Ecumenical Elements in Taize Worship Pra PDF

Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
Evangelisch-Theologische Fakultät
Zentrum für Religion und Gesellschaft
Master´s Program in Extended Ecumenical
Studies
Supervisor: Dr. Kim de Wildt

Second Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Eberhard Hauschildt
Winter Semester 2017/18
Master’s Thesis
Ecumenical elements in Taizé worship
practice: A field study in Britain
Alice Costar
To the Examination Office of the Evangelisch-Theologische Fakultät

Table of Contents
1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Research objective and research question .............................................................................1
1.2 Research strategy, research design, and research methods...................................................3
1.3. Ritual studies..……………………...………………………………………………….………………………….…………....6
1.4. What is Taizé?..........................................................................................................................7
1.5 What does ‘ecumenical’ mean? ..............................................................................................9

1.6 What does ‘worship practice’ mean?................................................................................... 10
2. ‘Hidden Treasure: Inner life and Solidarity’ – Birmingham 2017 .................................................... 10
2.1 Brief description of the weekend and the types of data generated .................................... 10
2.2 Taizé liturgy .......................................................................................................................... 13
2.2.1 Description of participant observation of Taizé liturgies ............................................. 13
2.2.1.1 Liturgy observation – Friday 28th April 2017 ................................................................ 15
2.2.1.2 Liturgy observation - Sunday 30th April 2017 ............................................................... 24
2.2.2 Analysis of Taizé liturgies.............................................................................................. 30
2.2.2.1 Friday 28th April 2017 ................................................................................................... 30
2.2.2.2 Sunday 30th April .......................................................................................................... 39
2.3 Informal interviews .............................................................................................................. 43
2.3.1 Themes from participant interviews ............................................................................ 44
2.3.2 Analysis of themes from participant interviews........................................................... 47
2.3.3 Themes from host interviews ....................................................................................... 50
2.3.4 Analysis of interviews with hosts ................................................................................. 52
2.4 Beginning to form a theory .................................................................................................. 54
2.4.1 What ecumenical elements can be discerned at ‘Hidden Treasure’? .......................... 54
2.4.2 Where do the different types of data verify each other? ............................................ 56
2.4.3 Where do the different types of data falsify each other? ............................................ 57
3. Literature review ............................................................................................................................. 58
3.1. Taizé…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...…58
3.2. Ecumenical worship……………………………………………………………………………………………………………....61
4. Reflection ........................................................................................................................................ 63
4.1 What ecumenical elements can be discerned in Taizé worship practice? ........................... 63
4.2 Reflections on field work ...................................................................................................... 66
5. References ..................................................................................................................................... 68
Appendix 1 Example liturgy observation….…………….………………………….…………………………………………….70
Appendix 2 Example liturgy observation data matrix…………………………………………………………………….…77
Appendix 3…………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………..93

Appendix 3.1. Participants’ answers (themes from participant interviews)….……….………….93
Appendix 3.2. Hosts’ answers (themes from host interviews)…………………………………………..94
Appendix 3.3. Example interview transcript excerpt…………………………………………………………94
Appendix 4 Online questionnaire……….……………………………………………………………………………………….….96
Ecumenical Elements in Taize
Worship Practice: A Field Study in
Britain
1. Introduction
My motivation for choosing Taizé worship practice as a research topic was
the desire to find a research area that was explicitly ecumenical and
international, in order to reflect my experience of the Master of Ecumenical
Studies Program at the University of Bonn, Germany. Furthermore, I wanted
to study a real Christian community in order to apply my theoretical
knowledge of ecumenism to the lived experience of an ecumenical
community.
1.1 Research objective and research question
The research objective of this study is to enhance the understanding of the
Taizé community; the way in which they worship ecumenically; and the way
in which this is manifested in Britain. In order to address the theme
‘Ecumenical Elements in Taizé Worship Practice: A Field Study in Britain’, I
will reformulate it into a research question that can be tackled using
qualitative empirical research methods. Therefore, the main research question
is ‘Which ecumenical elements can be discerned in Taizé worship practice?’
In order to make my field study of Taizé in Britain and answer this research
question, I attended ‘Hidden Treasure: Inner life and Solidarity’, an official
Taizé youth gathering held in Birmingham.1 It was my intention to study an
ecumenical community by using empirical research methods so that my
research could involve a concrete encounter with lived ecumenism, not a
purely theoretical one. Therefore when I discovered that an official Taizé
weekend was taking place during my allotted research period, I was eager to
find out more. Taizé is a relevant topic as it is a very popular form of
1
‘Hidden Treasure - Inner Life and Solidarity’, Birmingham Churches Together [website],
(press release - spring 2016) <http://www.birminghamchurches.org.uk/wp-
content/uploads/Taize-BirminghamPressReleaseSpring2016-002.pdf>, accessed 14 August
2017.
1
Christian worship which has an ecumenical foundation. This relevance
combined with the practical concerns of timing and opportunity led me to
select the Taizé community as my ecumenical research focus.
The Taizé community as a whole, however, is too large a topic to be tackled

in any depth within a research project of this size. It was therefore necessary
to narrow the focus to a topic that could be more meaningfully addressed.
This was done in several ways; firstly, by focussing on Britain and, more
specifically, the event in Birmingham. Taizé is an international community.
The brothers of the community live mainly in France but there are events,
official and unofficial, all over the world. People from many countries visit
and are otherwise influenced by the Taizé approach to Christianity. It is
sensible, therefore, to focus on a specific country in order to better understand
how it is manifested in one place. The village of Taizé itself is in France, and
it might appear therefore that France is the most logical place to study the
community. In his influential book on social research methods, Alan Bryman
says that, in planning research, it is often necessary to ‘satisfice’ – that is, to
determine the ‘appropriate course of action’ based on what is ‘satisfactory’
rather than ‘optimal.’2 In an ideal world, research on Taizé would include
time spent in the village itself but pragmatic concerns such as financial and
time pressures make this impossible.
Given the international character of Taizé and the way its style of worship has
spread worldwide, I believe a field study in Britain is a fruitful area of
inquiry. Furthermore, this study is exploratory in character. It does not seek to
provide an exhaustive portrait but to explore potentially fruitful ways of
considering the Taizé approach to ecumenism. In order to explore the
ecumenical character of Taizé I decided to focus on Taizé worship practice
because worship is central to the Taizé approach to Christianity.
2
Alan Bryman, Social Research Methods (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012, 4th ed.)
at xxxii.
2
There is much pre-existing literature on Taizé, but nothing specifically
considering the ecumenical elements of their worship practice from a ritual
studies perspective.
1.2 Research strategy, research design, and research methods
In seeking to better understand Taizé worship practice I will be undertaking a
piece of qualitative research. Although there is disagreement among
researchers about the usefulness of the terms ‘qualitative’ and ‘quantitative’, I
agree with Bryman that they can usefully be considered distinct ‘research
strategies’, with distinct characteristics, which orientate the process of social
research.3 The distinction can sometimes be overemphasized, but I consider
this research to be qualitative because it will utilise some of the main
characteristics and assumptions which underpin this research strategy. Each of
these characteristics has implications for how research is carried out.
In general, the emphasis will be on using words and seeking to understand
rather than focusing on statistics and measurement. This will influence the
research methods that I choose and the kinds of data I seek to generate. This
type of research is best suited to understanding a small topic in a deep way,
rather than arriving at theories which are representative of a larger population.
I am not seeking to represent the whole ecumenical movement or even the
whole of Taizé. I am hoping to gain a deeper understanding of the ecumenical
elements of Taizé worship practice as it is experienced in Britain.
The distinction between deductive and inductive approaches to the
relationship between data and theory can, similarly, be taken too far, although
it remains a useful shorthand. This research will be primarily inductive,
generating theory out of the data produced. This is a more open-ended
approach which draws out conclusions and theories once data has been
collected and analysed. However, as I am approaching the topic of
‘ecumenical elements in Taizé worship practice’ with a pre-existing concept
of what ecumenism is, there is also a slight element of deductive testing of
theory. This means that I am not starting without any concepts at all, but am
hoping to develop further concepts through the process. The decision to take a
primarily inductive approach to the relation between data and theory
3
Bryman, Social Research Methods, 35.
3
influences the order of the research stages and the types of data I expect to
generate.
Two other elements that contribute to the character of a research strategy are
the epistemological and ontological assumptions which underlie it. In general,
qualitative research rejects a positivistic epistemology in favour of an
interpretivist emphasis which focuses on how people interpret the world
around them. Similarly, objectivism, the view that reality exists independently
of those shaping it, is rejected in favour of a constructionist ontology which
emphasises that reality arises out of the people involved and is constantly
changing.4
Although qualitative, this research is not undertaken from a strict
interpretivist standpoint. It will emphasize that how individuals interpret their
social environment is important and, indeed, constitutive of the social reality
in question. However, it will also be based, to some extent, on the assumption
that reality is in some sense concrete, that there are phenomena which can be
observed and described with varying degrees of accuracy. Complete accuracy
and objectivity cannot be reached but that does not mean that it accuracy is
not a relevant factor.
A further aspect of qualitative research that must be taken into consideration
is the question of objectivity, or reliability and validity. These terms originate
primarily from the field of quantitative research and there is disagreement
among researchers about their relevance for qualitative research. A number of
different criteria for the evaluation of qualitative research have been posited
over the years; each has its strengths and weaknesses and makes different
demands on the qualitative research strategy. I will be making use of DeWalt
and DeWalt’s ideas about objectivity5 because I feel they strike the right
balance between positivist and interpretivist epistemologies. For them, the
term ‘objectivity’, although arising from quantitative research, remains
applicable to qualitative research. This is because, even though a great many
interpretations of reality are possible, they do not fair equally well when
tested by reasonable scrutiny and, depending on the accuracy of the
4
5
Kathleen Musante DeWalt and Billie R. DeWalt, Participant Observation: A Guide for
Fieldworkers (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Md, 2011, 2nd ed.) at 111.
4
researcher’s work, the degree to which they correspond to reality can vary
greatly. Although an account can be more accurate or less accurate, it will
never achieve complete accuracy and so researchers can only every reach a
‘partial’ understanding.6
Objectivity is composed of reliability and validity. Reliability is concerned
with the degree to which results are likely to be reproduced over time, in
different circumstances, and by different observers. This can be difficult to
measure in relation to qualitative research as it is unusual for any given study
to be replicated by different researchers. Furthermore, as DeWalt and DeWalt
point out, even when a researcher returns to another researcher’s topic at a
later date, the circumstances will still not be identical, as change inevitably
occurs with the passage of time.7 Nevertheless, I will endeavour to make
explicit my methodology and choices throughout to increase the replicability
of the process. Although my observations took place at a specific event in
Britain, similar events are organised by Taizé in a variety of other countries
and so relatively similar circumstances could be contrived.
The conclusions are not representative of Taizé as a whole because they are
based on qualitative research methods which have been applied to a specific
event in a specific country. Instead, it is an in-depth exploration of one
manifestation of the Taizé phenomenon, which might form a basis for a
broader study in the future.
The second factor of objectivity is validity, which DeWalt and DeWalt
describe as the degree of correspondence between the observation and the
phenomena under consideration. Here again, validity is an aspiration,
something that can be approached by varying degrees but never completely
attained.8 All observation comes through the medium of the observer and so
the person and experience of the observer cannot be ignored. However, the
fact that the account is, to some degree, inevitably personal does not mean
that it cannot be achieve such a level of objectivity as is realistic within the
model. For DeWalt and DeWalt, this ‘acceptable level of reliability and
6
DeWalt and DeWalt, Participant Observation, 111.
7
Ibid., 112.
8
Ibid., 122.
5
validity’ can be achieved if the observer is self-reflexive and approaches the
phenomena from several different angles.9
Each research strategy can be explored using certain research designs. This
research design is then executed using specific research methods to collect
and analyse data. Although the terms ‘design’ and ‘method’ are sometimes
confused, Bryman emphasises the importance of distinguishing between
them; the choice of design influences how the methods are employed, but it is
the methods themselves which generate actual data.10
The research design that I will employ is the field study design. A field study
is similar to a case study, in that it emphasises the detailed understanding of a
single case rather than seeking a wider, representative sample that would be,
by nature, less nuanced. It focuses on the particularities and complexities of
one thing, for example, an event, a person, or a group. The ‘field’ for this
research is the Taizé gathering in Birmingham. My findings will have some
relevance concerning Taizé outside Britain and this specific event, because
Taizé Birmingham did not exist in a bubble completely cut off from the rest
of Taizé, but included many commonalities of structure, personnel, and ethos
with other Taizé communities. Nevertheless, my main focus is a detailed
analysis of one, concrete manifestation of the Taizé community in Britain.
Research methods are specific ways of generating actual data within a
research design. In order to gain a deeper understanding by comparing
different types of data I will triangulate using several different research
methods. This will include participant observation, informal unstructured
interviews, and an online questionnaire. I will first engage in participant
observations because the data I collect by this research method will provide
the ‘context’ within which to explore using other research methods. 11 By
approaching the subject from a number of different angles, I can be more
confident in my findings.
1.3 Ritual studies
In addition to being a qualitative field study, this research will also utilise the
concepts of ritual studies which have evolved from the work of Ronald
9
10
11
6
Grimes. As such it is a ‘field’ study in a second sense – it is the study of a
‘ritual field’, a term which includes both the physical and social place of the
ritual and, also, the ‘totality of a ritual’s structures and processes’. 12 For
Grimes, the importance of the fieldwork in the study of ritual lies with the fact
that, of all the different component parts which make up a religion, ritual is
the hardest to capture with words and must be personally experienced and
encountered to be understood.13
1.4 What is Taizé?
The ecumenical religious community of Taizé takes its name from the village
in France where, in 1940, Roger Schutz – later Brother Roger – settled and
began to build what he called a ‘parable of community’.14 At first, he was
alone and began by creating a daily rhythm of prayer for himself; and
sheltering Jewish refugees. He wanted to make a community where
reconciliation was ‘made concrete, day by day.’15 He continued to welcome
refugees until the situation became too dangerous because he had been
denounced to the Gestapo.16
While waiting in Geneva for the war to end, he met the men who were to
become his first three brothers.17 They lived and prayed together, making
promises to remain celibate and to share resources, which were reviewed on a
yearly basis.18During the war, Roger spent time considering why humanity,
and specifically Christians, engaged in conflict; and committed himself to
finding a way of being that emphasized ‘seeking to understand everything
about another rather than to be understood.’19
After the end of the war, they returned to Taizé. They lived a very simple life
and, in an effort to help the ‘neediest’ people around them, began to welcome
German prisoners of war to eat and pray with them once a week. Brother
Roger said that the experience of being involved with the refugees and with
12
Ronald L. Grimes, Beginnings in Ritual Studies (Waterloo, Canada: Ritual Studies
International, 2013, 3rd ed.) at 2.
13
Ibid.
14
Taizé, Choose to Love: Brother Roger of Taizé: 1915-2005 (Taizé-Communauté: Presses
de Taizé, 2007) at 9–10.
15
Kathryn Spink, A Universal Heart: The Life and Vision of Brother Roger of Taizé,
(London: SPCK, 2005, 2nd ed.) at 28–29.
16
Ibid., 44.
17
Taizé, Choose to Love, 31–32.
18
Spink, A Universal Heart, 48.
19
Ibid., 28–29.
7
the prisoners of war ‘left its imprint on the beginnings of the community’ 20;
and the community has continued to make a point of welcoming needy people
into their midst.
In 1949, the first brothers made a formal, lifetime commitment to the
community. Since then the community has grown to over a hundred brothers
who have come to the community from both Catholic and Protestant
backgrounds; together they live by the fruits of their own work and do not
accept donations.21
Before Taizé, Roger had experience of ministering to young people in two
contexts: as president of the Christian Student Association at Lausanne
University22 and whilst he was in Geneva, where many young people were
drawn to pray with him. These early experiences impressed upon him the
importance of ‘prayer together, the sharing, the times of reflection’, and these
‘intuitions’ would come to shape the Taizé community.23
This contact with young people continued at Taizé and, although it started
with a handful of individuals visiting to spend some time in retreat, has grown
significantly and steadily. External events like the Second Vatican Council
and the fall of Communism have swelled their numbers and, these days,
thousands of young people visit from around the world and attend external
Taizé meetings.24
Taizé has not set itself up as another church and, as Kathryn Spink points out,
they do not claim to be able to solve all of the world’s problems or know all
the answers, rather they seek to listen to and accompany people as they search
for truth.25
Since humble beginnings when, in order to use their neighbouring, disused
Catholic church, they were under instructions to shut the door lest any
Catholics mistakenly wander in and join their ‘Protestant’ prayers 26, the
community’s ecumenical mission of reconciliation has borne great fruit.
20
Taizé, Choose to Love, 34.
21
‘The Community Today’, Taizé [website], (updated 8 March, 2008)
<https://www.taize.fr/en_article6525.html>, accessed 14 August 2017.
22
Spink, A Universal Heart, 26–27.
23
24
Ibid., 50–51.
25
Spink, A Universal Heart, xii.
26
Ibid., 60.
8
Christians from all over the world have visited Taizé in the tens of thousands
and church leaders from many denominations have also visited the
community, including ‘Pope John Paul II, four Archbishops of Canterbury,
Orthodox metropolitans, the fourteen Lutheran bishops of Sweden, and
countless pastors from all over the world.’27 Brother Roger came to have the
ear and admiration of successive popes28, and, when he was stabbed to death
by a mentally ill woman during a prayer service in 200529, messages of shock,
love, and gratitude poured in from all over the world. These messages not
only came from church leaders and Christians of all denominations, but also
from politicians and those of other faiths.30
Before his death, Brother Roger had already chosen Brother Alois to be his
successor as prior of Taizé. So much of the character of the Taizé community
can be traced back to the life, character, and spiritual experiences of its
founder, but it has by no means crumbled without him. Brothers have
continued to join the order, people have continued to travel to the village in
France, and Taizé meetings - official and unofficial -, have continued around
the world.
When I visited Birmingham to attend the ‘Hidden Treasure’ Taizé gathering,
Brother Roger was long dead. There were only four brothers, not the hundred
plus who live in Taizé, and there were only a few hundred pilgrims gathered
instead of the thousands who visit the village at any one time. One gathering,
outside Taizé itself, cannot represent the whole community or the movement
around it. Nevertheless, Taizé Birmingham existed in the context of the wider
community, and many of its characteristics can be traced back to Brother
Roger and his story.
1.5 What does ‘ecumenical’ mean?
It is worth considering the word ‘ecumenical’ in the research question means,
because it is a word which has been interpreted in different ways. For the
purposes of this research, I will work on the basis Dagmar Heller’s broad
definition of ecumenical worship in the World Council of Churches’ Faith
27
‘The Community Today’, Taizé [website], (updated 8 March, 2008)
<https://www.taize.fr/en_article6525.html>, accessed 14 August 2017.
28
29
Ibid., 120.
30
Spink, A Universal Heart, viii.
9
and Order Paper on Worship: ‘ecumenical worship is all worship in which
Christians from different traditions join together in celebrating, praying and
praising God.’31 This definition is most relevant to my research because it
focuses on the aspect of worship in ecumenical relations, rather than other
aspects such as joint statements between different denominations. Many other
definitions are available, and there are valid questions to be asked about how
Taizé might relate to these definitions. However, the aim of this research is to
consider how the community creates space for Christians to worship together
and draw closer to one another and to God.
1.6 What does ‘worship practice’ mean?
Similarly, the term ‘worship practice’ needs defining. A good definition of
Christian worship is ‘a response in love to God for his love to us in Christ
through his Spirit’ and it ‘is the primary task and highest end of the church.’32
I have chosen this definition because it emphasises that worship is both
something worshippers do, and something that is received from God. This
tension between the active and the passive elements of worship is reflected in
my liturgy observations and corresponds with Ronald Grimes’ definition of
liturgical action as a ‘vehicle capable of carrying ritualists – but only part
way.’33
For the purposes of the study, the term ‘worship practice’ will be used in
order to focus in on the liturgical, communal prayer of the Taizé community,
rather than a wider understanding of worship as the entire Christian life.
2. ‘Hidden Treasure: Inner life and Solidarity’ – Birmingham
2017
2.1 Brief description of the weekend and the types of data
generated
The ‘Hidden Treasure: Inner Life and Solidarity’ Taizé gathering was the
result of a collaboration between the Taizé community and the local churches
31
Dagmar Heller, ‘Ecumenical Worship - Experiences, Problems, Possibilities: Some Basic
Considerations’, in Thomas F. Best and Dagmar Heller (eds.), Worship Today.
Understanding, Practice, Ecumenical Implications (Faith and Order Paper, no. 194;
Geneva: WCC Publications, 2004), 231–246 at 231.
32
Brad Harper and Paul Louis Metzger, Exploring Ecclesiology: An Evangelical and
Ecumenical Introduction (Grand Rapids Mich.: Brazos Press, 2009) at 85.
33
Grimes, Beginnings in Ritual Studies, 46.
10
of Birmingham. It took place over Friday 28th August to Monday 1st of May
2017. Several hundred young pilgrims between the ages of 18-30 were
welcomed into the homes of volunteer hosts from many different local
churches. The pilgrims came not only from Britain, but from many other
countries. Four brothers of the Taizé community travelled to Birmingham for
the event. When I spoke to one brother about my research he said that it was
not possible for a brother to formally speak for the community unless he had
been specifically asked to by the community. In line with this, I have decided
to anonymise the brothers when I mention them, and assign numbers to them
– ‘Brother 1’ etc.
The structure of the weekend was based upon the rhythm of thrice daily
prayer in Taizé. This common prayer was at the ‘heart’ of the weekend 34, and
the liturgy observations I took during these times of worship are the most
important pieces of data I collected. Midday and evening prayer took place in
St Martin in the Bull Ring, a large Anglican church in the centre of
Birmingham. Morning prayer took place in the individual host
neighbourhoods. On Saturday this was a small service for pilgrims and hosts
but on Sunday morning we joined a normal Sunday morning service with the
whole parish. This service was adapted to include some Taizé elements. On
Monday morning the ‘prayer of sending out’ took place at St Chad’s Catholic
Cathedral before everyone started their journey home.
In addition to the times of worship, time was given over to small group
reflection in the host neighbourhood groups, which paralleled the similar
group sharing which forms part of the daily routine for visitors to the Taizé
village. In forming these small groups, people were encouraged to move away
from anyone they had travelled with in order to meet new people. The
importance of keeping what was shared in the group confidential was
emphasized and, although I did participate in a small group, it will not form
part of my research. However, I did ask the members of my host
neighbourhood group as a whole if they would be comfortable giving me their
email address so that I could send them a questionnaire afterwards to share
their experiences of Taizé, and the majority of them did so. When I made my
34
‘Echoes of Birmingham 2017’, Taizé [website], (updated 11 May 2017)
<https://www.taize.fr/en_article20500.html>, accessed 08 February 2017.
11
request, I emphasized that they were under no obligation to say yes; that my
project was in no way associated with the Taizé community itself; and that
any answers they gave would be anonymous.
Between the time slots dedicated to praying together, there were two
workshop slots on both Saturday and Sunday. The programme was organised
in such a way that there were no workshops running during the prayer times
to encourage everyone to come together.
My time in Birmingham generated four main types of data: liturgy
observations, unstructured interviews, documents which I was given as a
participant, and internet documents produced before, during and after the
meeting by the organisers. During the liturgy observations, I was a participant
observer. I observed the surroundings, the order that things happened in, and
the demeanour of the people around me. At the same time, although with less
focus than I might otherwise have done, I participated by sitting among the
other pilgrims, singing, and praying.
I recorded the unstructured interviews on my phone. I asked people to share
their experiences of Taizé and sometimes asked questions based on what they
said. There was neither time nor space for longer, more structured interviews
during the weekend but the interviews still bore interesting fruit which could
be expanded upon in any future interviews. As a participant, I was given a
number of documents, some of which are useful sources for considering how
Taizé worship is conceptualised and facilitated. Taizé as a whole has an up-
to-date website and a number of pages were created in relation to the ‘Hidden
Treasure’ weekend35. A number of the services were live streamed on
Facebook, many photographs have been uploaded, and several blog posts and
articles have been posted.
After I returned from the Birmingham weekend, I composed a brief self-
completion questionnaire which I sent to those ‘Hidden Treasure’ participants
who had given me their email addresses.
The collection and collation of these various types of data provides rich
opportunity for triangulation and increases the validity of the research
findings.
35
<http://www.taize.fr/en_article20500.html>, accessed 07 April 2017.
12
2.2 Taizé liturgy
Although the programme was not purely liturgical, the ‘regular community
prayer [was] at the heart of the weekend.’36 Throughout the weekend there
were a total of eight liturgies, of various kinds. I attended and observed seven
of these. Because of limited space I have chosen to focus two liturgies in
depth: Friday evening prayer and Sunday morning service in the local parish.
2.2.1 Description of participant observation of Taizé
liturgies
For Ronald Grimes, the study of a ritual ideally begins with the ‘informed
participation in, and observation of, it.’37 Therefore, the most important part
of my research into the ecumenical elements in Taizé worship practice is my
experience of Taizé worship as a participant observer. This is particularly
relevant when the ritual in question is Taizé, because the emphasis is on living
reconciliation, not just thinking about reconciliation.
What, then, does it mean to be a participant observer? DeWalt and DeWalt
understand both ‘participating’ and ‘observing’ as everyday human actions
which are implicit in any social interaction and it is from this foundation that
the researcher as ‘participant observer’ goes a step further by recording and
engaging with that information in a systematic way for the purpose of social
scientific research.38 I find their assertion that participant observation
‘requires a particular approach to the recording of observations (in field
notes), and the perspective that the information collected through participation
is as critical to social scientific analysis as information from more formal
research techniques…’ a helpful guiding principle.39 The circumstances and
research fields that participant observation can be applied to vary so widely
that it can be hard to make generalisations about how to approach them, but
these two points provide a useful orientation. Participant observation involves
entering a community and being with them as they go about their lives in the
same way they would have done if they were not being observed. The
36
content/uploads/Taize-BirminghamPressReleaseSpring2016-002.pdf>, accessed 14 august
2017 at 2.
37
38
39
Ibid., 2–3.
13
‘Hidden Treasure’ gathering was not happening because they wanted to put
on a good show for an observer, I was there as an observer because the
gathering was happening anyway. When using participant observation it is
important to consider what effect the presence of the observer has on the
observed because this method is concerned with collecting data in a
naturalistic way.
When I registered for the event I asked permission to observe the gathering
for my research by taking observation notes and informally asking people to
share their experiences. I was given permission on the understanding that I do
so unobtrusively and sensitively. It was also requested that I make it clear
when I spoke to people that I had not been sent by the Taizé community and
that it was a personal project. When I arrived in Birmingham I introduced
myself to the brother who I had been in email contact with but we did not
have a chance to speak further because the programme was so full. In this
way, I made no secret of my research and spoke of it to many individuals, for
instance in my host neighbourhood, but because of the size of the gathering
my presence was largely unobtrusive. Several hundred people had gathered in
Birmingham for the event and they came in small groups or as individuals.
Because of this, although all gathered for the same purpose, it was not a
cohesive group where everyone knew everyone. This meant that I did not
stand out from the crowd and distract from or change what was going on
during the liturgies I was observing. Only on one occasion did someone ask
me why I was taking notes. I explained that I was doing a research project and
needed to write down everything that happened. In addition to minimising the
effect my presence had on proceedings, this way of being a participant
observer allowed me to get closer to the ‘felt experience of the ritualists’40
(that is those who took part in the ritual) – I took on the role of ‘pilgrim’
along with everyone else.
A full description of a rite is vital to the process of understanding; and part of
taking a rite seriously is, for Grimes, working with ‘full, evocative
descriptions,’ despite the fact that these are not easy to produce or interpret.41
In order to explore a ritual, he recommends approaching it with a ‘framework’
40
41
Ibid.
14
that makes explicit the implicit that we bring to something we want to
understand; this framework should:
(1) Elicit ritualists’ experience of the ritual, (2) aid interpreters in discerning the
continuities and discontinuities between their symbols and those of the participants,
(3) generate helpful theories of ritual, and (4) precipitate a sense of the living quality
42
of ritual in written accounts of them .
To this end, in his chapter ‘Mapping the field of ritual’43, he suggests six
categories, with their attendant questions which can serve as a map: ritual
space; ritual objects; ritual time; ritual sound and language; ritual identity; and
ritual action. He encourages students and researchers to adapt these questions
to fit the specifics of each individual ritual field.44 This chapter, however, is
not short enough to refer to easily whilst in the field taking notes.
Accordingly, I created an ‘observational tool’ making use of the most relevant
questions in each category, following the example of Kim de Wildt’s study of
religious ritual in schools45. This observation tool, and a sample of the data
generated, can be found in Appendix 2.
The first description, of the first liturgy of the weekend, will be the most
detailed as the Friday evening prayer set the tone of the gathering.
2.2.1.1 Liturgy observation – Friday 28th April 2017
Evening prayer around the cross in St Martin in the Bull Ring Church, during
‘Hidden Treasure’ Taizé gathering, 18:30 till 21:00, Friday 28th April 2017 in
Birmingham, UK.
The general sequence of event is as follows.
 People enter the church gradually and wait quietly
 Song practice
 Instrumental music
 A group practice moving the icon cross
 Organizational notice
 Instrumental music
 Brothers enter
42
43
Ibid., 19–33.
44
Ibid., 20.
45
Kim de Wildt, With all Senses: Something for Body and Mind. An Empirical Study of
Religious Ritual in School (Studien zur Religionspädagogik und Praktischen Theologie, Nr.
6; Jena: Garamond-Verl., 2014) at 325–328.
15
 Song: ‘Bóg jest miłością’ (God is forgiveness)46
 Song: ‘Remember the Lord Jesus Christ’
 Song: ‘Alleluia 11’
 John 14:1-11 is read aloud in various languages
 Song: ‘Da pace… in diebus’ (canon)
 Period of silence
 Song: ‘Kyrie 19’
 Intercessions
 Song: ‘Seek treasure’
 Icon cross is moved to lie flat at the front
 Brother 1 prays and invites people to come up to the icon cross and pray
by placing their forehead on it
 Song: ‘Stay with me/Bleibt hier’
 Brothers pray at the icon cross
 People take turns to pray at the cross
 Song: ‘Let all who are thirsty come’
 Song: ‘Jesus, remember me’
 Song: ‘Nothing can ever’
 People begin to leave gradually
 Song: ‘Nada te turbe’ (Nothing can trouble)
 Song: ‘The kingdom of God’
 Brothers leave
Ritual space
The prayer service takes place in a large Anglican Church in the centre of the
city. There is a marked difference between the hustle and bustle of the city
and the hushed calm of the church interior. It is gothic in style with large
arched windows, a bell tower, and carved details. Outside, two male
volunteers hold a large banner advertising the ‘Hidden Treasure’ gathering.
The main doorway is a large, carved stone archway. This contains a set of old
brown doors which are open. Next there are two sets of glass doors which
46
All song details taken from: Taizé, Song Booklet: Hidden Treasure: 28 April - 1 May,
2017.
16
form a small vestibule, these are also open. There are two men welcoming
people; they say that it is a special event but that everyone is welcome. Their
uniform indicates they work for St Martin in the Bull Ring Church.
The church is made up of a tall nave and transept forming a cross shape and
two, slightly lower, side aisles. Piles of leather kneeler cushions are at the
entrance for people to use as they sit on the floor. It has many large arched
windows and there is a lot of natural light; there are also some electric lights.
On each of the columns, there is a screen which indicates the song numbers.
The chairs have been removed from the nave and replaced with red carpet
held in place by white tape. There are chairs along the walls and in the
transept, to the left and right of the altar area. The altar is the focal point of
the church and the other elements are orientated towards it. There is an ornate
high altar immediately below a large stained glass window and also a simple,
low altar covered in a white cloth. In front of the lower altar there are three
steps and a wooden balustrade with tea-lights on. In front of the altar is the
choir area, with wooden seats along the sides, and a paved, marble area. Here
there are four large, white flower arrangements in colourful metal jugs, one at
each corner. To the left of the altar area is a large, plain wooden cross with a
white stole draped over the arms of the cross and, also, a stylized picture of a
Lamb. To the right is an icon cross. In the left-hand part of the transept, the
choir, musicians and conductor sit. At the front of the red carpet area, a space
has been left. This space is used for the brothers to sit, on small wooden
stools, facing the altar. This is also where the icon cross was moved to.
The combination of the quiet, the design of the church and the religious
symbols produce a holy atmosphere which is in contrast to the secular city
outside.
Ritual objects
The main ritual object is the icon cross. It is flat and wooden, depicting Jesus
on the cross. His face shows suffering, the nails in his hands and feet are
visible; he is wearing a loincloth and has the sign ‘INRI’ above his head. The
cross in the image is brown, it has a yellow border like a halo, and it is set in
an orange, cross shaped background. At either side of the cross are two saints,
one of whom is Mary. Above, an angel flies horizontally. All the figures are
17
quite dark skinned and have halos, although Jesus’ is bigger. It is handled as
an important object during the rite, where it is carried by more people than are
necessary to lift its weight. Afterwards I saw it being carried by just two
people.
There are also a number of candles present at the front of the church and three
are placed on the icon cross when it is laid on the floor for people to pray at.
The lit candles are symbolic of the light of Christ and of prayers.
Ritual time
The service is held on the evening of Friday 28th April 2017 from 18:45 to
21:00. It is the first day and the first event of the ‘Hidden Treasure’
Birmingham Taizé weekend. There is song practice from 18:45 to 19:20,
lasting 35 minutes. There is no announcement that the prayer service is
starting but the first song starts at 19:20; the service continues to
approximately 21:00, lasting 75 minutes. During the service songs, prayers,
readings, and times of silence, follow each other. In some ways it is a one-
time event, the gathering is only for a weekend and we will not meet again for
Friday prayer. However, the ‘prayer around the cross’, as it is described in the
programme, is part of the Taizé rhythm of prayer which goes on in the village
all year. Also, the Birmingham gathering will include several other prayer
services in the same church and Sunday will also include the ‘prayer around
the cross’ element.
The church has clearly been prepared, both practically to create more space,
and aesthetically to create an atmosphere. However this happened before so I
do not know how much time has been dedicated to preparation. It is
announced that the ‘prayer around the cross’ element will be shorter than it
would usually be because it is in the context of the conference, but that it will
be ‘beautiful’ while it lasts. Despite pilgrims having appointments with their
hosts to keep, when I leave at 20:45 for my host neighbourhood, there are still
a significant number of people in the church. In this way the, beginning and
ending of the service are gradual, not clear cut.
