Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Music leads pianist to a life of Catholicism (former atheist converts)
SF Chronicle ^ | 6/20/05 | David Ian Miller

Posted on 06/20/2005 10:35:27 AM PDT by TFFKAMM

Classical pianist Jacqueline Chew rebelled against her Christian upbringing and became an atheist while attending the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in the 1970s. But her love of music eventually led her back to a spiritual life.

Chew was so taken with the work of Olivier Messiaen, a pioneering French composer known for his sacred Catholic music, that after hearing his composition "Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jesus" ("Twenty Contemplations of the Infant Jesus"), she began questioning her belief that God does not exist. The more she learned about the music, the more religious she became.

Next month, Chew, who released a CD of "Vingt Regards" last year, will take her interest in Catholicism to a new level. She will be received as an oblate, a layperson living outside a monastery who promises to follow the rules of St. Benedict in her private life, at the New Camaldoli Hermitage, a community of monks in Big Sur.

Tell me about your upbringing. Were you raised in a religious family?

Yeah, my whole family is Christian. My parents came from different places, but they ended up in Oakland and met at a Chinese Presbyterian church there. They were very active in the church while I was growing up.

Do you remember any spiritual experiences as a child?

Well, I remember that when I was in the sixth grade, I did a report on different religions. I decided that even though I was brought up as a Presbyterian, I wanted to make my own decisions about what I believed...


(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Miscellaneous; Philosophy; US: California
KEYWORDS: atheist; catholic; christian; christianmusic; classicalmusic; convert; god; music; pianist; religion
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-74 next last

Classical pianist Jacqueline Chew

1 posted on 06/20/2005 10:35:27 AM PDT by TFFKAMM
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: NYer

Would you be so kind as to ping the list?


2 posted on 06/20/2005 10:37:21 AM PDT by aposiopetic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Republicanprofessor

ping


3 posted on 06/20/2005 10:38:18 AM PDT by EveningStar ("If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken / Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools...")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TFFKAMM

Bump!


4 posted on 06/20/2005 10:41:07 AM PDT by F-117A
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TFFKAMM

PRAISE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!
OPS4 God BLess America!


5 posted on 06/20/2005 10:45:55 AM PDT by OPS4 (worth repeating)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TFFKAMM
I find it hard to believe that anybody could have a spiritual
awakening after listening to Messiaen's music -it consists of
mainly bleeps and twangs. Perhaps she is trying to sell her
album to well meaning religious folk.
6 posted on 06/20/2005 10:47:33 AM PDT by aristotleman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TFFKAMM

byyy


7 posted on 06/20/2005 10:59:22 AM PDT by Born Conservative ("If not us, who? And if not now, when? - Ronald Reagan)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TFFKAMM

Gotta love that Messiaen -- and to think it has brought someone back to Christ!


8 posted on 06/20/2005 11:10:23 AM PDT by Unam Sanctam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Salvation

ping!


9 posted on 06/20/2005 11:10:54 AM PDT by Unam Sanctam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: aristotleman
Agreed.
10 posted on 06/20/2005 11:11:23 AM PDT by johniegrad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: johniegrad
Fascinating ...

Some of it almost sounds good

And some of it sounds like the orchestra is tuning up.

11 posted on 06/20/2005 11:14:57 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: TFFKAMM

I've noticed that most intellectual converts to christianity go to Catholicism. Any ideas on why this is?
For some reason Catholicism has a strong link to intellectuals... examples: William F. Buckley, JRR Tolkein, CS Lewis, Malcolm Muggeridge, etc...


12 posted on 06/20/2005 11:16:06 AM PDT by Betaille
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Betaille

I suspect because Catholicism offers a full-orbed robust world view. Most evangelical protestant denominations provide rather anemic, thin gruel for believers after conversion. And i write as a protestant convert from catholicism. There is too little emphasis on the objective application of the faith, too much navel-gazing. An aversion to "legalism" translates into a faith dominated by morbid introspection.

Hard-core Reformed (calvinist) believers enjoy the same sense of fitting into the world for God's purposes. Both families of faith stress infant baptism and the cultivation of the mind through subsequent catechisms and Christian (parochial) education.


13 posted on 06/20/2005 11:24:37 AM PDT by TomSmedley (Calvinist, optimist, home schooling dad, exuberant husband, technical writer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: ArrogantBustard; aristotleman
Try this instead.
14 posted on 06/20/2005 11:24:50 AM PDT by johniegrad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Betaille

CS Lewis was not a Catholic, but Chesterton became one. Catholicism has quite an intellectual heritage. Just studying their history would interest intellectuals.


15 posted on 06/20/2005 11:27:03 AM PDT by twigs
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: TFFKAMM; american colleen; Lady In Blue; Salvation; narses; SMEDLEYBUTLER; redhead; ...
Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list


16 posted on 06/20/2005 11:28:54 AM PDT by NYer ("Each person is meant to exist. Each person is God's own idea." - Pope Benedict XVI)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: johniegrad; aristotleman
I've lately become quite a fan of the Suspicious Cheese Lords.
17 posted on 06/20/2005 11:32:21 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: TomSmedley

I'm glad you mentioned Calvinism becaue I don't find that anemic at all. I grew up Southern Baptist, but found it unsatisfying in college. That's when I found the reformed Presbyterians and I was transfixed with the depth of teaching I found there. It truly fed my soul. For a number of reasons, I've been back at a Baptist church (thought not S. Baptist) and although this church has a robust faith-centered community life, I'm finding the teaching short of the depth of Calvinism. As soon as my daughter leaves home, I will search for a reformed Presbyterian church again.


18 posted on 06/20/2005 11:32:57 AM PDT by twigs
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: TomSmedley

"Most evangelical protestant denominations provide rather anemic, thin gruel for believers after conversion."

What do you mean? Too much "feeling", not enough "thinking"?


19 posted on 06/20/2005 11:34:09 AM PDT by Betaille
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: ArrogantBustard

Renaissance polyphony but why the stupid name?


20 posted on 06/20/2005 11:34:48 AM PDT by johniegrad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-74 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson