From Chaos to Ambiguity

""Jeremy Hunt is here to drive a rusty spike through the flimsy bubble housing the concept of God as perfection. With careful examination and the honesty of lived experience, he finds pain, dirt, and disgust in the imperfect blasts of sonic savagery from his favorite noise rock bands, who exemplify weird joy and cockeyed hope, catharsis in getting one's hands dirty, getting to work, and making a racket--all with an ear toward enlightenment."" --Ryan Masteller, writer and editor, founder of Critical Masses, bylines at Tiny Mix Tapes, Tabs Out Cassette Podcast, and Cassette Gods ""From Chaos to Ambiguity is poetic, constructive, and, frequently, brilliant. Indeed, there exists nowhere in my knowledge such a comprehensive collection of interviews and first-hand accounts of noise rock, which opens all kinds of generative theological possibilities. This work stands out as a singular, substantive contribution to the theological discourse on popular music. I highly recommend it."" --Kutter Callaway, William K. Brehm Chair of Worship, Theology, and the Arts, Fuller Theological Seminary ""Avid explorer, devotee, and practitioner of noise rock, Jeremy Hunt brings to the forefront the concerns and practices of its prominent artists. Highlighting the poignancy of their thundering woes, From Chaos to Ambiguity declares dehumanizing forces present in our time. Thus, as a theological quest, the book honors noise rock's emancipatory powers where God is tangibly accessed through community, performance rituals, palpable waves of feedback, and distortion. Here, the human howl becomes a gateway to the soul. As a work of musicology, the book catalogs the lyrics, philosophies, and developmental histories of noteworthy noise rock bands. In doing so, Hunt models commitment, Christian involvement with God's world and its creatures. --Maria Fee, artist, professor of theology and culture, The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology