Call for Papers: Taizé Symposium at Sarum College

Leaders of the established Christian churches—popes, metropolitans, archbishops of Canterbury—would visit with amazement. They could not understand how, as the world turned unremittingly secular and their own churches dwindled down to congregations of old women, one monastery in France could be crammed with the noisy, enthusiastic, back-packing young … Pope John Paul II called Taizé “a spring of water”.

The Economist, August 25, 2005

Sarum College is the venue for an academic symposium that will explore and review the significance of the Taizé Community.

This event is organised to mark the 75th year since the founding of the Taizé community in 1940 and the centenary anniversary of the birth of its founder, Brother Roger.

The symposium aims to create the opportunity to assemble a wide variety of contributors whose work and study relates to the unique phenomenon of the Taizé Community. It is hoped that a selection of the papers will result in a publication.

Proposals for papers are invited which will provoke engagement with the Taizé Community. Long (35 minutes) and short (20 minutes) papers are welcome on the following or other related topics:

• The life and work of Brother Roger Schütz
• Taizé and reconciliation in the post-2nd World War period
• The influence and life of Taizé brothers e.g. Max Thurian
• Taizé and its liturgical life e.g. music, communal daily prayer, silence
• Taizé and its attraction for young people
• Taizé and Christian witness in secularised society
• Taizé as a monastic community
• Taizé as a place of pilgrimage
• The relationship of Taizé to historic Christian traditions
• Taizé worldwide e.g. ‘Pilgrimage of Trust on Earth’
• Taizé as a community of virtues
• Commentators on Taizé e.g. Olivier Clément, Paul Ricouer

Short abstracts of up to 250 words, accompanied by a brief (up to 100 words) author biography are to be sent to James Steven: jsteven@sarum.ac.uk.

Proposals are to be submitted by Monday 5 September 2015.

Click here for more information about how to book for the symposium.