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RELIGION AND MUSIC
Religion has a long - held role in the ____________________ of music . Many major musical works have been composed for religious occasions or with religious themes . Music is often used to convey the glory of God . It is part of many types of religious celebrations and observances , and music and songs are used to pass on ____________________ stories , teaching and values .

At the same time , music of all sorts ? from classical to contemporary pop ? can be used to explore feelings about religion . Musicians may intend to pose questions or ____________________ thought about religious beliefs and practices through music . This may incite more conservative believers of religious traditions to protest , particularly when religious values are ____________________ or confronted in an unorthodox way . Religion continues to impact the music industry in many ways .


MUSIC AND MORALS
Music is often judged by religious ____________________ . As such , it can both define and defy status quo beliefs of its time .

Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach ( 1685 - 1750 ) is known for his hundreds of compositions , many of them deeply religious in origin . A devout Lutheran , Bach felt compelled to ____________________ reverence and celebration of God ? s glory in his works ? influencing the beliefs and styles of many later composers and musicians .

By contrast , some notes in music have been considered ____________________ by religious standards . In the Middle Ages , the Roman Catholic Church banned a musical interval of the augmented fourth spanning three tones , called a tritone , considering it the ? Devil ? s Chord ? or ? Devil ? s Interval . ? Experts say before it was outlawed , the dissonant tritone was used to portray the devil or evil . But the ban impacted both ____________________ and religious music of the time . By the Romantic era , composers stopped avoiding the tritone , which appeared in music from then to the modern day , including classical , blues , jazz , musical theater and rock .

? Blue notes , ? a slight drop of pitch on the third , fifth or seventh tone of the scale , common in blues and jazz music , were also considered by some to be ? devil ? s notes . ? The term ? devil music ? has been applied to music ranging from 1950s rock ? n ? roll to contemporary heavy metal .

Music as a cultural force continues to be debated in recent decades . In the political arena , it has been argued that music that promotes ? bad ? values should be ____________________ or banned . Some in the religious community continue to believe that particular beats and rhythms are inherently evil , and some believe evil and sin can be avoided by conscious ____________________ of particular music . These issues are important for the artist / musician because they deal with ____________________ of expression , a key tenet in artistic ____________________ , and because social and political climates historically have impacted how musicians operate .


RELIGION AND MUSIC TODAY
Religions continue to use music to ____________________ values taught in religious communities , both to minister to believers and to share values and beliefs with the larger world . A recent development is the popularity of music that combines contemporary ____________________ formats with messages that make it acceptable to those within religious communities . Christian rock and pop music , for example , attempts to imitate popular forms while focusing on lyrics that reflect shared Christian values . A booming industry , Christian music has also produced ? crossover ? artists popular in the secular genre , which has both been seen as ? selling out ? faith and sharing a message of faith with others .

Today ? s music blends sounds and traditions from many ____________________ representing many religious beliefs . Examples range from samples of traditional Arabic and Asian music spliced into American pop songs ; to Muslim hip - hop group Native Deen , whose music calls to remembrance of Allah ; and Hasidic Jewish rap / reggae performer Matisyahu , who sings about Jewish prophecy , the Torah and devotion to God .