REBIRTH: Singing Death, Singing Life

Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, Sponsor

In the Black worship tradition, the experience of death is not postured in silence. It is lived out through sound—moaning, shouting, dancing, singing. The funeral is referred to as a homegoing service, or celebration, and functions as sacred space where the grieving community gathers to sing out a curated song list whose lyrics honor the coexistence of grief and joy, movement and mourning, death and life.

Drawing on examples from the African American spiritual, traditional and contemporary gospel, and nineteenth- and twentieth-century hymns, we will examine how music functions as resuscitation—breathing and singing life in the face of death—enacting a cultural and communal theology of resurrection. Songs such as "Soon-a Will Be Done," "Goin' Up Yonder," and "I Shall Wear a Crown" illustrate how Black worship traditions navigate pain and promise, embodying rebirth through rhythm, harmony, community, and the Holy Spirit.

Through historical reflection, lyrical analysis, and participatory singing, this presentation invites attendees to identify theological motifs of "rebirth" within sacred music and reflect on how this tradition can enrich broader Christian worship and hymnody across cultures.