Sounding the sacred in the age of fake news – Practical theology reflecting on the public sphere

Elsabé Kloppers

doi:10.4102/hts.v76i2.6131

Abstract

The public sphere, in which religion is lived and in which religious singing functions, is briefly discussed and related to manipulated truths and ‘fake news’ regarding the use of spiritual songs and hymns as religious and cultural offerings, with reference especially to texts displaying a disregard for responsible hermeneutical principles. A plea is made not only for a practical theology that engages critically with the fundamentals of the current culture and the use of religious symbols in public, but also for a sounding theology that reflects on communication through singing and other forms of art in the public space of worship as well as in the more ‘visible’ public sphere whilst creating beauty in the process of reflection. Through this means, spaces of resonance could be opened where people become participants drawn in into a performance of practical theology , reflecting together on the religion they live and finding new ways of voicing their faith in the public sphere, unveiling aspects of authenticity and truth. Contribution: From an interdisciplinary perspective fitting the scope of the journal, it is shown how hymns, texts and music draw people into a performance of a practical theology reflecting on lived religion, while finding new ways of performing the sacred in the public sphere – in the process thus opening up aspects of truth in a world of fake news.

Highlights

Hymns are important for the ritual of the church service, but they are an essential part of the cultural offerings representing Christian symbols in the public sphere
I focus on the public sphere in which hymnody functions and discuss the possibilities for performing a sounding practical theology reflecting on the aesthetics of communication through singing and other forms of art in the public space of worship as well as in the more ‘visible’ public sphere whilst creating beauty in the process of reflection
The singing of hymns in the public sphere constitutes a form of publicly lived religion

Summary

Introduction

Hymns are important for the ritual of the church service, but they are an essential part of the cultural offerings representing Christian symbols in the public sphere. I focus on the public sphere in which hymnody functions and discuss the possibilities for performing a sounding practical theology reflecting on the aesthetics of communication through singing and other forms of art in the public space of worship as well as in the more ‘visible’ public sphere whilst creating beauty in the process of reflection Through this means, spaces of resonance are opened, where people become participants drawn into a performance of practical theology, reflecting together on the religion they live and finding new ways of voicing their faith creatively in the public sphere, unveiling aspects of authenticity and truth. One example that is relevant for this article is the rituals associated with disasters – official ceremonies with presentations and interpretations (Darstellung und Deutung) that have religious dimensions These events often mirror the liturgical forms of a worship culture, with rituals functioning on the level of a civil religion, opening up space for a diversity of people in a multireligious and pluralist society to collectively mourn the loss of loved ones and giving meaning in a difficult situation. They have no goal; they happen in going, in making, in performing (Lehnert 2019:74, my translation and emphasis)

Conclusion

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