The Logoi of song: chant as embodiment of theology in orthodox Christian prayer and worship

This practice-based study explores how chant of the Eastern Orthodox Church embodies theology and how it helps worshippers to do the same. It consists of a theological investigation and three case studies, which include two live performances: hymnography of the services of bridegroom matins from Great and Holy Week; chant and ritual song in the life and folk practices of Lakhushdi Village, Upper Svaneti, Republic of Georgia; and a particular vespers service, which included the participation of my ensemble, several colleagues, and the wider community. These contexts also engage other liturgical art forms, such as iconography, with which the chanted hymnography interacts. My approach is practice-based and cross-disciplinary, including historical and ethnomusicology, theology, and performance. The methodology includes liturgical and musicological analysis; theological inquiry; autoethnographic fieldwork in Georgia and Ireland; creative, reflective writing; and performance. The performances demonstrate and shed light on aspects of embodiment and on chant as a palpable, performative agent, and the fieldwork surrounding them shows how theology can be an important tool in chant pedagogy. The writing of this dissertation is also understood as a performative activity and element of the research. The performances, however, are not simply objects for autoethnographic research; they also show aspects of my work that are best communicated through practice and embodiment rather than through written explanations. This research is significant within Orthodox Christian studies as it synthesises and makes accessible a variety of significant theological, cultural, and musicological information. More widely, it is of interest not only to clergy and church musicians but to ethnomusicologists, anthropologists, philosophers, educators, and singers.