معرفی
Braxton Shelley is a Professor of Music, Sacred Music, and Divinity at Yale University, serving as faculty director of the Interdisciplinary Program in Music and the Black Church at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. A scholar, ordained Missionary Baptist minister, and church musician, he holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and a Master of Divinity from the University of Chicago Divinity School. Previously, he taught at Harvard University from 2017 until his appointment at Yale.
His expertise spans African American sacred music, gospel traditions, and the intersection of music with religious practice. Notable works include Healing for the Soul: Richard Smallwood, the Vamp, and the Gospel Imagination (Oxford UP, 2021), hailed as a landmark in Black cultural scholarship, and An Eternal Pitch: Bishop G.E. Patterson and the Afterlives of Ecstasy (UC Press). His research has earned prestigious awards including the Paul A. Pisk Prize and the Dean’s Distinguished Dissertation Award.
Shelley’s articles blend interdisciplinary approaches, exploring topics like Black Pentecostalism, media’s role in religious ministry, and the cultural significance of gospel music. His work bridges musicology, theology, and social history, emphasizing lived religious experiences and musical innovation.
- Awards: Paul A. Pisk Prize (2016), Einstein Award (2019), Kunst Prize (2019)
- Books: Two monographs with major university presses, cited as transformative in their fields
- Media Engagement: Guest lecturer and clinician in musicological circles
