This concluding chapter contains reflections on scholarly investigations into religion and American culture, arguing that southern gospel as a field of religious thought, action, and feeling asks us to reimagine the concept of “organized religion” as a phenomenon—in this case, a popular music culture—that exists alongside, within, and beyond the church. It envisions a relational dynamic in which evangelical habits of mind and feeling and the expression of feelings shift along lines of individual and collective needs and desires. Furthermore, the chapter briefly delves into and defends the notion of gospel music as a meaningful language for postmodern transcendence.
Continuity and Change in the Relationship Between Popular Music, Culture, and Technology: An Introduction
