Hymnody and the Social Imaginary

Abstract

This paper explores how hymnody (and congregational song more broadly) might function as an instrument for the formation and sustaining of a Christian social imaginary. To address this question, the paper proceeds in three steps: First, it briefly describes what Charles Taylor means by the “social imaginary,” the role of language in its construction, and how the social imaginary connects to liturgical practices. Second, drawing on Tia DeNora’s description of music as a technology of the self, as a means of “entrainment,” and as a device of social ordering, it explores how music functions in everyday life and might contribute to the social imaginary. Finally, it concludes with a discussion of several specific Christian hymns and the ways in which they contribute to the formation of a social imaginary.