Date of Award

5-15-2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

First Advisor

Rhodes, Royal

Abstract

In this paper, I will provide a biography of Brother Roger Schutz, founder and first prior of the Community of Taizé. I will explore his leadership, his vision, and his theology in light of sociologist Max Weber’s theories of religious leadership, routinization, and disenchantment, using scholar of religion Robert Orsi’s theoretical framework in Between Heaven and Earth. Brother Roger and the Community of Taizé provide insight into the ways religious communities respond to the process of disenchantment. Brother Roger’s vision for Christian unity and his application of that vision in a community of reconciliation challenge the theory of secularization and disenchantment. Furthermore, the Community of Taizé routinizes the charisma of Brother Roger through republications of his writings, annual events and pilgrimages, and especially through the text, Choose to Love, which functions as a postmodern hagiography granting access to the Prior’s charisma. Through communal life, accessible liturgy, and social action, the Taizé Community transcends the binary between liberal and conservative Christianity, inviting both religious and non-religious individuals to read themselves into the sacred narratives of Christianity.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (p. 53 - 58)

Rights Statement

All rights reserved. This copy is provided to the Kenyon Community solely for individual academic use. For any other use, please contact the copyright holder for permission.

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