāda
      • Rejection of the Sphoṭa Doctrine
    • Chapter 3: Nāda-Yoga: Sacred Sound as Nāda-Brahman
      • Patañjali and the Yoga-Sūtra
      • The Yoga-Upaniṣads
      • Gorakhnāth and the Nāth Yogīs
      • Three Haṭha-Yoga Treatises
      • Nāda-Yoga and Indian Music
      • Current Trends in Nāda-Yoga
  • PART 2: THEISTIC HINDUISM: NĀDA-BRAHMAN AS FEMALE ENERGY
    • Chapter 4: Śākta-Tantra: Sacred Sound as the Goddess
      • Śri-Vidyā
      • Goddess Kālī
    • Chapter 5: Śaivism: Sacred Sound as the Energy of Śiva
      • Śaiva-Āgama
      • Śaiva-Siddhānta
      • Kashmiri Śaivism
    • Chapter 6: Vaiṣṇavism: Sacred Sound as the Energy of Viṣṇu
      • Vaiṣṇava-Āgama: Pāñcarātra
      • Bhāgavata-Purāṇa and the Sectarian Movements
    • Conclusion: Sonic Theology, the Study of Religion, and Hermeneutics
  • Notes
  • Glossary
  • Bibliography
  • Index