It is influenced by the rhythm of prayer in the Taizé village, and also by the
organisational programme which has been prepared and given to pilgrims.
The service commemorates what God has done in Jesus, emphasizes God’s
18
saving love in the present, and anticipates what God will do in the future.
Past, present, and future tenses are both used and implied in the songs,
reading, prayers, and attitudes.
Ritual sound and language
Ritual sound, language, and silence are all prominent in the service. There is a
choir, a group of musicians and a conductor, all sitting together in the left-
hand transept. There are several instruments, including guitar, violin, flute,
and clarinet. The large built-in organ is not used.
Beforehand, there is a song practice. A woman in a clerical collar leads the
song practice with a microphone, she does not introduce herself – the focus is
on the music. She explains about holding the note so the cantors can sing over
it. The song practice is accompanied by the musicians and singers. As people
sing, the leader conducts a little by moving her hand up and down to indicate
higher and lower notes.
Most, but not all the songs for the service are practiced. Some of the songs
she gives a brief comment, for example she said that the ‘Alleluia’ was
‘beautiful’ and that it was ‘a way of saying “yes”’ so we should come in ‘with
lots of energy.’ Only one song includes the musical expressions ‘piano’ and
‘forte’. The leader says that it is ‘beautiful’ how they have been used to
express Christ’s ‘agony’ in Gethsemane, and that it is very ‘unusual’ for a
Taizé song to include this, so the composers must have ‘wanted it very badly.’
The majority of the songs are in English but not all. Other languages included
Latin, Polish, German, and Spanish. The English translation is usually
provided in the lyrics or next to the title in the song booklet. The practice
includes a Polish song and a German song. In both cases, the leader asked for
a native speaker to come to the microphone to demonstrate the pronunciation.
Several of the singers also play the role of cantors. When they are leading in
this way, they stand up and go to a microphone stand, but otherwise they
remain seated, as do the other participants. Sometimes the cantors begin and
end the songs. Each person was provided with a song booklet which included
lyrics and musical notation. The music is religious in character and all of the
Taizé songs are comprised of short, often scriptural, phrases which are
19
repeated. The music evokes an atmosphere of calm reflection; it does not have
any high-energy or discordant elements.
Some songs work antiphonally: at the end of each repetition the majority of
voices hold the final note and the cantors take it in turns to sing a phrase over
the held note. These phrases are not written in the song booklet, like the other
lyrics; and it is not always possible to discern the words of these sung prayers
but it does create a beautiful sound. The spoken intercessions follow the Kyrie
sung in this way, and after each prayer a cantor sings ‘Lord, hear our prayer’,
and the congregation reply by singing the Kyrie again. Songs often start with
the musical instruments playing a few bars, then the voices join in and the two
sounds continue mostly in unison.
Many of the songs are based on scripture and often have a biblical reference
in brackets next to the title. For example, ‘Nothing can ever’ is based on
Romans 8:39 and the words are ‘nothing can ever come between us and the
love of God, the love of God revealed to us in Christ Jesus.’ The songs are all
repetitious and have no set length; the number of repetitions appears flexible.
The styles of language in the rite are primarily lyrical singing, scriptural
narrative, and prayer. There are a few organisational comments in the context
of the conference. In general all the speech is in a calm tone of voice.
The text of the scripture reading is in the programme in full. It is read over the
microphone and the readers remain seated. It is first read in English and then
different people take it in turns to repeat a section of it in different languages.
Similarly, the intercessions are read in different languages, although these are
not printed in the programme. It is not necessary for all the participants to
have every element written down, but nor is there a great emphasis on oral
lore, per se, as there is no use of prayers or texts learnt by rote such as the Our
Father.
In general, language is used primarily to describe reality as it is perceived by
the participants: the song lyrics and the reading describe what God is doing,
and has done already. However, in the prayers language is used to ask God to
change something in the world, for example one intercession was for
persecuted Christians. In this way, there is an element of language effecting
reality; however, there is no sense of making God do something, the emphasis
is on cooperating in God’s plan.
20
In general, there is not much talk about the rite. There are no announcements
indicating the beginning of different sections of the rite. There is a verbal
invitation to come to pray at the icon cross by the ‘gesture’ of putting one’s
forehead on the cross but it was not easy to hear because of some technical
issues.
There is a large role for silence in the rite as there are several distinct periods
of silence. As people enter and take their seats on the floor, there are four
volunteers standing at the four corners holding signs saying ‘Silence please’.
It is only through these signs before the service that silence is explicitly called
for. The other times of silence, after the reading and after the prayers, are not
announced in any way. This lack of announcement meant that it is not always
clear that a deliberate period of silence has begun. During the silence before
the service starts there is some whispering and shuffling. During the actual
service, there is some coughing and shuffling but no talking.
Ritual identity
The roles involved in the rite are the Taizé brothers (four of whom are
present), musicians, singers, conductor, readers, pilgrims, and the public.
Pilgrims have come from many different countries to the gathering. The
service is open to the people of Birmingham and there is no distinction
between the pilgrims and the public as they enter and sit down, either on the
floor or in the few chairs. Indeed there is a sense that everyone who has come
is a pilgrim. The Taizé brothers have been left a space at the front of the
carpet area in the nave. There is no announcement about keeping this area free
for them; in fact an announcement is made to encourage people to take up
more space on the centre of the carpet. The carpet was taped down in three
pieces and the white tape made it look as though they were deliberate
sections, but this was not the case.
The brothers generally wear everyday clothes but they change into white
robes for the prayer services. There is an area set aside which is accessed via
the front left of the church for the brothers to do this. The robes are hooded
but the hoods are back. There is no dress code for the other pilgrims and they
are wearing everyday clothes. The brothers sit at the front of the carpet next to
the altar area but there is no barrier between them and the other pilgrims.
21
They have little wooden stools shaped like benches to help them kneel down.
Once seated, they are not visible from the viewpoint of most of the church.
Everyone, including the brothers, is orientated towards the altar area. The
kinship metaphor of ‘brothers’ is important. The title of ‘brother’ emphasizes
that the members of the community do not consider themselves ‘above’
anyone, but seek to accompany people on their journey through life.
There is no one leader of the service and there are few announcements. The
musicians lead the service as much, if not more, than the brothers. There is
creativity in the selection and performance of the songs; and in the
arrangement of the church. The scripture reading and intercessions are read by
pilgrims. They do not stand up and they are not visible. The gathering
includes pilgrims from many nationalities and this is recognised by the
inclusion of readings and prayers in multiple languages.
The only time one of the brothers speaks, it is to pray. He asks God to bless
the pilgrimage and Birmingham and to help people to discover hidden
treasures. He invites people to come to pray at the cross using the ‘gesture’ of
placing one’s forehead on the cross. The brothers pray around the cross first
and then they move out of the way. They sit on the marble paved area facing
the cross and the pilgrims.
Towards the end of the service the brothers get up and leave. They do not all
go directly to the changing area but some stop to talk to some people. Even
after they have changed out of their robes, they are still Taizé brothers – they
do not slip out of their role. Similarly, throughout the weekend, pilgrims
remain pilgrims and some have an additional role of volunteer.
The brothers sit at the front but only one speaks. In this sense, the musicians
and the readers had a more active role, in that they had a specific task. The
pilgrims and public participated to a similar degree to the brothers by singing,
praying, and reflecting in silence. The emphasis is primarily on thoughts,
feelings, and intentions; but there is also action in the gesture of praying at the
cross. People of Birmingham, the pilgrims, and the brothers are addressed
when the brother prays for God’s blessing. Persecuted Christians and the poor
are addressed in the intercessions. Non-native English speakers were
addressed through the use of songs in other languages. No group was
22
addressed with a comment any more specific than these examples. However,
no-one appeared excluded or marginal.
Ritual action
For the majority of the rite everyone remains seated, mostly on the floor but
some on chairs including the music group. Everyone is orientated towards the
altar area, which is where the icon cross stands before it is placed on the floor.
There is no one leading the service and the readers remain seated, but
everyone is facing in the same direction nonetheless. The cantors only stand
up to sing into the microphone. The main symbolic action is approaching the
icon cross to pray by putting one’s forehead on it. Before the service a group
of five people practice moving the cross and placing it flat on the floor,
balanced on several leather cushions. The same people move it during the
service. It is carried by more people than are necessary to cope with the
weight of it. Three candles were placed on the cross. On either side of the
church, a small queue forms as people approach the cross. As people get
nearer they kneel down, and shuffle forward on their knees as space opens up
around the cross. The cross is large; there is room for six people. There is no
one organizing where people should go or how long they should take, it
happens organically. People stay at the cross for one to two minutes. When
people move they do so quietly and calmly. Individuals do not repeat the
action of going to the cross, but many different people pray in this way.
Sometimes people close their eyes or bow their heads, particularly during the
times of silence, but there are no instructions to do so. A few people clasp
their hands but the majority of people are holding the song booklet in their
hands and so they are not used for other gestures. Many candles have been lit
before the service and are in the altar area.
Participation is not very physically active but singing, listening, joining in
with the prayer responses, and reflection are all means of participation which
are highly valued and equally available to all participants. The main senses
involved are sight, hearing, and touch.
Apart from the invitation to the cross, there are very few verbal instructions to
guide participants’ actions; participants are either familiar with the routine, or
they infer the correct actions from those around them.
23
2.2.1.2 Liturgy observation - Sunday 30th April 2017
Sunday Morning Service, in All Saints Church in Kings Heath, one of the
‘Hidden Treasure’ host neighbourhoods. 10:00 till 11:15, Sunday 30th April
2017 in Birmingham, UK. Each host neighbourhood is opening up a service
to local hosts and pilgrims.
The general sequence of events is as follows.
 Taizé pilgrims enter
 The congregation is already seated and the choir already singing. Song:
‘Surrexit Christus’ (Taizé)
 Pilgrims receive a candle, a hymn book and a service booklet –
‘HIDDEN TREASURE: HOLY COMMUNION WELCOMING PILGRIMS
FROM THE TAIZÉ COMMUNITY AND ECUMENICAL NEIGHBOURS
AND HOSTS’
 Pilgrims take reserved seats at the front
 Priest welcomes everyone, congregation applaud
 Priest reads parish announcements
 Priest returns to the back of church
 Everyone stands. Song
 Priest processes to the front of the church with three others. They stand
behind the altar, facing the congregation
 Taizé pilgrims are invited to lay their luggage labels on the altar
 Greeting and welcome remarks from the priest
 Taizé pilgrims share their name and country over the microphone
 Prayer of preparation
 Everyone sits
 Children come up to the front, the priest blesses them, they leave for a
separate session
 Confession
 Absolution
 Song: ‘Gloria’
 Collect – prayer for the third week of Easter
 First reading – Acts 2:14a; 36-41
24
 Second reading – 1 Peter 1:17-23
 Deacon announces hymn before the Gospel and everyone stands
 Song: ‘We have a gospel to proclaim’
 Deacon and servers process down aisle and stand around a woman who
reads the Gospel in French. The English translation is on the pew-slip – Luke
24:13-35
 People sit for the Sermon by a female ordinand
 People stand for the Creed – ‘ecumenically agreed text of Apostles’
Creed’
 Intercessions
 Song: ‘In the Lord I’ll ever be thankful’
 Children return and present their artwork
 The Peace
 Offertory is taken up and a Song is sung
 Liturgy of the Eucharist
 Lord’s Prayer
 Invitation to Communion including ‘blessed bread in the Taizé tradition’
 Priest and servers receive bread and wine from each other
 Song: ‘Eat this bread’ (Taizé)
 Priest and servers distribute bread and wine. Pilgrim distributes blessed
bread. Everyone who wants to receive forms a line in the aisle
 Priest and servers return to altar
 Lighting of candles
 Concluding prayer, said by all
 People sit for final song: ‘Ye choirs of new Jerusalem’
 Blessing
 Organ plays and people file out. Pilgrims first, then priest and servers,
then congregation
 People are invited through to community centre for refreshments
25
Ritual space
All Saints, Kings Heath is a Church of England parish church. The church is
Victorian and with a modern community centre attached to it. It has a tower
and spire; a nave, two aisles, and an apse. It is light and airy because it has
high ceilings, white walls, and several pointed arched stained glass windows.
There are wooden pews. The choir are seated on the left side of the altar area
and are facing the congregation.
The altar is covered in white cloth and to the right is a wooden lectern with a
microphone. In front of the altar, an arrangement in the Taizé style has been
laid out. Facing the congregation is a square icon showing Jesus with his arm
around a saint; it sits on two pieces of fabric, red and gold, which flow out
towards the aisle. There are many small candles; and a lantern with a candle
on either side of the icon.
Ritual objects
In addition to the icon which has been placed before the altar, there are
several other objects which have ritual significance; these objects will be
addressed in chronological order.
Before the service, the pilgrims are given a luggage label with a long piece of
colourful ribbon attached and asked to write their name and country on either
side. It is explained that the luggage label represents the journey they have
made and the variety of ribbons represent the different countries they have
travelled from. During the first hymn, the pilgrims are invited to place them
on the altar as an offering, in such a way that the ribbons fall along the edge
of the altar so that everyone can see them. The range of colours, patterns, and
textures provide a good image for the diverse origins of the pilgrims.
When the children return from their breakout session, they come up to the
altar and place examples of their work at the foot of the altar as offerings.
They had been learning about the Garden of Eden and their work includes a
paper chain snake and a drawing of an apple.
The service is a normal Sunday morning Holy Communion service which has
been adapted to include several Taizé elements. Accordingly, the focus of the
service is the Eucharist, the bread and wine symbolizing the Body and Blood
of Christ. The priest says that it is an ‘open invitation’ and that any who ‘open
26
their hands are welcome to receive’; but he also recognizes that there are
people of many denominations present and emphasizes that no one should
feel obliged. He also says that in the Taizé tradition there will be additional
blessed bread.
A server receives the host from the priest and then gives it to the priest in
turn. Then the other servers and congregation come to receive the Eucharist.
When someone receives the host or the blessed bread, they hear the words
‘The body of Christ’ and reply ‘Amen’. Similarly, when they receive the
wine, they hear the words ‘The blood of Christ.’
As a Catholic in an Anglican Holy Communion service, I decide not to take
the communion, despite the open invitation. Instead, I approach with my arms
crossed over my chest to receive a blessing. Making this sign was not
mentioned, but the priest understands what I mean. He puts down the host he
had started to pick up and puts his hand on my head and blesses me, saying
‘May the Lord give you joy and peace as you put your trust in him. Amen.’ I
say ‘Amen’ too, and then take a piece of the additional blessed bread which
was flat bread cut in to pieces. It is not only those who do not receive
communion who take the blessed bread.
Towards the end of the service, the priest invites the pilgrims to light their
candles from the paschal candle and to spread the light among the
congregation, lighting everyone’s candles from front to back. The booklet
says, ‘After all have received, we begin to imagine what we may give the
world. The visiting pilgrims help us light out candles as a reminder that we
share in God’s ministry to the whole world….’ The final prayer, hymn, and
blessing are said with the candles lit; and people blow them out when they get
to the back of the church.
Ritual time
The Sunday morning service is a recurring event in the host parish and it has
been adapted to include Taizé elements. All the pilgrims are being hosted by
people from local churches, organized in to ‘host neighbourhoods’. Each
neighbourhood involved different denominations. For each neighbourhood,
one church welcomes the pilgrims and local hosts from other churches to their
Sunday morning service.
27
As a Eucharistic service, there is a strong focus on remembering Jesus’ words
at the Last Supper and his death on the cross. The readings are all from the
New Testament and so focus on remembering Jesus ministry and later the
ministry of his apostles. The service is part of the Anglican liturgical calendar.
There is a service booklet which has been specially created to incorporate
Taizé elements into a normal Holy Communion service; and there is also a
hymn book. The texts for the majority of the service can be found in one or
other, although not the sermon or the intercessions.
The foundation of the service is the typical Anglican Holy Communion
service as practiced in this particular parish, and represented in the service
booklets which are distributed. This core framework is made up of a variety
of prayers and readings in a set order, some of which change each service and
some of which are constant. These include prayers said by all, prayers said by
the priest alone, and prayers said in dialogue with the priest or a reader. The
prayers of intercession are another way of including Taizé elements into the
service as they are said by a parishioner and two pilgrims. The two pilgrims
are German and Polish; they pray first in English and then repeat it in their
own languages.
There are generally three scripture readings in an Anglican service of this
type. During Easter these are taken from Acts, from the New Testament
letters, and from the Gospels, respectively. The Gospel is read by a female
parishioner in French, with the English translation provided on paper.
In addition to the words of the prayers and readings, language is important in
the words of welcome and periodic words of explanation said by the priest
and in the sermon. Both are a little more informal than the other sections of
the service, in order to be welcoming and approachable. Other uses of
language to create a welcoming and receptive atmosphere include the
invitation for pilgrims to share their name and country over the microphone;
and the invitation for everyone to say the Lord’s Prayer in their own language.
There is a choir and an organ providing music for the service. Some of the
songs are taken from the parish hymn book but several were Taizé chants,
28
included for the occasion. As the children return from their session, the priest
invites the congregation to sing a hymn ‘thankfully’, to welcome them back.
Ritual identity
There are two levels of roles at work during this service. On the level that this
is a one off event in the context of the Taizé gathering, there are the members
of the parish, hosts who have welcomed the pilgrims into their homes from
the various local churches, and the pilgrims. When the priest welcomes the
pilgrims he says that their visit means that the parish is joining in with the
Taizé pilgrimage and serves as a reminder to the parish of their ‘witness.’
