Very perceptive article, Christine. You really get to the heart of a powerful spiritual topic in your last paragragh: "There is something magical about group gatherings with a united purpose." Highly spiritual people say spiritual energy flows powerfully among the crowd and performer at any event where people's emotions or spirit are engaged, especially when music is performed. (Barbara Brennan, Hands of Light, pg. 91))
I love this. I’ve just begun to be Swift-curious (I’m late to every party), so I’ve been watching YouTube videos (my algorithm is now 90% Swift) and I’m like “ah, I get it! Why is her persona affecting me like this?”😂
I love the way this piece illuminated my evangelical experience though. I had powerful social desires that I attached to the church, and served the church passionately for more than 20 years, before I finally realised, down to my bones, that my desires were not the same as the dominate social desires that formed the church. And I’m still working it out—what was it I wanted? Why did the church seem like the perfect receptacle for these desires? And what was it everyone else wanted? Why did we want such different things, but share so much of the same language?
while I don’t shy away from critique of the movement, I love approaching these questions from a place of curiosity, rather than assuming my desires were uniquely pure and everyone else’s were corrupt.
I’ve been saying this for years! I have had familiar emotional experiences that I thought only existed when in worship services, in very secular spaces, that it made me start to question everything about my faith.
I loved Meg Conleys post about the pilgrimage and community and wonder at the eras tour 💖💖 so glad you finally got to watch it! I do wonder if we are headed towards a saturation point with T Swift in terms of media coverage, but i have definitely turned a corner and can appreciate her and her music now - with my tween or without 😆
I went to see a band not long after reading this. I got the sense that people were there just to enjoy the music because it’s fun, dancing like they don’t care how they look. I reclaimed a part of my true self that was previously swallowed up in worship, gradually lost my inhibitions (I don’t dance well), and simply enjoyed the experience. There’s no insidious worm theology behind it, just a freedom to enjoy an experience with others.
Very perceptive article, Christine. You really get to the heart of a powerful spiritual topic in your last paragragh: "There is something magical about group gatherings with a united purpose." Highly spiritual people say spiritual energy flows powerfully among the crowd and performer at any event where people's emotions or spirit are engaged, especially when music is performed. (Barbara Brennan, Hands of Light, pg. 91))
I love this. I’ve just begun to be Swift-curious (I’m late to every party), so I’ve been watching YouTube videos (my algorithm is now 90% Swift) and I’m like “ah, I get it! Why is her persona affecting me like this?”😂
I love the way this piece illuminated my evangelical experience though. I had powerful social desires that I attached to the church, and served the church passionately for more than 20 years, before I finally realised, down to my bones, that my desires were not the same as the dominate social desires that formed the church. And I’m still working it out—what was it I wanted? Why did the church seem like the perfect receptacle for these desires? And what was it everyone else wanted? Why did we want such different things, but share so much of the same language?
while I don’t shy away from critique of the movement, I love approaching these questions from a place of curiosity, rather than assuming my desires were uniquely pure and everyone else’s were corrupt.
I love this analysis! I 100% agree that the Taylor Swift community is wildly spiritual. And I love it for that.
As a relatively recent Swiftie (thanks to Folklore and Evermore) this is one of the most relatable posts I’ve ever read! Everything in here is me 😆
I’ve been saying this for years! I have had familiar emotional experiences that I thought only existed when in worship services, in very secular spaces, that it made me start to question everything about my faith.
I loved Meg Conleys post about the pilgrimage and community and wonder at the eras tour 💖💖 so glad you finally got to watch it! I do wonder if we are headed towards a saturation point with T Swift in terms of media coverage, but i have definitely turned a corner and can appreciate her and her music now - with my tween or without 😆
I went to see a band not long after reading this. I got the sense that people were there just to enjoy the music because it’s fun, dancing like they don’t care how they look. I reclaimed a part of my true self that was previously swallowed up in worship, gradually lost my inhibitions (I don’t dance well), and simply enjoyed the experience. There’s no insidious worm theology behind it, just a freedom to enjoy an experience with others.