The Bible and Music

I am also in Dr. Hege’s ‘Evil’ course this semester. When listening to The Spirituals video posted on Moodle, and hearing the interpretations of the slave songs, I realized the connection between the two classes. In the Evil course we often discuss how daunting it is to try to rationalize or analyze the presence of evil and suffering on Earth. Therefore, it seems the slave songs about the Bible are attempts to confront this unjust evil of their undeserved suffering. Music and art can be an expression of lamentations and a way to express hope when words become insufficient. The music of the slaves can therefore be a powerful protest of their suffering, and the parallels to the Exodus in the Bible and the connection of suffering in the Bible provide a powerful tool to combat injustice.