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The theological roots and historical context of J. S. Bach’s St. Matthew passion, BWV 244

History shows that Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was a devout member of
the Lutheran faith. Studying Bach’s life reveals that two sects of Lutheranism were the
most influential to him, Orthodoxy and Pietism. A brief historical study of these two
sects’ founders and their theology are presented in this document. All of Bach’s
compositions are a reflection of his Christian beliefs but none is greater than his St.
Matthew Passion. Although Bach is known to be a member of the Orthodox
denomination, by observing the parallels between the beliefs of the two sects and the St. Matthew Passion, this document reveals Bach to take a more liberal view. This thesis intends to show that Bach’s St. Matthew Passion is a universal piece of Christian music that transcends religious denomination. Ultimately, Bach’s faith was centered on Jesus Christ and His message. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:fau.edu/oai:fau.digital.flvc.org:fau_31298
ContributorsHubbard, Tennison (author), Keaton, Kenneth (Thesis advisor), Florida Atlantic University (Degree grantor), Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Music
PublisherFlorida Atlantic University
Source SetsFlorida Atlantic University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation, Text
Format125 p., application/pdf
RightsCopyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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