Potentials of Psalm-Songs in Social Change and the Cultivation of the Spirituality of Solidarity: A Study of Psalmgeet in the Bangladesh Context

Abstract

Bangladesh is a country with a population of over 150 million where the majority of its people, 88.3%, are Muslim. Christians form a very small minority of only 0.3% of the population. However, because Christians in Bangladesh take their cultural identity very seriously, they play a significant role in education and social development of the country. This article looks at how most of the Psalms in the Holy Bible are focused mainly on justice issues and therefore have a great potential in inspiring and motivating people to engage in relevant social work and thereby grow in the spirituality of solidarity. The article then discusses the recently published Bengali song book “Amar Praner Psalmgeet” the lyrics of which are based on the Psalms, and explores its potential for the Christian communities to engage further in social development and cultivate the spirituality of solidarity.

Keywords:

• Psalm-songs
• justice issues
• social change
• spirituality of solidarity
• Bangladesh
• cultural identity
• minority religions

Notes

1. See my doctoral dissertation titled: Leadership for Process-oriented Social Development: A Path Towards Building Community, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2004.