The Sound of Worship: Liturgical Performance by Surinamese Lutherans and Ghanaian Methodists in Amsterdam

In this book, Mirella Klomp gives an account of her research on the sound of worship among Surinamese Lutherans and Ghanaian Methodists in Amsterdam. Departing from the idea that the sonic spectrum of liturgy comprises more than ‘church music’ alone, she introduces ‘sound’ as a new and broader concept for the investigation of worship. It is a methodically transparent study that elaborates on liturgical ethnography, and thus investigates how the sound of worship takes shape in two particular churches.
This first profound study on immigrant worship in the Netherlands starts with a theoretical introduction of basic notions, and continues with an empirical sounding of the field. In the final chapter, the author arranges a conversation between the cultural-anthropological outcomes of her research on the one hand, and theology on the other hand. The author thus illustrates that liturgical practices may offer important theological notions and shows how different approaches in Liturgical Studies can converge.