God's Mind In That Music [Hardcover]

As part of the growing literature on theology and the arts, God's Mind in that Music explores the substantial theological insight expressed in the music of jazz legend John Coltrane. Focusing on eight of Coltrane's pieces, themes under consideration include lament ( Alabama ), improvisation ( My Favorite Things and Ascension ), grace ( A Love Supreme ), and the Trinity ( The Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost ). By attending to the traditions of theology and of jazz criticism, and through a series of interviews with musicians, theologians, and jazz writers, Jamie Howison draws the worlds of theology and jazz into an active and vibrant conversation with each other. Built around a focused listening to John Coltrane's music as heard against the background of his life and social context, and interacting with the work of a range of writers including James Baldwin, Dorothee Soelle, Jeremy Begbie, and James Cone, God's Mind in that Music will be of interest not only to those interested in the intersection of music and theology, but also to Coltrane fans, students of jazz studies, and anyone who believes that music matters. Written with vivid attention to sound and the sacred, Howison's pages open up the spiritual and aesthetic depths of John Coltrane's world . . . Along the way, we hear many voices testifying to this uniquely American musician who continues to astonish our too-easily-established categories. Coltrane desired to 'sound' the cosmos, to reveal the mystery that surrounds us. This book is an informed act of love for a beautiful, complex, one-of-a-kind musician. --Don E. Saliers, Emory University Howison has given us an original study showing the connections between jazz music and theological truths, bringing together a rare combination of musical and religious expertise. His book is a deeply personal look at the great music of John Coltrane and other jazz artists, showing how their creativity is an expression of the many facets of our humanilŸ