Religion and Music

Religious music is typically used to express devotion or reverence, tell stories or teach lessons, or create a sense of community. It is not typically used to promote political or social causes.

Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all have a long history of using music in their religious practices. Buddhism, on the other hand, does not typically use music in its religious ceremonies.

Hymns, psalms, and anthems are all types of religious music. Spirituals are a type of African-American folk song that is often sung in religious contexts, but they are not considered to be a type of religious music in the same way that hymns, psalms, and anthems are.

Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and George Frideric Handel are all famous religious composers. Ludwig van Beethoven is not known for his religious compositions.

The Messiah, The Passion According to St. Matthew, and The St. John Passion are all famous religious musical works. The Rite of Spring is a ballet by Igor Stravinsky that is not a religious work.

The organ, the piano, and the violin are all famous religious musical instruments. The sitar is a stringed instrument that is commonly used in Indian classical music, but it is not typically used in religious music.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, The New York Philharmonic, and The Vienna Boys' Choir are all famous religious musical groups. The London Symphony Orchestra is not a religious musical group.

The Sistine Chapel, The Royal Albert Hall, and Carnegie Hall are all famous religious musical venues. The Sydney Opera House is not a religious musical venue.

The Glastonbury Festival, The Burning Man Festival, and The Kumbh Mela are all famous religious musical festivals. The Coachella Festival is not a religious musical festival.

The Gregorian chant, The Byzantine chant, and The Jewish cantorial tradition are all famous religious musical traditions. The African-American spiritual tradition is not a religious musical tradition in the same way that the other three are.

Gospel music, Christian rock, and Islamic music are all famous religious musical genres. New Age music is not a religious musical genre.

The Ten Commandments, The Passion of the Christ, and The Prince of Egypt are all famous religious musical films. The Sound of Music is not a religious musical film.

The Chosen, The Bible, and The Book of Mormon are all famous religious musical television shows. The Simpsons is not a religious musical television show.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy VII, and Kingdom Hearts are all famous religious musical video games. The Sims is not a religious musical video game.

The Bible, The Quran, and The Bhagavad Gita are all famous religious musical books. The Da Vinci Code is not a religious musical book.