Background:

Religion: A personal or communal system of beliefs pertaining to the divine or supernatural.

Hermeneutics: The interpretation of meaning; the process of clarifying what something means. Traditionally, hermeneutics interpreted religious texts, but in modern times, hermeneutics is applied to the interpretation of any text -- including music.

Analytic Approach:

A hermeneutical approach to the analysis of religious music might proceed as follows:

1. Identify the religious purpose of the music: mediation, devotion, confession, intercession, praise, thanksgiving, evangelizing. (RELIGIOUS PURPOSE)
   
   
2. If texted, identify the message of the text. (TEXTED MESSAGE)
   
   
3. Whose voice is represented in the music? Is it the voice of the musician? The voice of the individual devotee? The congregation? A prophetic voice? The deity? (VOICE)
   
   
4. Who is being addressed? Non-believers? Individual devotee? The congregation? The church? The deity? (AUDIENCE)
   
   
5. What interpretation of the text is provided by the music? (MUSICAL INTERPRETATION)
   
   
6. What interpretation of the music is provided by the text? (TEXTUAL INTERPRETATION)
   
   
7. What emotions are evoked by the music? And what is the purpose of these emotions? (EMOTION)
   
   
8. In light of the religious purpose and message, are the voice, audience, interpretations and emotion appropriate? (EVALUATION)

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