This is symbolized by the Taizé elements added to the Holy Communion
service, particularly at the end of the service when the pilgrims lit the candles
of the parishioners.
On the level that it is an Anglican Holy Communion service, the roles
included the priest, the servers, the choir, the readers, the ordinand, and the
congregation. Some of these roles are flexible, for instance the ordinand who
gave the sermon is also a member of the choir and the readers were part of the
congregation. The main role which extended beyond the ritual arena was that
of the priest, although he changed out of his vestments for the refreshments
afterwards.
A number of groups are addressed, and more explicitly than in the other
services of the weekend because there are more sections of speech interwoven
in the service, both as part of a typical Anglican service and in the context of
the pilgrimage. These include the obvious groups such as the parish
community, the hosts, the pilgrims and the children and young people of the
parish. More widely, the village in Taizé, Pope Francis, the French election,
and Britain’s relationship with the European Union are all mentioned and
prayed about. The priest expresses frustration the Britain had chosen isolation
by electing to leave the EU, and thanks the Taizé pilgrims for showing a
different way of being European. Indeed, when the pilgrims share their names
and countries over the microphone, there are people from many different
European countries present.
The ritual crosses regional boundaries in two ways. Most obviously, the
pilgrims are international, from a wide range of countries; but also the service
29
brought together different sections of the local area. Similarly, it crossed
cultural and religious boundaries because there were people present of many
different nationalities and denominations.
Ritual action
For the majority of the ritual, participants are either sitting or standing. The
focus of the ritual is the altar and all the participants are orientated toward it.
At the beginning there is a small procession involving the priest and the
servers, and at the end the pilgrims are invited to join them in processing out
again. The ritual is primarily language based, with a strong emphasis on the
words of the liturgy, said back and forth between the service leaders and the
congregation. However, there are also some key physical actions. Most often
they involve ritual objects, as discussed above. These include the luggage
labels, the candles, the children’s artwork, and the bread and wine of
communion. Other actions include the sharing of the sign of peace, when
people move around the church to shake hands.
2.2.2 Analysis of Taizé liturgies

Grimes expresses the need for in-depth descriptions, rooted in the actual
experience of the rite, but goes on to emphasize the need to interpret the
description, lest one be overwhelmed by the volume of ‘disconnected’ data.
This interpretation, he suggest, can take many different forms, the most
appropriate of which for this study is ‘tracing historically and theologically its
precedents and consequences.’47 Accordingly, the analysis of the Taizé
liturgies will include both elements of ritual studies and elements of the
history and theology of the community which shape their worship practice.
2.2.2.1 Friday 28th April 2017
Rituals are primarily experiences; they are often composed of many different
impulses and elements and so resist easy categorization. Instead of forcing
rituals into artificial boxes, Grimes advocates thinking about rituals in terms
of ‘six modes of ritual sensibility: ritualization, decorum, ceremony, magic,
47
30
liturgy, and celebration.’48 These modes are not mutually exclusive and one
ritual will usually contain more than one.
I would describe Friday service as first, liturgy and, second, celebration: a
liturgical celebration. It is primarily liturgical because it is overtly religious
and has an ‘ultimate frame of reference’49; it is not limited to the purely
human, but includes the divine, the ultimate, and the cosmic. This connection
to the divine is rooted in the sacred setting of the church building; further
evoked through the words of the songs, prayers, and reading; and given space
in the twin actions of sitting in silence and placing one’s forehead on the icon
cross. Liturgy is characterized by an emphasis on ‘deep receptivity’, on
‘being’ rather than doing.50 Throughout the prayer, all the participants mostly
remained seated; participation was mostly based around intention and the
voice. There were elements of bodily participation, but these were also quite
passive. There was an emphasis on being physically present, together and
before God, but this was shown by sitting silently. Even the most ‘active’ of
the actions, praying at the cross, was a bodily act of surrender through being
still before God. Altogether, there was a strong emphasis on being still before
God, and on receiving from him.
For Grimes, a liturgical rite is two things at once: a ‘waiting’ for a thing, and
‘the thing in itself’; in waiting on the divine, the divine is also present. 51 The
liturgical act, whatever it is, takes the ritualists some distance, but then it can
go no further – it must become ‘reception’.52 During the prayer, there is a
sense of human-divine cooperation in this way. The human participants bring
together creative elements in their songs, words, actions, and aesthetic, but it
is only in receiving from the presence of the Holy Spirit that the experience
becomes more than the sum of its parts.
For Grimes, a key role that liturgical rites play is to make sense of the world
in the language of a specific tradition. ‘It does so by “re-presenting” events
and “event-ualizing” structures. Liturgies make events endure, and they make
48
49
Ibid., 45.
50
Ibid.
51
Ibid.
52
Ibid., 46.
31
structures happen.’53 Events need rites in order to give them presence, even
definitive events which are the foundation of a religious tradition.54 The main
‘event’ that this liturgy makes present is the life, death, and resurrection of
Jesus, and its implications for the human-divine relationship. It does this
through scripture readings and songs which recall the words and actions of
Jesus; and through intercessions which are based on the presumption that God
is active in the world. To a much lesser extent, there is an element in which
the ‘event’ which the liturgy makes present is the life of Brother Roger, the
Taizé founder. He is not explicitly mentioned during the service; indeed no
individual brother was addressed. Nevertheless, many aspects of the worship
practice have their roots in the biography, character, and spirituality of
Brother Roger. For example, the emphasis on music during worship has its
roots in his musical childhood, and later belief that ‘Singing is an
incomparable support for community prayer.’55 The typical aesthetic of Taizé,
involving candles, icons, fabric, and flowers all artfully placed, has evolved
from Brother Roger’s desire, throughout his life, to arrange spaces in simple,
but beautiful ways.56
Secondly, the evening prayer is also a celebration rite. Grimes describes
celebration as ‘expressive, playful, dramatic, and aesthetic;’57of these
characteristics, the prayer is primarily expressive and aesthetic. This aspect is
found in the choice, learning, and performance of the songs in a cooperative
effort between the singers, musicians, brothers, and public. The majority of
the songs were existing Taizé songs, but one had been composed for the
occasion. It is called ‘Seek treasure’ and is based on Luke 12:33-3458, which
is also the root of the theme of the weekend as a whole – ‘Hidden Treasure’.
Singing and making music together is a form of celebration; this does not
mean that it was exuberant or rowdy, the emphasis remains on the way
‘human voices’ together facilitate a ‘contemplative waiting on God.’ 59 The
atmosphere is receptive, rather than high-energy, but it is also intentional and
53
54
Ibid.
55
56
Ibid., 14–15.
57
58
Taizé, Song Booklet: Hidden Treasure: 28 April - 1 May, 2017, no. 19.
59
32
positive. For example, during the song practice, the public are encouraged to
sing ‘Alleluia’ with ‘lots of energy’ as it is ‘a way of saying “Yes”’. Taken as
a whole, the prayer is an act of intentionally coming before God and
receiving.
In addition to the creation of beautiful music, the aesthetic element is found in
the arrangement and decoration of the church. Using the pre-existing
architectural and aesthetic set up of the Anglican Church of St Martin in the
Bull Ring, the organizers have arranged the church further to create a specific
atmosphere of welcome and beauty. The majority of the chairs have been
replaced with a large red carpet area and people are provided with a leather
cushion to sit on. This encourages a relaxed and informal atmosphere. The
orientation of the church interior towards the altar is emphasized with artfully
arranged candles, flowers, and images, including a large icon cross, which all
lead the eye to the altar area. This physical orientation is symbolic of
spiritually coming before God; and the beauty of the arrangements is
symbolic of the beauty of God and his creation.
There are a great many characteristics and elements that go together to make
Taizé the simple, yet influential community it is. There is not at present
sufficient space to cover these exhaustively, nor is it my intention. I will focus
on those ecumenical elements that I discern in the worship practice. These
elements are not necessarily innately ecumenical, nor indeed unique, but the
specific way they are used and combined makes them part of how ecumenism
is manifested at Taizé.
Ritual space
Taizé is not a church in itself and it does not belong to one denomination.
However, a big part of Taizé’s mission of reconciliation is to have positive
and productive relationships with a wide range of denominations. In the
context of the ‘Hidden Treasure’ weekend, this is manifested not only by the
denominations of the participants but also in the physical spaces where the
different aspects of the meeting took place. Anglican, Roman Catholic,
Methodist, and other church buildings were made available for the weekend,
which shows the flexibility of where Taizé feels comfortable and where they
are welcome.
33
The prayer takes place in an existing space, namely a large Anglican church.
It is on the foundation of the existing architecture, with its sacred atmosphere
and orientation towards the altar, that the Taizé atmosphere is created.
Perhaps with the exception of the icon cross, this atmosphere is created with
simple, easily accessible items: flowers, candles, fabric. This Taizé aesthetic,
and its emphasis on simply contrived beauty, is central. They serve to invoke
the beauty of the presence of God and as a link to the village itself. This
atmosphere of prayer, beauty, and shared community can be created in any
church of any denomination, or even in a secular space.
Everyone is welcome at Taizé. At the entrance, a large banner advertises the
weekend so that even those walking in the city centre are invited to
participate. At the entrance two men are welcoming people, including tourists.
They say that there is a special event happening but that everyone is welcome.
For Taizé’s mission of reconciliation, and for the search for Christian unity,
there can be no exclusions. There is an emphasis on being physically open, to
the outsider, to each other but also to the inner life, to ourselves and to God.
This is shown in the space by the movement of the chairs to create an open
space where people can sit together informally on the floor, in the general
orientation towards the altar, and the shared silence. In the Rule of Taizé,
Brother Roger describes ‘quiet’ as an ‘obligation out of love’60 to each other,
in order to avoid disturbing others.
Music is very important to any Taizé service and so the musicians have a key
role. Nevertheless, they are placed to the side, in the left-hand transept. They
are not clearly visible to most of the participants. They remain seated most of
the time, except to reach the microphone. They are important, but it is not a
concert; the focus is on the presence of God.
Ritual objects
The main ritual object is the icon cross. The centrality of the icon cross is
ecumenically interesting because it is not typical of Protestant worship. The
community is ecumenical but its first brothers were all Protestant. In the
tradition of Brother Roger, the community continues to make use of different
elements from different church traditions. The tradition of creating and
60
Brother Roger of Taizé, The Rule of Taizé (London: SPCK, 2012) at 26.
34
praying with icons goes back to the early church and has been a consistent
part of Christian worship in the Eastern Church throughout the centuries. In
modern times, people in the West are also beginning to find icons helpful in
their prayer life.61 The importance of the icons to the Taizé community is
evidenced by its inclusion as a topic for one of the twenty-five ‘Short texts’
which they offer as approaches ‘to the fundamental wellsprings of the faith.’62
This article emphasises that the purpose of icons is to aid prayer and enrich a
personal relationship with God.63 There is a similar icon cross in the Church
of Reconciliation in Taizé itself and it is specifically discussed in the booklet.
It explains that the icon chooses to emphasise Jesus’ divinity and his unfailing
love even during great suffering, rather than emphasising the graphic cruelty
of crucifixion.64 This is an interesting point; when I first saw the icon, I saw
suffering on the face of Jesus but the booklet made me reflect that, although it
shows pain, it does not depict the agony that he would have felt and it is not a
disturbing image. In general, icons emphasise and celebrate the incarnation;
the icon cross goes further by highlighting Christ’s role in bridging the
heavenly and earthly realms, placing him between the angel, above, and Mary
and John, below.65 This central image of the icon is consistent with Taizé
worship practice in general, remembering Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection
as a way in to relationship with God.
Ritual time
The structure of the prayer is very simple and not formalized. The absence of
a formal liturgy structure, for example in the form of a service book, is one
response to one of the main dilemmas concerning the creation of ecumenical
worship services, which Heller describes. This is the choice between using the
liturgical tradition of one denomination, with everyone participating; or
attempting to piece together liturgical elements from various traditions in the
hope that everyone can find something they recognize in the result.66 This
61
Brother Jean-Marc , ‘Icons’, Taizé [online article n. 16 from the Short Writings from
Taizé], (updated 23 February 2012) <http://www.taize.fr/IMG/pdf/cahiers16en_web.pdf>,
accessed 22 September 2017, at 2.
62
Ibid.
63
Ibid., 2–3.
64
Ibid., 14.
65
Ibid.
66
Heller, ‘Ecumenical Worship’, 231–232.
35
dilemma is most relevant to ecumenical worship services which take place as
part of a formal gathering between church representatives, such as the WCC
itself. The Taizé approach to ecumenism is founded on a permanent
community of reconciliation, rather than periodic authoritative meetings, but
it does offer a potential solution to the quandary. Taizé liturgy does not come
directly from one denomination but draws on the strengths of many67, and so
there is no sense one group being prioritized or in a position of exerting power
over others. On the other hand, although the liturgy does take elements from
different traditions, they are all pared down to such simplicity that they create
a coherent whole. There is no sense of checking off a liturgical shopping list;
no jolting from a Catholic section to Protestant section, and so on. It is
characteristic of Taizé to minimise the common tendency of Christians to
identify themselves primarily by their denomination. Brother Roger was
raised, and remained, a Protestant. He describes finding his own Christian
identity by ‘reconciling within [himself] the faith of [his] origins with the
mystery of the Catholic faith, without breaking fellowship with anyone.’68 In
this spirit, there is no expectation that one forsake one’s roots, but at the same
time, elements derived from specific traditions are not labelled as such during
services, but presented and accepted as natural forms of Christian worship.
Taizé is most clearly characterized by its use of music, language, and silence.
Most people’s first encounter with Taizé is with the distinctive musical chants
they have developed. These songs are used in many different denominational
settings; in fact, when I first encountered Taizé music I assumed that they
were a Catholic community because it was in a Catholic service and I was
unaccustomed to external ecumenical elements being incorporated in to
Catholic worship.
The lyrics are simple and very often scriptural; this means that there is very
little theological interpretation to disagree about – they are basic Christian
ideas, set to beautiful music. The repetition of the music creates a quiet,
contemplative atmosphere which leads into a silence which feels natural
67
Judith Marie Kubicki, Liturgical Music as Ritual Symbol: A Case Study of Jacques
Berthier's Taizé Music (Liturgica condenda, vol. 9; Leuven: Peeters, 1999) at 46.
68
36
rather than awkward. There is a strong emphasis in Taizé on being physically
present for each other and for God; the music facilitates this common worship
through its beauty and simplicity and so forms a very important ecumenical
element in the worship practice of Taizé.
Silence at Taizé serves a similar, equally important function. Sitting silently,
together and before God, bypasses the need for words, which have more
potential for causing disagreement or alienation. Furthermore, the periods of
silence allow for personal reflection and create more space for individual
encounter with God, in addition to joining together in corporate worship.
Taizé is an international community and, although the majority of the
secondary activities of the weekend were in English, each of the prayer
services involved multiple languages. Learning from and receiving from each
other was emphasized, particularly when native speakers where invited to
demonstrate correct pronunciation of songs in their native languages. Songs,
prayers, and readings in multiple languages served not only to make non-
native English speakers feel more welcome, but also to remind all participants
of the international character of the Church as a whole.
The spoken prayers are primarily intercessions, for example for persecuted
Christians, rather than set texts like the Our Father. This reflects the Taizé
emphasis on serving others and being outward facing rather than inward
facing.
Ritual identity
The primary identity for anyone involved in the ‘Hidden Treasure’ weekend
was that of ‘pilgrim’. Whether a brother, a volunteer, a visitor, Birmingham
native, or a tourist. The emphasis was on coming together before God. During
the service, the brothers were identifiable by their white habits and position at
the front. However, there was no overt sense of hierarchy, the brothers faced
the altar and sat low to the ground like everyone else. They were not
addressed during the service and when one of them spoke, it was only to pray.
Similarly, apart from a practical need for the singers to reach a microphone,
none of the people with an active assigned role stood up in order to fulfil their
function. The emphasis was placed on the presence and love of God, rather
than on any special role of an individual.
37
Ritual action
Action during this rite is primarily passive in nature but this does not mean
that they are not important actions or actions without meaning. A number of
these actions contribute to the ecumenical character of the service.
Participants primarily sit quietly on the floor, but they sit together in an
informal arrangement which emphasises equality before God. Similarly
everyone is orientated toward the altar and the icon cross, which symbolize
the presence and beauty of God; and everyone sings the songs together. These
acts underline the shared stance of coming before God in the hope of
receiving from him and from one another.
The most overtly symbolic act of the rite is that of praying at the icon cross by
placing one’s forehead on it in an act of submission. Praying with icons,
although rooted in the early church, is something the modern mind associates,
almost exclusively with Orthodox Christianity. Indeed, although I had
encountered icons before, I had never, as a Roman Catholic, prayed with
them. Their use in a service attended by Christians from a wide range of
denominations, and one founded on the life and work of Brother Roger, a
Protestant, is a statement of ecumenical intent.
The walk from one’s seat to the cross is an even more overt physical symbol
of approaching God than sitting facing the altar. This walk is shared by all as
they approach the cross and each person has to take the initiative for
themselves as there is no marshalling. This emphasizes that corporate worship
is important, but within the context of such worship, each believer has to take
responsibility for their own relationship with the divine; something that is true
regardless of denomination. The act of placing one’s forehead on the cross is
a personal act of surrender, bringing individual needs and individual hopes for
the world before God. At the same time, four or five other people are doing
the same thing, as you surround the cross together. In this way, the act of
praying at the icon cross holds in balance the corporate and individual aspects
of Christian worship.
