Decolonizing Contemporary Gospel Music Through Praxis: Handsworth Revolutions

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Robert Beckford (University of Winchester, UK) Anthony B Pinn (Rice University USA)

Decolonizing Contemporary Gospel Music Through Praxis

Handsworth Revolutions

Robert Beckford (University of Winchester, UK), Anthony B Pinn (Rice University USA), Monica R Miller (Lehigh University USA)

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English

Bloomsbury Academic
21 September 2023

Music reviews & criticism; Worship, rites & ceremonies

Series: Bloomsbury Studies in Black Religion and Cultures

Is contemporary Black British gospel music a coloniality? What theological message is really conveyed in these songs?

In this book, Robert Beckford shows how the Black British contemporary gospel music tradition is in crisis because its songs continue to be informed by colonial Christian ideas about God.

Beckford explores the failure of both African and African Caribbean heritage Churches to Decolonise their faith, especially the doctrine of God, biblical interpretation and Black ontology. This predicament has left song leaders, musicians and songwriters with a reservoir of ideas that aim to disavow engagement with the social-historical world, black Biblical interpretation and the necessity of loving blackness.

This book is decolonisation through praxis. Reflecting on the conceptual social justice album ‘The Jamaican Bible Remix’ (2017) as a communicative resource, Beckford shows how to develop production tools to inscribe decolonial theological thought onto Black British music(s). The outcome of this process is the creation of a decolonial contemporary gospel music genre. The impact of the album is demonstrated through case studies in national and international contexts.

By: Robert Beckford (University of Winchester UK)
Edited by: Anthony B Pinn (Rice University USA), Monica R Miller (Lehigh University USA)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781350081734
ISBN 10: 1350081736
Series: Bloomsbury Studies in Black Religion and Cultures
Pages: 264
Publication Date: 21 September 2023
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Robert Beckford is a scholar-activist, multi-award-winning broadcaster and currently the Professor of Climate and Social Justice at the University of Winchester, UK.

Reviews for Decolonizing Contemporary Gospel Music Through Praxis: Handsworth Revolutions

Beckford makes a clarion call for social justice to be introduced into the singing repertoire of Black British contemporary gospel music. From the outset, emphasis on sonic qualities is downgraded as a symptom of colonised Christianity. Beckford calls for prioritizing what Black gospel music songs are saying. This interdisciplinary dialogue includes insightful history, theo-musicology, and practical suggestions for confronting colonial legacies and embracing social justice in song. A must-read for all Black British gospel music contributors and commentators! * Dr Dulcie Dixon McKenzie, Director, Centre for Black Theology, UK * Beckford, always a controversial writer, advances a searing critique of Black British gospel music. Drawing on perspectives from theology, cultural studies and his own biography, this multi-disciplinary and multi-modal text, which should be read in conjunction with watching the Jamaican Bible Remix album, raises important questions about the colonial legacy of Black Majority churches. You will not fail to be challenged and provoked by this fascinating book. * Pauline Muir, Lecturer in Arts Management, University of London, UK *