Representation of 'the world' in the church cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach

This dissertation constitutes the first in-depth investigation of the pervasive theological concept of "the world," as represented in Bach's cantatas. The Lutherans of Bach's age considered the world to be the corporate embodiment of sinful and unredeemed human nature. However, further examination reveals a more complex overall picture. A more positive characterization of the world emerges in a statistically significant number of the cantatas that were written for principal feasts such as Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. These texts view the world as the recipient of God's love and salvation. Part I introduces the historical theological and liturgical background, which includes the views of the world that were presented in the New Testament, Lutheran theology and hermeneutics, chorales, Baroque literature and emblems. The study also seeks to place Bach's use of musico-allegorical techniques within the relevant background of Baroque rhetoric and allegory. A survey of cantata texts reveals the variety and nuances within both positive and negative characterizations of the world, as well as the disposition of those two points of view within the church year.;Parts II and III apply this general background to the more analytical examination of nine individual cantatas that were written for two seasons: Eastertide and Trinity. The specific theological contexts are here provided by a sample of the sermons and commentaries contained in Bach's library. The analyses describe the particular characterization of the world that is envisioned on a small scale within specific movements. More significantly, however, the analyses demonstrate the manner in which the concept of the world functions within the overall textual and dramatic trajectory of individual cantatas. This broader focus highlights a number of Bach's rhetorical and musico-allegorical techniques that rely on a developing sense of direction or antithesis. Bach interprets and explores both the concept of the world and the broader underlying theological ideas.