Here’s my abstract for Sound in the Land, a conference where I’ll be presenting on June 4, 2009.

Writing the Anabaptist Bestiary Project

This workshop will explore the interconnections between academic theology, rock and roll, and spirituality in three interrelated sections. The works of artists like Bruce Cockburn, The New Pornographers, Rilo Kiley, Rainer Maria and My Bloody Valentine will be considered theologically and spiritually. The use of original rock and roll as a vehicle for communicating theology will then be explored, with particular emphasis on the Anabaptist Bestiary Project, a research and musical project of Bluffton University students overseen by Trevor Bechtel. The workshop will conclude with a detailed exegesis of one of songs from the Anabaptist Bestiary Project.