Philip Abbott, "Sounds for a New World: The Christianizing Soundscapes of Late Antiquity" (Oxford UP, 2026)

About this episode

Dr. Philip Abbott discusses how late ancient Christians engaged with soundscapes to harmonize their world with Christian beliefs.

In the Greco-Roman world, gods were known to tame soundscapes, or acoustic landscapes. Zeus, Apollo, Orpheus, and other Classical deities demonstrated their power by bringing order to chaotic sound worlds, replacing cacophony with harmony. In late antiquity, Christians took up this archetype and applied it to Jesus. For many early Christians, the advent of Christ resembled the modern phenomenon of a musical key change, but on a grand scale: Jesus initiated a recalibration of the cosmic soundscape, ushering in a new world. However, according to many Christians in late antiquity, this universal key change was not yet complete. Late ancient Christians believed that they could participate in the ongoing sonic work of Christ by Christianizing the acoustic landscapes of the world.In Sounds for a New World: The Christianizing Soundscapes of Late Antiquity (Oxford UP, 2026), Dr. Philip Abbott explores how late ancient Christians envisioned themselves as participants in the worldwide retuning effort, harmonizing the Classical world to the new Christian reality. Rejecting the sounds of traditional Greco-Roman and Persian cultures, Christians advocated a variety of sonic practices to…

People in this episode

Guest: Philip Abbott

Topics covered

• Christianity
• Late Antiquity
• Soundscapes
• Cultural Practices
• Greco-Roman World
• Acoustic Landscapes

Keywords

• Christianizing
• soundscapes
• late antiquity
• acoustic landscapes
• cultural practices
• harmony
• cacophony

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Oxford UP

Books & works: Sounds for a New World: The Christianizing Soundscapes of Late Antiquity

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