The American Religious Sounds Project

What does religion sound like? This question animates the American Religious Sounds Project (ARSP), a collaborative research initiative co-directed by Isaac Weiner (Ohio State University) and Amy DeRogatis (Michigan State University). Bringing together insights and methods from religious studies, sound studies, ethnomusicology, and the digital humanities, the ARSP aims to provide new resources for documenting and interpreting the diversity of North American religious life by attending to its varied sonic cultures. In addition, the project aims to foster and support the work of a growing community of scholars and artists working at the intersection of sound and religious studies.

The Project’s initial phases focused on two tasks: (1) the construction of a unique sonic archive, documenting the diversity of everyday religious life through newly produced field recordings, interviews, oral histories, and related materials; and (2) the development of a digital platform and website, which draws on materials in our archive to engage users in telling new stories about religious diversity in the US. The website, which launched in May 2019, can be found at religioussounds.osu.edu.

The ARSP is currently working on four overlapping initiatives. First, we are expanding the geographic scope of our audio archive by partnering with and training faculty at other academic institutions. Second, by sponsoring grants and workshops, we aim to promote and support innovative scholarship at the intersection of sound and religious studies, to develop venues for conversation and collaboration among scholars and artists in those fields, and to provide a digital platform for disseminating new work. Third, a professional archive manager is overseeing the long-term preservation, maintenance, and accessibility of the ARSP digital archive, which will be housed at Michigan State University’s Vincent Voice Library. Finally, we are enhancing and deepening our efforts at community engagement and public outreach in a number of ways, including a public sound installation and traveling exhibit, community-based field recording workshops, new teaching resources and sample syllabi, public media partnerships, and a public-facing conference in Spring 2021, which will bring together scholars, artists, and community members.

The American Religious Sounds Project is supported by a generous grant to Ohio State University's Center for the Study of Religion from the Henry Luce Foundation. Established in 1936 by Henry R. Luce, the foundation seeks to bring important ideas to the center of American life and foster innovation and leadership in academic, policy, religious and art communities. Other support has been provided by the Humanities Without Walls Consortium, based at the Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Material support is also provided by Michigan State University and The Ohio State University.

ARSP Leadership Team

Isaac Weiner, Co-Director, Associate Professor of Comparative Studies and Associate Director of the Center for the Study of Religion, Ohio State University

Amy DeRogatis, Co-Director, Professor of Religious Studies, Michigan State University

Alison Furlong, Project Manager, Ohio State University

Lauren Pond, Multimedia Content Producer, Ohio State University

Kate Topham, Digital Archivist, Michigan State University

Leigh Bonds, Digital Humanities Librarian, Ohio State University

For the full team, please visit religioussounds.osu.edu/about-team/.