Habitus Formation Through Contemporary Worship Music in Two Church Cases

Implications for Intergenerational Worship

Bibliographic Data

ID3566567
AuthorsLaura Benjamins (0000-0001-7139-5861, Redeemer University, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume16
Issue2
Pages237
Publication date2025-02-14
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel16020237
OpenAlexW4407578130
LanguageEN
References cited23

This article draws upon doctoral case study data from two Protestant Christian churches to examine how contemporary worship music-making practices can reinforce and solidify the musical tastes, dispositions, and tendencies of particular demographics. Drawing upon sociologist Pierre Bourdieu's concept of the habitus, this article examines the religious musical habitus of musicians in relation to contemporary music repertoire. For some churches, contemporary worship music-making practices may "disrupt" the habitus of a particular subset of a demographic due to their musical preferences and positioning, while contemporary repertoire may affirm the habitus of other, often "young" worshippers due to their musical preferences. Further, the research analyzes each church's positioning within the overarching musical and theological fields in place. Case study data affirm the notion that Contemporary Worship Music is generationally based in the way it engages with the habitus, which provides implications for worship leaders and those making musical decisions within Christian church contexts

Aesthetics · Art · Ethnography · Habitus · Sociology · Theology · Worship · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Anthropology · Media, Religion, Digital Communication · Pentecostalism and Christianity Studies · Philosophy

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access