38
2.2.2.2 Sunday 30th April
In terms of Grimes’ modes of ritual sensibility, the Holy Communion service
is also a liturgical celebration. It is liturgical because it has an ultimate frame
of reference and an emphasis on receiving from God. This liturgy is quite
formal and complex, as it includes many different elements in an established
order. The participants are carried some distance by the ritual, and the
elements they themselves have brought, but it is only through the presence of
the Holy Spirit that a true connection to the divine is made. The event which
this Eucharistic liturgy re-presents is the Last Supper.
It is a celebration because it includes many expressive and aesthetic elements
such as the music, the icon, and the decorations. There is creativity in the way
various Taizé ideas were incorporated into a pre-existing service and in
creating a welcoming atmosphere. The Holy Communion service was perhaps
more high energy than the prayer around the cross, because there was more
speech and more movement, but there was still an atmosphere of reverent
worship.
Ritual space
Although not named during the weekend, I later discovered that the icon used
in the service is known as the Icon of Friendship and is a key Taizé icon,
discussed in the Taizé booklet on Icons.69 In this Coptic icon, Jesus stands
side by side with St Menas. Jesus has his arm around the saint and they are
both facing forward. The saint, although clearly named, can be seen as
representing the believer; and Jesus’ embrace symbolizes the friendship he
offers. It is from this perspective that the icon held most meaning for Brother
Roger and it is still important to the community.70 Many aspects of Taizé
worship practice emphasise this sense that God desires to have relationship
with human believers, these include the Scripture passages chosen for the
songs and readings, and the aesthetic which emphasises the created beauty of
the world.
The image is further valued because it symbolizes, in the saint’s hand
outstretched in blessing and the way that the two figures are walking forward
together, what is described as ‘one of the essential movements of the Gospel’:
69
Brother Jean-Marc, ‘Icons’, 17.
70
Ibid.
39
in receiving the love of God, we are empowered to love and to bless others.71
Taizé has a strong emphasis on blessing and including others, although this is
most clearly seen in the non-liturgical aspects of Taizé, it is also present in the
service in the prayers of intercession and in the themes of the sermon.
The book that Jesus carries symbolizes that he is the Word of God and, the
booklet suggests, that the scroll which his friend carries is perhaps a
suggestion that, although the believer only grasps a small amount of ‘God’s
wisdom’, it is still enough that we can go forward with Christ who
understands it in its ‘fullness’.72 This is reflected in the simplicity of Taizé
worship practice, and its general reliance on Scripture, the revealed Word of
God. Furthermore, the brothers are quick to emphasise that they are not
‘experts’ in prayer, and that they, too, talk ‘to God like children’.73
The use of the icon, in conjunction with the fabrics and candles, contribute to
the creation of a Taizé aesthetic for the special service. The icons which are
found at Taizé are often found in churches and homes influenced by Taizé,
and in some sense, serve to ‘duplicate’ the village around the world;
something I realized when I recognized a copy of the ‘Icon of Friendship’ in
the Birmingham home which welcomed me so warmly.
Ritual objects
Throughout the service, objects were used to create a sense of welcome and
community. The luggage labels and the lighting of candles symbolized the
local community welcoming the pilgrims and joining their pilgrimage.
Similarly, placing the children’s art at the foot of the altar and spending time
focused on them, emphasized that they are an important part of the
community.
The Eucharist, despite representing the same event to all Christians, can very
often be a source of discord rather than unity as there is variety in both
Eucharistic theology and practice. The service was explicitly ecumenical and
it was primarily an Anglican Holy Communion service, so it was necessary
that the issue be acknowledged. Everyone was invited to receive communion
71
Brother Jean-Marc, ‘Icons’, 17–18.
72
Ibid., 18.
73
Jared Brock, A Year of Living Prayerfully: How a Curious Traveler Met the Pope,
Walked on Coals, Danced with Rabbis, and Revived his Prayer Life (Carol Stream Illinois:
Tyndale House Publishers Inc, 2015) at 183.
40
but it was acknowledged that people of other denominations might not feel
comfortable doing so.
Ritual time
The regular Sunday morning service of the parish was opened up to local
hosts and Taizé pilgrims. The schedule of the Taizé gathering left the whole
morning clear so that pilgrims could make the most of their time at these local
services. A service booklet had been produced which combined the
established structure of the parish’s Holy Communion liturgy with Taizé
elements. This is an example of an ecumenical worship service using a
liturgical tradition from a specific denomination, with people of other
denominations participating as well. This is a good solution to the dilemma of
ecumenical worship, as it is rooted in the reality of a particular denomination
instead of creating something new and having to make difficult decisions
about what to include and exclude. However, it is not a perfect solution, as
complete table fellowship has not yet been achieved; and a Eucharist which is
out of reach to some believers, cannot help but underline the lack of Christian
unity. Complete table fellowship is an important part of my personal
understanding of what the ecumenical movement is working towards, but we
have not arrived there yet and so, as a Roman Catholic, I did not feel it was
appropriate to take the Eucharist. Instead I received a blessing from the priest
and a piece of blessed bread.
Influenced by the Second Vatican Council, a key value of the Taizé
community is that of active participation in the liturgy.74 In a ‘normal’ Taizé
liturgy, this primarily happens through actions which seem, from the outside
at least, to be relatively passive: sitting, singing, and silence. In this hybrid
service, the active participation was more obvious and the use of language
was an important factor. Participants not only sang along with the choir and
listened to the reading; but were also involved in speaking the words of the
service in dialogue with those leading. Furthermore, the invitation for the
pilgrims to speak their name and country, gave the parish community the
opportunity to see them as individuals with stories, rather than an anonymous
74
Kubicki, Liturgical Music as Ritual Symbol, 6.
41
group of strangers. The use of multiple languages for the prayers and
readings, combined with explicit words of welcome and solidarity, created a
very welcoming and open atmosphere. This was in keeping with the Taizé
emphasis on being outward-facing and not insular.
For many, the strongest association with ‘Taizé’ is with a particular style of
music – the Taizé chant,75 so it is appropriate that two Taizé are songs are
included. It is interesting, however, that not all of the songs used were Taizé
songs. Although this decision may well have been practical, it also
corresponds with an important principle of Taizé spirituality, that of fidelity to
one’s own tradition. Taizé makes no pretensions to being a church of its own
or superseding existing traditions, instead emphasising reconciliation; the
blessings which can be drawn from many different denominations; and the
need to make people feel at home.76
Ritual identity
The Taizé community does not focus only on reconciliation among Christians
but amongst the whole human family.77 In this way, the service was
ecumenical in the wide range of groups which were addressed in the prayers
and speech. Several concrete situations around the world were lifted up in
prayer. These situations were political, social, economic, and spiritual.
As stated above, there were many different identities and roles at play during
the service. Many of these roles were important or celebrated at different
point of the service, but the primary role which everyone took on was that of
pilgrim. The pilgrimage journey was shared by parishioners, local hosts, and
those who had travelled to participate in the full Taizé programme.
Ritual action
The act of organising and gathering for the service was an ecumenical ritual
action, in itself. During the service, the priest took time to thank his Roman
Catholic neighbour for organizing the local host neighbourhood. The service,
hosted by an Anglican parish and attended by locals from multiple
congregations of different denominations, was echoed by similar services held
75
Bryan Wells, Brother Roger and Taizé: A New Springtime (CTS Biographies; London:
Catholic Truth Society, 2012) at 3.
76
Jason Brian Santos, A Community Called Taizé: A Story of Prayer, Worship and
Reconciliation (Downers Grove Ill.: IVP Books, 2008) at 74.
77
Wells, Brother Roger and Taizé, 4.
42
throughout the city and was indicative of both the Taizé community engaging
with local Christians, and local Christians engaging with the Taizé
community.
Within the service itself, a number of actions had ecumenical elements. The
act of pilgrims introducing themselves and of placing their luggage labels on
the altar emphasized the international nature of the Christian community; and
the pilgrims lighting of the congregations candles emphasized that all
Christians share the same goal of witnessing to God’s love and light.
Although the Eucharist was Anglican and therefore not necessarily
appropriate for all denominations, it was offered with an open invitation.
Furthermore, there was an acknowledgement of the imperfect union which
prevents complete table fellowship, which is an important part of ecumenical
efforts because a problem cannot be solved until it is identified. The provision
of additional blessed bread and blessings served to include all, in as complete
a way as possible in the current state of divided Christianity.
2.3 Informal interviews
During the Hidden Treasure Taizé meeting, I conducted informal interviews
with participants and with hosts. Because the programme for the weekend was
full, there was neither time nor space for longer, more formal interviews. As a
result, excerpts from these interviews will be included, not because they are
representative of the whole of Taizé, but as individual opinions which are
interesting and worth exploring.
After establishing that interviewees understood the nature of my research
project and were happy to be interviewed and recorded, I recorded the
subsequent conversation on my mobile phone. Where possible, the interviews
took place in a quiet corner, but sometimes there was no quieter space
available. After the event I transcribed the recordings in order to select
relevant quotations. Altogether, I interviewed five participants, who had
travelled to Birmingham, and four hosts who were locals. The interviews
varied significantly in length from 3 minutes to 30 minutes. All the
interviewees were female apart from the vicar I spoke to. In order to increase
anonymity, interviewees are referred to by the number of the recording made
of their interview, with a ‘P’ or ‘H’ to indicate whether they were a
43
participant or host. Grammatical errors and colloquialisms have been retained
in interviewee quotes in order to reflect what was said.
The circumstances of the fieldwork meant that I could not have the same
amount of time with each interviewee and so had no guarantee of being able
to ask everyone the same questions. Therefore I opted for an unstructured
interview format, which focuses more on encouraging interviewees to ‘open
up and express themselves.’78 It is not appropriate to compare the interviews
in terms of trends or statistics; however, I will draw out interesting themes
which occurred in multiple interviews, focusing on those most relevant to the
research question. Many of the opinions expressed in the interviews span
several relevant themes because the constituent parts of Taizé do not exist in
isolation from one another, but are interwoven. Therefore, a point about the
simplicity of Taizé worship quickly becomes a point about the way in which
it is interdenominational or international. When categorizing the relevant
quotes from the interviews, many quotes fell in to multiple categories. In
order to cover more material, I will generally refrain from repeating quotes in
different sections, but it should be understood that they are intricately related.
2.3.1 Themes from participant interviews
Due to the length of some of the participants' responses referred to in this
section, the full quotations can be found in Appendix 3.1.
Interdenominational
The first theme which arose from the interviews is that of being
interdenominational. Going beyond the obvious idea that ecumenism involves
multiple Christian denominations, several participants mentioned the way in
which Taizé is ecumenical, namely that no one denomination is prioritized
over others.
P1: ‘…It feels quite simple, and knowing that the brothers are from different
denominations, and therefore, there’s no kind of hierarchy [….].’79
Participant 5 sees the root of the interdenominational nature of Taizé in
Brother Roger’s ability to encourage people to see the ‘gift in every faith
78
D. Cohen and B. Crabtree, ‘Unstructured Interviews’, Qualitative Research Guidelines
Project [website] <http://www.qualres.org/HomeUnst-3630.html>, accessed 08 December
2017.
79
See Appendix 3.1.
44
group, every Christian denomination. So rather than seeing what isn’t there,
we look rather for the treasure that is there.’ She gives three examples of
‘mainline’ Churches being strong influences of Taizé spirituality. From the
Orthodox Church, Taizé derives its emphasis on the Holy Spirit; from the
Roman Catholic Church, the emphasis on the real presence of Christ in the
Eucharist; and from the Protestant Church, the emphasis on the Word of God
in the Scriptures. She describes these three elements as ‘very concrete aspects
which come in to every prayer service, every liturgy that happens at Taizé and
in the Taizé meetings.’
Participant 6a makes the point that at Taizé ‘there’s no dominant spirituality,
like in most other ecumenical contexts there’s still a sort of basis of one
denomination that’s open to others […] where in Taizé it really is open,
there’s no sense of particular foundation in one.’ This is particularly
interesting when considered with what she says next: ‘I mean it’s slightly
different, in Taizé itself, they have the Catholic Mass, and so the Eucharist is
kind of consecrated by Catholic priests […].’80
International
The second major theme that arose from the interviews is the way in which
Taizé is international. For example, P7 said that she appreciated ‘meeting all
of the different people! From around the world, and from all around the UK.’
P6b described how the feeling of inclusivity at a Taizé event was not limited
to ‘origins of worship’ but also includes peoples’ ‘culture and countries’ as
well.
Another element of Taizé’s internationality that came up in interviews was
the way in which the community is not limited to the village in France but has
developed a capacity for bringing the character and ethos of Taizé on the
road.
P1: ‘I’ve never been to something like this before, like Taizé outside of Taizé,
I suppose. It’s more similar than I thought it might be, but obviously it’s also
in a drastically different context […].’81
80
See Appendix 3.1.
81
Ibid.
45
Uncertainty
Perhaps the most surprising of the recurrent themes was that of uncertainty.
Several people spoke of encountering God in a meaningful way despite
coming to Taizé at times of uncertainty in their lives when they had
unanswered questions about where they belonged and what they did or did not
believe.
P1: ‘I was going at a time when, I wasn’t really sure, like I knew that I
believed in God, but I was still kind of working out quite how, like what faith
was about, and what I thought [….].’82
Participant 6a described Taizé worship as an accessible entry point to
Christianity:
‘It provides a very accessible way of worship for people, I think it’s very
unintimidating […].’83
Aesthetic
The Taizé aesthetic includes its music, use of icons, style of arranging
worship spaces, and general atmosphere.
Participant 5 particularly focused on aesthetic features, and said several
interesting things about how they are incorporated into Taizé worship. P5:
There’s the slightly more peripheral things, but which I think are significant, the use
of icons around the church at Taizé, and icons come out of the early church tradition,
and the Orthodox particularly, so the use of icons and candles, which again is deeply
in the tradition, so the lighting of candles at the evening prayer on the Saturday night
which is reminiscent of the Easter Vigil […] when we celebrate the resurrection.
P5: ‘…the Taizé cross, was given to the brothers at a time when Communism
was very strong in Russia [….].’84
Simplicity
For Participant 6b, Taizé’s simplicity and authenticity are important aspects
of the approachable path to encounter with God that the community offers:
it’s a very accessible way of encountering Jesus, whether you know it or not, that it
is him that you encounter, from just the simple words of the songs, to the people
who hosted us this weekend and the host parish, and just that whole sense of sharing
in the life of each other, and getting to know people, as they are, without any masks.
82
See Appendix 3.1.
83
Ibid.
84
Ibid.
46
2.3.2 Analysis of themes from participant interviews
Interdenominational
Because Taizé identifies itself as an ecumenical community, it may seem like
stating the obvious to say that being interdenominational is a key ecumenical
element in its worship practice; however, the interviews show the
interdenominational character of Taizé is key, not only in how the community
defines itself but also to how it is understood by others. Furthermore, it is
important to note that the particular approach to being interdenominational is
important; Taizé spirituality draws from many traditions and, in general, no
one denomination is prioritised over the others. Although the Taizé
community does not limit itself to interacting with Christians, when focusing
on that aspect, it is important to note that the community’s early commitment
to reconciliation is reflected by the wide range of denominational
backgrounds the brothers come from. Building on this foundation, the
community welcomes Christians from all denominations and combines
elements from different strands of Christian tradition into a spirituality that is
radical in its simplicity.
One area where the Taizé way of being interdenominational becomes
somewhat unclear is that of the Eucharist. From the interviews I understand
that the Communion is consecrated by a Catholic priest, in order to include
the Catholics, but is available to all who wish to receive. However the
Birmingham gathering did not include a Taizé communion service so I was
not able to observe this element of Taizé worship practice. This is one
question that would particularly benefit from field research in Taizé itself as
there is very little literature about it and is not addressed on the Taizé website.
International
The internationality of Taizé worship derives, first from the international
character of the brothers themselves and their desire to reconcile with, and
have positive relationships with people from all over the world. From this
basis, an international community has grown, through thousands of people
visiting Taizé and encountering the brothers at gatherings around the world.
The use of different languages in songs and prayers welcomes people of
47
different cultures and reminds worshippers of the diversity of the Church and
the world. Taking something of the Taizé community and experience to other
cities around the world, such as Birmingham, shows how active the brothers
are in wanting to engage with and support young people around the world.
Likewise, the fact that young people are eager to meet with the brothers
outside the village as well, despite the fact that the experience of Taizé is
necessarily somewhat different, shows that the community is meeting a need
in young people’s lives. In this way, Taizé, instead of being insular and
defining itself purely by the language and location of its origins; has come to
be defined by an outward facing attitude of international welcome.
Uncertainty
The theme of uncertainty came up in two ways during the interviews. For
some people, they were thinking about their own uncertainty about their faith
and identity; for others it was the uncertainty of friends who were exploring
what they believe. In either case, they spoke of Taizé as a place where one
could encounter God in an accessible and non-prescriptive way. The Taizé
community was not begun by accident, but was started deliberately and
thoughtfully by Brother Roger. Although they did not set out to become a
movement of the scale and influence they are today, they did want to be an
influence – an influence for reconciliation. As such, a great deal of thought
has been put into the community and into the many texts written by Brother
Roger, his successor Brother Alois, and many other brothers. Therefore, it
would not be fair to say that Taizé has no theology but, because of its
fundamental emphases on reconciliation and welcome, it sees little need to
narrowly define what is or is not Christianity.
Aesthetic
The aesthetic character of Taizé is complex and includes several strands, such
as music, icons, atmosphere, and beautiful arrangement of spaces. However,
the emphasis is not purely on beauty for beauty’s sake, there is meaning
behind each creative decision. For example, the lighting of candles on
Saturday nights is not just a visually beautiful spectacle but a celebration of
the resurrection. This is another example of a liturgy ‘re-presenting’ an event
in a visual and physical way that makes the event more immediate to the
48
ritualists. Similarly, the use of icons expresses two important priorities.
Firstly, solidarity with Christians who were not free to practice their faith in
Communist countries: the community received the icon of the cross as a gift
from Russian Christians, but not in a passive way, they were active in
incorporating it into their worship, not only in the village itself but around the
world as well. Secondly, the use of any icons at all in ecumenical worship
emphasises that the community respects and utilises different threads of
Christian spirituality, in this case, a thread primarily associated with the
Orthodox Church. Participant 5 mentions that some young people wonder if
praying with icons is idolatrous. It is interesting how this is addressed; there is
no verbal explanation about the theology during the service, although one can
find information on the Taizé understanding of icons in their literature.
Instead, an open invitation is given, and young people see the brothers and
some of their peers praying with the cross with ‘sincerity’, in this way, their
minds are gently opened to the possibility of encountering God in a new way.
These aesthetic elements combine with the silence and times of reflection to
create a prayerful atmosphere.
Simplicity
Taizé worship does not follow the liturgical structure of any one
denomination which avoids the perception of any one denomination being on
home territory and therefore in a position of exclusive power. The liturgical
structure that Taizé has developed for itself is simple and leaves a great deal
of space for silence and reflection. There is a strong emphasis on coming
together before God, without the need for great activity.
Drawing from an interview with a brother, Judith Marie Kubicki describes
Taizé liturgy as using ‘simple songs, few words, and the silence’, to create an
atmosphere that encourages people to find prayer within themselves.85
Furthermore, the silence is, for the brothers, characterized by a ‘lack of
expectation’ and the hope that pilgrims will encounter God in their own
way.86 It is in this way that Taizé worship practice is uncomplicated but not
without depth.
85
86
Santos, A Community Called Taizé, 118.
49
2.3.3 Themes from host interviews
Due to the length of some of the hosts' responses referred to in this section,
the full quotations can be found in Appendix 3.2.
Interdenominational
Several of the hosts also picked up upon the way in which Taizé is
interdenominational, particularly in the form of its worship.
H3: ‘It’s very impressive and the, the simpleness of the worship was also
correct because it meant that people from all different strands, of Christianity
and from all different countries could meet together, and worship in a genuine
way.’
Host 10 made a similar point when he talked about why the ‘music works
ecumenically.’ He described the simplicity of Taizé music which takes its
lyrics not from ‘interpreted scripture’ but primarily from scripture itself, as
‘freeing an ecumenical gathering because you can all join in.’ Although he
acknowledges that this level of simplicity could be considered ‘bland’, he
argues that as the repetition of the music makes you ‘stay with’ the verse in
question, it becomes a ‘provocative’ and ‘powerful way of worshipping.’
International
Regarding the international dimension of Taizé, several hosts mentioned the
politically subversive nature of the Taizé tendency to transcend national
borders and refusal to be limited to one country. As previously stated, the
Birmingham event did not exist in a bubble but occurred in the context of
wider Taizé community. An example of this is that many of the hosts had
themselves been to Taizé in the past and this was reflected in their interviews.
Being older than the majority of the participants, several hosts were strongly
influenced by Taizé’s relationship with Christians behind the Berlin Wall and
in Communist countries more generally.
H3: ‘[Around the time of] the fall of the Berlin Wall […] there were lots of
people from Poland there, lots of people from Eastern Europe were there, and
that was kind of like the beginning of a new hopeful thing, that they would
eventually be connected.’
Similarly, several hosts talked about how ‘helpful’ and ‘encouraging’ it was
to have a group of European young people come to Birmingham in the
50
context of United Kingdom voting to leave the European Union almost a year
before the ‘Hidden Treasure’ gathering. Each of the hosts expressed their
sorrow and disappointment at the result of the referendum.
H10: ‘… just to have a bunch of young European people among us, was a no-
brainer […] you’re all doing us a favour by coming, to help us feel something
different about Europe than the grand narrative that’s being presented.’
Uncertainty
Several of the hosts spoke about having encountered Taizé in their youth,
during times of uncertainty and loss, and credited the experience with shaping
their Christian journeys as adults.
H2: ‘When I went to Taizé I also didn’t feel very connected to the church […]
but I felt really connected at Taizé and I think there is something very, there’s
like a great silence at Taizé, although it’s quite busy [….].’87
H8: ‘So it probably was one of the things that made me feel that I would carry
on going to church because it became a bit more, you know, applicable to me,
it made sense, as a teenager [….].’88
Aesthetic
The aesthetic elements of Taizé were also a strong theme in the hosts’
interviews.
H3: ‘…What we’re talking about is something that doesn’t really involve a lot
of words, and what I’ve been describing here, is the kind of vision aspect,
[…].’89
H2: ‘I remember when I was in Taizé, the first time […] I remember there
was an icon outside with, candles, and it was so beautiful, like in a shelter,
[…].’90
Host 2 was kind enough to be my host for the weekend, and during the
interview she brought up the icon which was placed in the room in which I
was staying:
It was my introductions to icons, Taizé. The first icon I got was the one, it’s in your
room [….] And, I remember taking it with me if I went away, because it’s small, it
was so important to me to take it with me if I went away and I think that’s another
87
See Appendix 3.2.
88
Ibid.
89
Ibid.
90
Ibid.
51
aspect, isn’t it of contemplative prayer, the use of icons, and Taizé introduced me to
that aspect of prayer, you know, using icons.
During the Sunday morning service in the host parish which was opened up to
local hosts and pilgrims, there was an icon arranged before the altar. When I
brought this up in the interview Host 10, the vicar of the parish, said that
icons did not often feature in parish life but ‘… the icon in the particular
service, was really a badge, wasn’t it? I confess, I didn’t study it, that just
shows that I didn’t give it the attention it deserved, but it was still helpful as a
visual connection with Taizé the place.’
Simplicity
Simplicity feeds in to many different aspects of Taizé. Host 10 spoke about
the simplicity of the Taizé services and particularly the style of music:
‘I think the Taizé music often is much more like watching a candle flame than
telling a story or singing theology [….] So that can bring a devotional note, or
moment, or whatever, into any church….’
Similarly, Host 8 summed up Taizé liturgy as being very simple:
H8: ‘And it’s weird, isn’t it, how Taizé all it is you’re chanting some chants in
different languages, just doing some readings, doing some prayers, having
some silence, and it’s quite simple really… it’s nothing complicated, but it’s
[…] radical.’
2.3.4 Analysis of interviews with hosts

Interdenominational
With the hosts, the interdenominational aspect of Taizé was often spoken
about as being facilitated by the simplicity of the worship, and particularly the
music. This simplicity was not seen as debasing the quality of the worship by
stripping away too much, but as enriching worship by empowering Christians
of different denominations to come before God together. By taking the
majority of its lyrics from short scripture passages, rather than deriving them
from theological interpretation that is more likely to provide a point of
divergence, Taizé’s repetitious music allows Christians of different strands to
meditate on the Word of God in a way that is corporate as well as personal.
52
International
In their interviews, the hosts approached the internationality of Taizé from a
more explicitly political angle. This took two forms, focusing on Taizé’s
interactions with Christians in Communist countries, and on the ‘pan-
European’ character of Taizé, which continues despite the United Kingdom
voting to leave the European Union. In many ways, Taizé is politically
subversive but it is a subversion that is rooted in reconciliation and radical
welcome in the face of social, political, or religious barriers.
Uncertainty
As stated before, the hosts were older than the majority of the participants,
and so were able to look back on the influence Taizé had on their own times
of uncertainty and youthful questioning, and their subsequent faith journeys.
Often they spoke about forming a connection to God at Taizé during a time of
uncertainty because they encountered God in a new, simpler way that was
experiential rather than intellectual. In time they connected with specific
denominations with more explicit theology and this happened through their
connection to Taizé, not despite of it. Taizé is not a Church itself, and has
never tried to be, instead it seeks to accompany people on their journey and a
big part of this is allowing space for questions and uncertainty.
Aesthetic
During the interviews, it was clear that the Taizé aesthetic is vital to the
effectiveness of Taizé’s ministry; two points about icons are particularly
worth highlighting. The first is Host 2’s experience of encountering icons at
Taizé and then going on to integrate them into her own prayer life. In a way
not dissimilar to the community receiving the icon of the cross, she
encountered something she found to be of worth from another tradition than
her own, and actively sought to be enriched by it. Obviously this is only one
example, but it illustrates the way the community encourages people to value
the gifts of other churches, without repudiating your own tradition. The
second is Host 10’s comment that the icon was like a ‘badge’ connecting the
parish service with the village in Taizé. This is an example of a ritual element
serving to ‘duplicate’ a ritual space and can be seen in Taizé services, such as
53
the one described, but also in the homes of those influenced by the
community.
Simplicity
Simplicity was a key theme in the host interviews and it interconnects with
many of the other themes, for example, so much of Taizé aesthetic is founded
on simplicity. It is important to note that in this context ‘simplicity’ does not
have a negative connotation; it is not the lack of something but the proactive
creation of a meditative atmosphere. As writer Jason Santos says, the chants
are easy to sing, not ‘cluttered with complex concepts, wordy phrasing, and
awkward and complicated melodies.’91 For Santos, it is this simplicity that
allows Taizé worship to transcend ‘generations, nationalities and Christian
traditions.’92
Host 10’s comment that Taizé music is like ‘watching a candle flame’
illustrates well the way in which beauty and simplicity work together in Taizé
music, and worship more generally, to create a reverent atmosphere in which
one can encounter God.
Host 8 sums it up well when she says ‘…It’s nothing complicated, but it’s
radical.’ Simplicity is a thread which runs through all aspects of Taizé and
especially its worship. In a world that increasingly values excess, Taizé
commitment to simplicity is countercultural. It is a kind of simplicity that is
not characterised by the lack of something, but by profound encounter, and
so, reconciliation.
2.4 Beginning to form a theory
2.4.1 What ecumenical elements can be discerned at
‘Hidden Treasure’?
Taizé is not a denomination one converts to at the expense of one’s roots, but
a community one engages with to become closer to God and to one another.
This is shown by the different cultures, nationalities, and denominations
people come to Taizé from and from which Taizé derives many of its
elements. Icons from the Orthodox tradition and the emphasis on the
vernacular from the Protestant traditions are examples of elements taken from
91
92
Ibid., 104.
54
specific traditions which are important to Taizé, but by no means exclusive to
it.
Many more ecumenical elements could be highlighted but, focusing on the
data arising from the ‘Hidden Treasure’ gathering, the following five
elements are the most important.
Interdenominational
The interdenominational element of Taizé is fundamental and manifests in
three important ways. Firstly, the brothers come from a variety of different
denominations; and welcome visitors regardless of denomination. Secondly,
elements of Taizé worship practice are derived from various Christian
traditions, in a way which refrains from preferring any one denomination over
the others. Thirdly, the community, whilst not a church in itself, is proactive
in having positive, practical relationships with different church communities,
as evidenced by the wide range of endorsements the Birmingham event
received from UK church leaders.93
Internationality
The international element of Taizé also has three parts. Firstly, the brothers,
and the thousands of people who travel to visit them, come from all around
the world. Secondly, the wide range of languages used in Taizé worship
services in the music, prayers, and readings is inclusive of many different
language groups. Thirdly, the members of the community travel widely to
encounter young people around the world and to encourage them to serve
those in need.
Uncertainty
Taizé spirituality is not prescriptive but relies heavily on silence and on
elements derived from Bible texts. This minimises the scope for theological
disagreement by focusing on meditative rather than declarative worship. In
this way, instead of shying away from uncertainty, especially in the young,
Taizé creates a ritual field which is accessible from a wide range of beliefs
93
content/uploads/Taize-BirminghamPressReleaseSpring2016-002.pdf>, accessed 14 August
2017 at 2.
55
and experiences. For many people, encountering God at Taizé is an important
step in the process of forming their Christian identity.
Aesthetic
The aesthetic elements of Taizé are important to the community’s approach to
ecumenism in several ways. Firstly, the Taizé chants are used in a wide range
of denominational settings around the world, and also in ecumenical
gatherings as well. Scripture passages set to simple but beautiful music help
to create a meditative atmosphere that is widely accessible. Secondly, the
Taizé aesthetic for arranging spaces uses simple items like candles, fabric,
and flowers to create a recognizable atmosphere which serves as a link to the
worship in the Church of the Reconciliation at Taizé. Finally, the integration
of icons into worship both welcomes Orthodox Christians who are used to
praying with icons and broadens the horizons of those from other
denominations.
Simplicity
The simplicity which characterises so many elements of the Taizé community
contributes to ecumenical worship because it takes fundamentals of Christian
worship, like scripture, singing, intercession, and silence, and presents them
in pared down way which is accessible to many different denominations.
2.4.2 Where do the different types of data verify each

other?
In general the data produced from the liturgy observations and the insights
from the informal interviews are in accordance with each other and there is a
great deal of correspondence with the important elements derived from
Ronald Grimes’ map of ritual. For example, in the category of ritual sound
and language, it was clear that the use of different languages in the liturgy in
order to welcome many different people was very important. This
corresponds with the theme of internationality in the interviews, where
participants emphasized how important it was that it included many different
cultures and travelled around the word to encounter as many people as
possible.
56
Another example is how the ritual space category emphasised the importance
of the aesthetic elements and the use of beauty to make the liturgy widely
accessible. The interviews also focused on the way in which being affected by
beauty in the music, icons, and arrangement of spaces created a connection
between worshippers of different denominations as they come together before
God.
Although space has not allowed for a full analysis of the online survey
responses that I received from the ‘Hidden Treasure’ participants, it is
interesting to note which of the established themes were also reflected by
them. The two themes which were most strongly emphasized were the
interdenominational and international characteristics of Taizé. It was repeated
that there is no sense of hierarchy between the different denominations at
Taizé and that everyone is respected and welcomed. Many of the respondents
spoke warmly about the wide range of nationalities they have encountered
through Taizé and how spiritually enriching those encounters were.
2.4.3 Where do the different types of data falsify each
other?
There is one area where the two types of data diverge a little, and which might
particularly benefit from future research. In many ways Taizé liturgy succeeds
very well in being ecumenical, and one of the key characteristics that make
this possible is by being interdenominational in a way which does not
prioritize any one denomination over the others. This is shown in the
denominational roots of the brothers; the inclusion of liturgical elements from
different traditions; and the community’s relationship with different
institutional churches. These elements were present in the observations and
the interviews. However, several of the interviewees mentioned that the
Eucharist in the village itself is consecrated by Catholic priests but distributed
to all who wish to receive. For the interviewees, they spoke of it as an
inclusive, even ‘miraculous’ thing, but it could be argued that it constitutes
privileging Roman Catholicism over other denominations. There was no
Taizé Eucharist service during the weekend so I did not have the chance to
observe this for myself. Therefore, this is a question which would benefit
from more time spent with the community in order to explore it further.
57
The online survey responses also highlighted some additional themes which
would be worth exploring further. The community’s focus on reconciliation
means that cultivating relationships is a high priority for them, and this was
reflected in the survey. In addition to the more obvious relationships like
those with institutional churches and with young people; the respondents also
spoke about the importance of the community’s relationship with non-
Christians, and with adults outside Taizé main age range, including those with
children.
3. Literature review
The aim of this study is not to be an exhaustive portrait of Taizé, nor does it
seek to determine the degree of contingence between what is said by the Taizé
community and what is done. Nevertheless, it is useful to situate the findings
of this research in the context of wider Taizé research.
3.1 Taizé
A key modern source for understanding Taizé is A Community Called Taizé:
A Story of Prayer, Worship and Reconciliation by Jason Brian Santos, in
which he explores, for a North American audience, the history and life of the
community, with a particular focus on their mission for reconciliation; and
why the community’s prayer has spread around the world.94
The book is of importance because it is written by a visitor to Taizé, rather
than by a brother, but it is endorsed by the community. This means that it sits
somewhere in between being a primary source, produced by the community,
and a secondary source, produced by an outsider trying to understand the
community. The book begins with a note from the community which is
interesting as a concise statement on how the community perceives itself:
His hope – and ours as well – is that it may allow North Americans to see that,
beyond the repetitive chanting and a particular style of meditative prayer, Taizé is an
ecumenical monastic community that wishes, through worship and community life,
to help young adults discover Jesus Christ as a source of reconciliation for divided
95
Christians and as a promise of peace in the human family.
94
95
Ibid., 8.
58
This shows that ecumenical worship is not just part of Taizé’s history and
foundation, but is an active part in how they seek to further reconciliation in
the world today.
Santos highlights Brother Roger’s emphasis on the provisional nature of Taizé
worship practice.96 The simple repetitive chants for which Taizé is best
known emerged only in the 1970s as a way of including in their pre-existing
monastic prayers, the large numbers of young people, who were already
flocking to the village from different countries; not as an attempt to attract an
otherwise disinterested group.97 Originally the brothers prayed in French, but
as more and more non-French speakers visited, Brother Roger did not wish
anyone to be reduced to spectating rather than participating. Accordingly, a
change was sought, but one which did not repudiate the monastic tradition of
the community. They commissioned several Latin canons to sing together.98
The choice of Latin meant that everyone was in the same position of singing
in their non-native language, but their length meant they were easy to
translate.
Not only was the text of the chants a response to a change in circumstances,
so too was their repetitious nature. In the habit of remaining with pilgrims in
the Church of the Reconciliation after evening prayer, Brother Roger wanted
to sing songs with them that they could all pray together but, having only a
few Latin canons, he had limited options. In order to fill the time, he led the
community in singing the phrases again and again, sometimes for twenty
minutes. As the community acquired more songs, the necessity for such
lengthy repetition disappeared but by then it had enabled the community to
discover the felicitous combination of ‘sung prayers with simple unifying
words, in a universal language repeated again and again’ – a form of prayer at
once modern, yet rooted in the monastic tradition.99 The modern Taizé liturgy,
although most obviously characterised by the chants, has for its structure a
simplified version of the French monastic prayer the brothers had used for
years; another example of what Santos describes as the community’s
96
97
Ibid.
98
Ibid., 107.
99
Ibid., 108–109.
59
‘relentless commitment to live life provisionally.’100 The provisional nature
was also important for the Birmingham gathering by allowing the liturgies to
be tailored to the language groups present; and for local churches to adapt
Taizé elements into their services for hosts and pilgrims.
Brother Roger often made changes by asking himself a question. In the case
of developing the Taizé liturgy, he asked himself ‘What will help the
community pray together?’101 Similarly, for the community to operate
provisionally but not aimlessly, an overarching focus is needed. This focus is
their desire to be a ‘parable of community’, providing an example of lived
reconciliation and always seeking to serve and include others.
Liturgical music as ritual symbol: A case study of Jacques Berthier’s Taizé
music102 by Judith Marie Kubicki is important as research which also applies
ritual theory to Taizé, as well as using other theories. The study’s hypothesis
is ‘that the nature of music as ritual symbol enables music to be both
ministerial and integral to the liturgy.’103 Using as an example those songs
from the Taizé canon written by Berthier, she argues that it is the symbolic
nature of music, and music-making, that allows it to interact with the other
aspects of the liturgy, ‘the assembly, the text, and the ritual action’, in a way
that produces a coherent whole.104
Drawing on the work of Kramer, Kubicki emphasises the value of exploring
the ‘literary, visual, musical, and historical allusions’ in Taizé music in order
to better understand how it works.
The biography of Berthier, the history of Taizé, the way of life of the
brothers, their liturgical prayer, and their ministry to the pilgrims who come to
pray with them are all reflected in the composition and use of the chants.
Therefore, this information will also be examined as a type of hermeneutical
window for interpreting the chants and identifying those characteristics which
have enabled this music to be both ministerial and integral to the prayer life of
the Taizé community.105
100
101
Ibid.
102
103
Ibid., 6.
104
Ibid., 39–40.
105
Ibid., 43.
60
In a similar way I have discovered, throughout the research process, many of
the ecumenical elements of Taizé worship practice, such as the emphasis on
singing together in worship, can be rooted in the biography of Brother Roger
and the community’s focus on reconciliation. Many of the choices which went
in to the formation of the community and their interaction with the wider
world are rooted in the spirit of simplicity and reconciliation which the
community derives from Brother Roger.
An example of this can be seen in the decision for Berthier to compose for
Taizé a series of canons based on short Latin texts for the first multi-language
youth gatherings. Rejecting the alternatives of either singing in French or
using familiar songs from each language group; the brothers decided that
using Latin would avoid putting any ‘one group at an advantage’.106 The
simplicity of the texts means that if different language groups wish to know
what it means, only a small amount of translation is needed.
Kubicki also emphasises the provisional nature of Taizé worship practice,
quoting as the one constant the community’s desire to ‘celebrate a form of
common prayer which would be at the same time firmly rooted in the great
tradition of the Church's worship, but so adapted to our present-day
mentalities that it would truly nourish and stimulate a daily commitment of
love and service in the world today.'107
I think that it is important to link this emphasis on the provisional with the
theme of uncertainty highlighted in the interviews. The space which the
community leaves for things to change and the space they leave for people’s
individual questions and journeys combine to create an accessible and non-
prescriptive environment which is flexible and adaptive.
3.2 Ecumenical worship
Dagmar Heller’s reflections on the basic considerations of ecumenical
worship108 are relevant to the research question, although they focus primarily
on ecumenical worship at meetings of representatives rather than a sustained
community like Taizé. Defining ecumenical worship as ‘all worship in which
Christians from different traditions join together in celebrating, praying and
106
107
Ibid., 45.
108
Heller, ‘Ecumenical Worship‘, 231–246.
61
praising God’; she says that such worship has existed on many different levels
as part of the ecumenical movement and either the liturgy of one church is
used and others participate, or something new is pieced together in the hope
of being accessible to all.109 To begin with, I thought Taizé liturgy was
obviously an example of the latter type, because I could see many elements
which could be traced back to specific traditions. However, Taizé actually lies
somewhere between the two. In the 1950’s the community was praying in a
more traditionally monastic way, drawing particularly from the Reformed
tradition’s Genevan or Huguenot Psalter.110 It is from this foundation that the
modern Taizé prayers were derived and the basic structure remains. It is still
true that, over time, the community deliberately simplified their liturgy and
included elements from a wide range of traditions in order to make it as
accessible as possible, but it has clearer roots in Brother Roger’s Reformed
background than I first thought.
Heller discusses many challenges which ecumenical worship can face, but
one in particular is interesting to consider in relation to Taizé worship
practice. Although many of the Orthodox Churches are, unlike the Roman
Catholic Church, full members of the World Council of Churches, it is an
ongoing issue that Orthodox Christians often find even jointly planned
ecumenical worship at the WCC lacking. This is because they feel the
services not only include more Protestant elements, but also fail to include the
mystical and sacramental nature of worship as they understand it. Similarly,
Protestants have expressed concern that the focus of such services is no longer
on praising God.111 For Heller these criticisms are rooted in three issues.
Firstly, the human need for familiarity in order to focus on worship; secondly,
the difficulty in producing a cohesive service which is a composite of
different traditions; and, thirdly, differing denominational understandings of
the nature and purpose of worship.112
It is interesting to consider Taizé worship practice in light of these issues. A
Taizé liturgy generally includes very few announcements to guide a
newcomer through a service. At first, this can be disorientating, but it is
109
Heller, ‘Ecumenical Worship‘, 231–232.
110
111
Heller, ‘Ecumenical Worship’, 238.
112
Ibid., 238–239.
62
remarkable how quickly one falls in to the established rhythm of the services.
Because Taizé prayer generally happens repeatedly, whether in the village or
a gathering such as Birmingham, familiarity develops quickly, and once
established, becomes transferable to other Taizé contexts.
As stated above, Taizé liturgy began as Reformed French monastic prayer
which, through simplification and inclusion of spiritual elements from various
traditions, developed into an accessible, ecumenical prayer style. Perhaps
because Taizé worship practice has been allowed to develop organically, in a
permanent community over a period of decades, rather than being artificially
pieced together for a brief ecumenical event, the result is a cohesive liturgy.
In any ecumenical context, the issue of the Eucharist has the potential to be
problematic. Especially for the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, it is
at the core of how they understand worship. For example, the last words
spoken to Brother Roger by Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople were
‘“The cup and the breaking of the bread, there is no other way;
remember.”’113 According to Santos, the problem is solved in the village itself
by having the elements consecrated at separate Roman Catholic and
Protestant services, and then distributed along with blessed bread for those
who would otherwise be excluded, during the morning service. On a Sunday
morning the Catholic Eucharist is celebrated in the main service.114 This is not
a perfect solution as it does not quite constitute table fellowship and could be
seen as privileging the Roman Catholics. However, Taizé Eucharistic practice
was not criticised in the interviews and so this is an area of their worship
practice which would particularly benefit from further research.
4. Reflection
4.1 What ecumenical elements can be discerned in Taizé
worship practice?
The aim of this study has been to answer the research question, ‘Which
ecumenical elements can be discerned in Taizé worship practice?’ by
conducting a field study in Britain, focusing on the ‘Hidden Treasure’ Taizé
113
114
63
gathering in Birmingham. Since it has used the qualitative research strategy
and is not representative of the Taizé phenomenon as a whole, the conclusions
of this study apply only to the event discussed. However, given that the
Birmingham event is just one instance of the Taizé brothers travelling to
encounter and worship with young people outside the context of the village, it
does have relevance to wider Taizé worship practice, especially that which
takes place internationally.
In order to answer the research question, I attended the ‘Hidden Treasure’
gathering as both a pilgrim and a participant observer, having obtained
permission from the organisers to unobtrusively carry out my research. I used
two main types of research methods at the Birmingham Taizé gathering:
participant observation of the liturgies, and informal interviews with
participants who had travelled to Birmingham and with hosts from local
churches.
In analysing my liturgy observations and informal interviews, a great many
possible themes presented themselves, but I have focused on those which are
most relevant for to the way in which Taizé worship practice is ecumenical.
Interdenominational
First and foremost, Taizé defines itself as an ecumenical monastic
community, which is made up of brothers from many different
denominations. Rooted in Brother Roger’s vocation to reconciliation and
openness to the spiritual gifts of traditions other than his own, Taizé liturgy
has developed from French Huguenot roots into an accessible, modern
worship practice which has spread around the world, influencing the worship
of many different denominations.
International
From its origins as a French speaking community in rural France, the
community has, as more and more people from around the world were drawn
towards their shared life, always been aware of the potential of language to
promote or hinder communal worship. The use of Latin chants is important
for the community, as it places no one language group at an advantage. This
desire to avoid hierarchy is characteristic of several of Taizé’s ecumenical
elements. Scripture, songs, and prayers in a variety of languages serve to
64
underline the international nature of Taizé and of the Church in general.
Furthermore, the community has not limited itself to the village itself but has
sent representatives around the world in order to encounter and serve more
and more people.
Uncertainty
The theme of uncertainty was more noticeable in the interviews than in the
observations or survey. Several interviewees emphasised the importance of
encountering Taizé at times of questioning and doubt in their lives, and spoke
of the non-prescriptive atmosphere as providing a safe space to explore. It is
relevant to mention here the provisional nature of the community emphasized
by Santos.115 In my brief experience of the community, I noticed how quickly
one was caught up in the flow of routine, but through my research I have
come to see more clearly how many adaptations to the Taizé rhythm had been
made for Birmingham. This is just one example that shows that the
community is not wedded to one particular structure, but prioritizes what will
facilitate genuine worship and genuine reconciliation.
Aesthetic
Most people encounter Taizé first through its repetitive chants, which can
now be found in many different denominational contexts. Roger had a very
musical childhood and felt singing was ‘an incomparable support for
community prayer’.116 The music of Taizé works ecumenically because it is
both beautiful and simple. Based in Scripture rather than theology, it is easily
accessible for a wide range of denominations. The use of icons in Taizé
liturgy serves two ecumenically important purposes. Firstly, it includes a
tradition generally associated with the Orthodox Church and facilitates other
Christians discovering a new way to pray. Secondly, in combination with
candles, fabric, and flowers; replicas of the typical Taizé icons at international
events like Birmingham, serve to replicate the Church of the Reconciliation
and easily create a link with the worldwide community.
115
116
65
Simplicity
For Brother Roger, the community has always been called to a ‘simple
life’117, and simplicity characterizes all aspects of their communal life,
including their worship practice. The simplicity of the liturgy, with its focus
on short and repetitive scriptural chants in combination with short Gospel
texts and intercessory prayer, means that it is accessible to a wide range of
denominations. Furthermore, the simplicity of the liturgy and the
characteristic Taizé aesthetic, mean that they are easily replicable in different
contexts around the world. The high value Taizé places on silence in worship
facilitates Christians of different denominations to come together before God,
in a way unmediated by potentially contentious language. In Taizé simplicity
is not characterized by lack but by depth of encounter.
In Choose to Love, the compilation text created after the death of Brother
Roger, the community quotes a Portuguese journalist João Miguel Tavares:
‘Taizé is a projection in space of the personal qualities of Brother Roger:
ecumenical, simple, accessible, welcoming….’118 This corresponds with what
I have found. To explore the worship practice of Taizé is to explore the
community, because worship is so central to their shared life. To explore the
community is to explore the biography of Brother Roger because it has been
profoundly shaped by his character and spirituality.
4.2 Reflections on field work
Throughout the research process, I have been aware that, by not being able to
physically visit Taizé in France, my understanding of the phenomena will be
necessarily incomplete because the heart of the community, in that specific
location, has an atmosphere and a character of its own that, as several
interviewees told me, is hard to replicate. Nevertheless, it is equally true that
Taizé is an outward facing, inherently international community: people travel
to Taizé, but Taizé also travels to people.
During the research period, I attended a one-day event at a retreat centre with
my church. The centre was in the habit of holding ‘Holy Communion in the
Taizé style’ and this service formed part of the event programme. From my
research, I had certain expectations of what the service would entail.
117
118
Ibid., 59.
66
However, perhaps because the ordinary service had been adapted for the
event, it did not meet my expectations for a ‘Taizé service’. Although there
was music, it was instrumental and not sung, and not of Taizé origin. There
was only a very short period of silence. There was no icon to focus on and the
church had not been adorned with any additional candles or artfully placed
fabric. This is not to say that it was not a pleasant service but, when asked by
my companions what was ‘Taizé’ about the service, I was hard pressed to
answer.
Taizé is more than beautifully laid out candles or a specific musical style but,
the experience of expecting something ‘Taizé’ at the retreat centre and then
struggling to discern and articulate to my curious friends what was ‘Taizé’
about the service, made me reflect on how key the Taizé aesthetic is as a link
between the village in France, with all that the brothers do there, and the
people all over the world who want to engage with the community. Taizé
worship practice, and indeed Taizé thinking, is an embodied practice. It
engages body, mind, and spirit. Beauty is important in the physical
arrangement of surroundings and in the music. The senses are embraced,
particularly sight and hearing, and there is a strong emphasis on being
physically present with God, with ourselves, and with one another. Silence is
vital, not as the mere absence of sound, but as a way of actively engaging in
prayer and simplicity.
It would be very interesting to visit Taizé itself and consider it from a ritual
studies perspective and explore the ecumenical elements of its worship
practice further as there are many relevant questions which could not be
addressed in an exploratory study such as this.
67
5. References
Brock, Jared (2015), A Year of Living Prayerfully: How a Curious Traveler Met the
Pope, Walked on Coals, Danced with Rabbis, and Revived his Prayer Life
(Carol Stream Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers Inc.).
Brother Roger of Taizé (2012), The Rule of Taizé (London: SPCK).
Bryman, Alan (2012), Social Research Methods - 4th Ed (Oxford: Oxford University
Press).
DeWalt, Kathleen Musante, and Billie R. DeWalt (2011), Participant Observation: A
Guide for Fieldworkers (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Md, 2nd
ed).
Grimes, Ronald L. (2013), Beginnings in Ritual Studies, 3rd edition (Waterloo,
Canada: Ritual Studies International).
Harper, Brad, and Paul Louis Metzger (2009), Exploring Ecclesiology: An Evangelical
and Ecumenical Introduction (Grand Rapids Mich.: Brazos Press).
Heller, Dagmar (2004), ‘Ecumenical Worship - Experiences, Problems, Possibilities:
Some Basic Considerations’, in Thomas F. Best and Dagmar Heller, Worship
Today. Understanding, Practice, Ecumenical Implications (Faith and Order
Paper No. 194; Geneva: WCC Publications), 231–246.
Kubicki, Judith Marie (1999), Liturgical Music as Ritual Symbol: A Case Study of
Jacques Berthier's Taizé Music (Liturgica condenda, vol. 9; Leuven: Peeters).
Santos, Jason Brian (2008), A Community Called Taizé: A Story of Prayer, Worship
and Reconciliation (Downers Grove Ill.: IVP Books).
Spink, Kathryn (2005), A Universal Heart: The Life and Vision of Brother Roger of
Taizé, 2nd ed. (London: SPCK).
Taizé (2007), Choose to Love: Brother Roger of Taizé: 1915-2005 (Taizé-
Communauté: Presses de Taizé).
Taizé (2017), Song Booklet: Hidden Treasure: 28 April - 1 May.
Wells, Bryan (2012), Brother Roger and Taizé: A New Springtime (CTS Biographies;
London: Catholic Truth Society).
Wildt, Kim de (2014), With all Senses: Something for Body and Mind. An Empirical
Study of Religious Ritual in School (Studien zur Religionspädagogik und
Praktischen Theologie, Nr. 6; Jena: Garamond-Verl.).
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Online material
Brother Jean-Marc , ‘Icons’, Taizé [online article n. 16 from the Short Writings from
Taizé], (updated 23 February 2012)
<http://www.taize.fr/IMG/pdf/cahiers16en_web.pdf>.
Cohen, D. and Crabtree, B., ‘Unstructured Interviews’, Qualitative Research
Guidelines Project [website], <http://www.qualres.org/HomeUnst-3630.html>.
<https://www.taize.fr/en_article20500.html>.
‘Hidden Treasure - Inner Life and Solidarity’, Birmingham Churches Together
[website], (press release - spring 2016)
<http://www.birminghamchurches.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Taize-
BirminghamPressReleaseSpring2016-002.pdf>.
‘The Community Today’, Taizé [website], (last updated 8 March 2008)
<https://www.taize.fr/en_article6525.html>.
69
Appendix 1 Example liturgy observation
Friday 28th April 2017 – Evening ‘Prayer around the Cross’
Friday evening prayer on Friday 28th April for the ‘Hidden Treasure’ Taizé gathering in Birmingham is
held in St Martin in the Bull Ring. St Martin in the Bull Ring is in the centre of Birmingham next to the
Bull Ring shopping centre and near Birmingham Moor Street train station. St Martin in the Bull Ring
is a Church of England or Anglican Church.
I arrive at 18:30. The church is large and quite old. It is gothic in style and is made of grey/brown
stone and has several large arched windows of varying sizes. It has a bell tower with a clock and a
spire. The walls are plain stone but there are carved stone details including gargoyles, around the
many arched windows; where the various parts meet; and along the roof. It is made up of different
sections which all have pitched rooves which are made of brown tiles. The church is placed in a small
paved plaza and outside the main entrance there are large blocks of stone that serve as benches.
One side of the church is next to the pavement and the road. The ornate stone structure of the
church is in stark contrast to the nearest building which is the very modern Selfridges building. This is
a large, curvy silver structure that looks like it is made of bubble-wrap. In general, the buildings
surrounding the church are more modern.
Two male volunteers outside the church are holding a large banner advertising the Hidden Treasure
gathering. Above the entrance is a large arched stained glass window. It is detailed but it is hard to
make out the design from the outside. The main door way is a stone archway that is decorated with
a series of quite plain arches so that it looks a little like a pointed, stone rainbow. Next there is a set
of old brown wooden doors which have metal detailing in the shape of leaves. These doors are open.
Next there are two sets of open glass doors which form a small semi-circular vestibule. There are
two men welcoming. They say that it is a special event but that everyone is welcome. One of them
jokes with a female colleague that she can’t come in and they share a laugh.
Directly in front of the entrance is a metal sculpture which I think is the baptismal font. It is made up
of four pieces which look like large, raised metal lily pads. The biggest is furthest from the entrance
and they get smaller as they get closer to the door. Each of the lily pads has water in it and there are
a series of openings so that the water can flow from pad to pad. When I saw it the water was not
moving. The whole sculpture was set into the floor in rectangular depression. The largest lily pad is
only slightly lower than the floor level and each subsequent lily pad is slightly lower. At the short end
of the rectangle, nearest to the door was a velvet rope hanging between to metal poles. Between
the rope and the font was a large flower arrangement made up of white lilies and a wooden cross.
Inside, the church is made up of a tall nave and transept forming a cross shape and two side aisles
which are slightly lower. To the right of the entrance is an opening on to the more modern centre
which houses the café, toilets, and meeting rooms. Near the entrance there are piles of leather
kneeler cushions for people to take and sit on the floor.
The main part of the church has five arches along each side. There is carving along the arches and at
the top of the columns. The front two, either side of the altar, each have a large screen near the top,
these screens are currently blank. The next three columns on either side each have slightly smaller
screens near the top. These screens are currently alternating between a welcome message in many
languages and the Taizé Birmingham sign. There are some electric lights at the top of the columns
70
and higher up above the arches. Inside the church is made of a slightly lighter stone than the outside
and there is a lot of light coming in from the arched windows. There are large, detailed stained glass
windows at the ends of each section of the building and along the length of the walls there are
many, slightly smaller arched windows on two levels. The ceiling is high and vaulted, made of
wooden beams.
The floor of the church is pale stone paving slabs. However, beyond the font, the floor of the central
nave has been covered over with red carpet secured by white tape. It has been laid in three sections.
People have started to sit on the two outside sections, to the right and left, but the middle is still
empty. I sit down on the carpet, roughly in the middle of the right hand edge. There are no chairs in
the nave and in the aisle there are only chairs along the walls. Further in, in the transept, there are
chairs to the right and left of the altar. On the left hand side, sit the choir and the musicians.
At the front of the red carpet are several small wooden stools that are shaped like tiny benches. The
choir area is paved in marble and there is also a large paved area in front of the choir itself. This lies
in the middle of the transept and is slightly raised up and decorated with a geometric pattern. This
raised area has four flower arrangements, positioned at each corner. They are large metal jugs
painted in with flowers in primary colours. The flowers are small white ones but there are a lot of
them and also a lot of green foliage.
There are wooden choir seats along the side of the choir. There are then three steps up to the apse
where the altars are. Along these steps to the left and right are two balustrades. There are tea-light
candles in small jars on these balustrades and also below them. At the very back is a large stained
glass window and below it is the high altar which is ornately carved stone. There is a lower altar
which is covered in a white altar cloth. The altar cloth is decorated with a large embroidery which I
think is a stylised depiction of Jesus on the donkey but I am not sure.
To the left of the front of the choir area is a large plain wooden cross with a white stole draped over
the arms of the cross. On the right is an icon cross which is slightly smaller. It is flat and wooden, the
painting depicts Jesus on the cross, his face is in agony, you can see the nails in his hands and feet,
he has the sign ‘INRI’ above his head, and he is wearing a loin cloth. The cross itself is reddish with a
yellow border a bit like a halo for the cross and the background is orange. At the sides there are two
smaller saints depicted, I think the one on the left is Mary and she is reaching out to touch Jesus on
the cross. Above Jesus’s head is an angel who is flying horizontally. All the figures are quite dark
skinned and have yellow halos.
At 18:45 a woman welcomes us to song practice. She has a microphone on a long cable. She is
standing at the front on the paved area. She is an older woman and she is wearing a dog collar with a
green clerical shirt so I think she is a vicar but she does not introduce herself. I think that most
people have the song booklet. The first song that we practice is ‘Alleluia 11’ (no. 2 in the song
booklet). Each song is in the booklet with both the music and the words. She tells us to hold the last
note of each repetition so that a cantor can sing over it. We sing the alleluia with the musicians and
singers. As we sing, the woman conducts us a little by raising and lowering her hand to show the
difference between the different notes. She says that it was beautiful and that ‘alleluia’ is a way of
saying ‘yes’ so we should come in with lots of energy. She also says that she heard some people
singing a bass note and that any note is good.
Next she says we will try the Polish song now. This is song no. 1 – it is called ‘Bóg jest miłością (God is
forgiveness). In the booklet, the top line of the song is in Polish and directly underneath is the
71
English translation. The Polish words are, ‘Bóg jest miłością miejcie odwagę żyć dla miłości. Bóg jest
miłością. Nie lękajcie się.’ The English words are, ‘God is forgiveness. Dare to forgive and God will be
with you. God is forgiveness. Love and do not fear.’ The woman invites up a Polish woman who takes
us through the Polish words phrase by phrase on the microphone. I can’t concentrate on learning
the pronunciation while I am also taking notes so I’m not sure how it is said. We try singing it. The
first woman conducts and they both sing on the microphone but without the musicians. The first
woman says it was lovely but needs more tempo; we try it again doing as she says. The Polish
woman says thank you and sits down. The first woman asks the woman who is conducting the
musicians and singers if the tempo is right. I can’t hear the conductor but I think the answer was
affirmative because we move on.
The next song we practice is ‘Kyrie 19’, no. 3 in the booklet. The words to the actual song are in
Latin: ‘Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison,’ but next to the title it says in brackets ‘Lord have mercy, Christ
have mercy’. The woman tells us to sing the melody and hold the note at the end of ‘eleison’ and a
cantor sings a phrase over it. There is a different cantor each time.
The next song we practice is ‘Seek treasure’, no. 19 in the booklet. It is based on Luke 12:33-34 and
this is noted in the booklet. The words are ‘Seek treasure that will not fail. And give to those in need.
For where your treasure is there too will be your heart.’ The woman says that it is new to her. Before
the weekend I saw on Facebook that it had been written specially for the weekend. We practice the
song. More than previously I am aware of it mostly being the choir singing. The congregation is less
familiar with it but people pick it up quite quickly. I see that the conductor is a young woman. The
first woman says that it needs more oomph so we try it again and it has more energy.
A young man interrupts her and on the microphone he asks people to move into the middle section
of carpet – we are allowed to sit there and he doesn’t want the new people who come in to get
confused by the gap we have left. People move to spread out so that people are sitting all over the
carpeted section.
A young man sitting next to me asks what I am writing and I explain that I am doing a research
project and so I need to take lots of notes.
The first woman resumes song practice. We practice no. 4. It is called ‘Da pacem… in diebus (canon)’,
the words to the song are only in Latin: ‘Da pacem Domine, da pacem O Christe, in diebus nostris,’
but next to the title it says ‘Grant us peace in our day, Lord.’ The woman says that this song is split in
to male and female voices and sung in the round. She gives the microphone to a man in the front
and he sings the male part which is low. She thanks him and we sing it.
The final song she practices with us is no. 12. It is called ‘Stay with me / Bleibt hier’ and it is noted
that it is based on Matthew 26:38, 41. The music first has the English words: ‘Stay here with me,
remain here with me, watch and pray, watch and pray,’ then the German words: ‘Bleibet hier ung
wachet mit mir. Wachet und betet, wachet und betet.’ A German woman comes up to the
microphone and takes us through it phrase by phrase and then the two women sing it together.
Then the first woman says that what is beautiful is that they (I think she means the song writers) put
in an expression in to the music to express Christ’s agony. The musical notation says piano, then
forte, then back to piano, which means that it should start softly then get louder and then back to
softer. The woman says that it is rare for Taizé song writers to include such a notation so they must
want it very badly.
72
Practice finishes at 19:20. As it has been going on more people have come in. At 19:22 the guitarist
starts playing quietly and it sounds a little like harp music. There is a quiet buzz as people come in
and get settled. There is a wide range of ages. They are mostly white people but not all. Most of the
older people are sitting in chairs around the sides and the people sitting on the cushions on the
carpet are mostly younger people. As I turn to look around I see that, since I have come in, they have
put up some more velvet ropes between the baptismal font and the red carpet. These ropes have
large signs saying ‘Silence please’ and there are now several volunteers standing up holding similar
signs.
At 19:27 the young man next to me asks how I have written so much. I explain that I need to write
down everything about the building, what happens, and what people do. He says it is remarkable.
At 19:28 a man is now standing at the front with a sign that says ‘Silence please’. There are people
behind me whispering anyway.
A woman sitting in front of me has been saving a space for her husband. He arrives at 19:29 and they
whisper together briefly.
At 19:30 I notice that the people behind me are still whispering – it is a little distracting. They are
talking about studying law by distance learning in Germany.
At 19:34 a mixed group of people move the icon cross to the centre. The guitar music stops. A new
woman comes to the microphone. She says that if anyone has not been welcomed the Welcome at
Carrs Lane Church will reopen at 20:30. She says that those who have already been welcomed
should return promptly to Carrs Lane for 20:45 to go to the host neighbourhoods. She says that the
Taizé prayer will not last as long as it usually does because it is in the context of the conference but
that it will be beautiful while it lasts. The guitar starts playing again.
By 19:36 everyone but the man holding the ‘Silence please’ sign are sitting down. Towards the front
on the right hand side I notice a young woman with a camera on a tripod is filming. Maybe this is for
a Facebook livestream. I know that they were planning to have some livestreams because they had
some practice goes at it before the weekend.
At 19:37 the guitar music pauses but restarts. People are still coming in. Those of us sitting on the
carpet are silently motioned to shuffle forward to make more room.
At 19:40 the six smaller screens show ‘1’. I think the prayer is starting now but there is no
announcement. The booklet says that it will be ‘Prayer around the Cross’. I hear the clarinet play one
bar and then the singing starts. It is the Polish song ‘Bóg jest miłością’. I point out the song to the
young man next to me because he is confused. I can hear cello and guitar as well as the clarinet.
I notice that there are now four brothers in white, hooded robes kneeling at the front of the carpet
area. Their hoods are back. They are facing the altar like everyone else. There are some other people
sitting with them and they are not really separated from the congregation apart from the fact that
they are at the front and have the little stools instead of the leather kneeler cushions.
The clarinet plays alone while the singing continues and then one of the cantors sings ‘Amen’ and we
stop at 19:43. The screens show ‘13’, we have not practiced this one but many seem to know it.
Others pick it up as it is repeated. It is called ‘Remember the Lord Jesus Christ’ and the booklet notes
that it is based on 2 Timothy 2:8, 10-12. The words are ‘Remember the Lord Jesus Christ, who now is
73
risen from the dead; He is our one true light, our everlasting glory. Know that if in him we die, with
him we shall arise, if we persevere, He will lead us into life. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!’
At 19:45 the screen shows ‘2’ and we sing ‘Alleluia 11’ as we practiced. As we hold the note at the
end of the Alleluia the cantors take it in turns to go up and sing over it. This happens for six
repetitions. Three cantors take it in turns in the order male cantor 1, male cantor 2, female cantor 1.
The each took two turns. The words that the cantors were singing over the note that the
congregation was holding are not in the song booklet and I could not write them down fast enough.
At 19:47 there was a reading from John 14:1-11. The reading is in the programme (page 4) and I
wonder what translation they have chosen to use.
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in
me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told
you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know
the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where
you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my
Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Phillip said to him, “Lord,
show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all
this time, Phillip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the
Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who
dwells in me does his works. Believe in me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;
but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.
I can hear that the reading is being read on the microphone by a man but I cannot see him. Maybe
he is sitting down. There is some feedback on the sound system. There is a baby (nine weeks old)
with her mother. They are sitting in the chairs along the right side wall. The baby is making small
squeaking noises and her mother rocks her.
At 19:50 short sections of the reading are repeated in different languages. I am not completely sure
what the languages are but I think they were Spanish, Polish, and Italian.
At 19:53 the screens show ‘4’. We sing ‘Da pace… in diebus (canon)’ like we practiced, divided into
male and female parts. I notice that the choir is sitting; I think they only stand to go up to the
microphone for solo parts.
At 19:55 I see a man taking what I think are unofficial photos on his ipad. My back hurts and I think
maybe I should have sat on one of the chairs at the side instead of on the floor. I decide to try to sit
in a different place for each observation to get a different perspective. The song finishes when the
female cantor sings ‘Amen’.
At 19:56 there is silence and a pause. At first I am not sure if it is a deliberate pause or if we are
waiting for something. I decide it is a pause for reflection. Some people have bowed their heads or
closed their eyes. The baby is making sucking noises.
At 19:58 someone’s phone goes off briefly and at 19:59 someone coughs. People shuffle a bit.
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At 20:00 I try to pray a bit myself because there is a pause in the flow of things to note down. I am
quite stressed about the observation but I thank God for the opportunity and that I was well enough
to take it. I pray that he would help me. I am uncomfortable on the floor. People shuffle and cough. I
wonder how long this silence is going to be for. I notice that behind the musicians and singers on the
left is a large set of organ pipes. I think that they are brass.
At 20:02 the male cantor 1 starts us off singing the ‘Kyrie 19’ and the screen shows ‘3’. The silence
was about six minutes. As we repeat singing the Kyrie, the cantors sing over the last note that we
hold. Again I am not sure what words they are singing. They sing in the order: male cantor 2, female
cantor 1, male cantor 1 (there is slight microphone feedback), male cantor 2, female cantor 1.
At 20:07 the bidding prayers or intercessions start. They do not stand up, instead the microphone is
passed round where they sit. I cannot see them very well. In all there are five prayers. The first one is
in English and the man prays for Pope Francis and his trip to Egypt, and also for Christian minorities.
He also mentions some names and a youth group. The female cantor 1 sings ‘Lord, hear our prayer’
and we reply by singing the Kyrie again. This happens for each prayer. The other four prayers are in
foreign languages but I’m not sure which. Then there is a pause.
At 20:08 someone else’s phone goes off.
At 20:09 the screen shows ‘19’ – ‘Seek treasure’. There is a slight pause and then the clarinet starts
up first. Then the singing and guitar join in, a little hesitantly at first but then it picks up. I notice that
the mother and her baby have gone outside. A man goes up to the altar and is followed by the same
group of people as before. They are moving the icon cross into the middle. I think before must have
been them practicing. This must be the prayer around the Cross that the name of the service in the
booklet means.
At 20:11 one of the brothers (Brother 1) tries to speak into the microphone but it is not working
properly. One of the other brothers (Brother 2) helps him. Brother 1 prays and asks God to bless our
pilgrimage, to bless Birmingham, and to help us to discover the hidden treasures. He explains that
we will pray by the gesture of putting our foreheads on the cross. He is talking quite fast and I don’t
understand everything he says.
At 20:15 a woman goes to get a lit candle. The screen shows ‘12’ and we sing ‘Stay with me / Bleibt
hier’. I think that the brothers are now venerating the cross but it is hard to see because the cross is
on the floor. I see three more people taking photographs. The brothers now seem to be moving out
of the way. They have moved forward and are now sitting on the marble area with their backs to the
altar but facing the cross on the floor.
The cantor’s each take a turn singing over the rest of the congregation. I don’t know how people will
go up to the cross but I can see some movement. I think a man is making a path in the middle part of
the carpet.
At 20:20 the song ends, we have only sung the German version not the English. There is a short
silence. The screen shows ‘10’ and there is a short pause.
At 20:21 the clarinet starts and we sing ‘Let all who are thirsty come.’ The booklet notes that it is
based on Revelation 22: 17b. 20b. The words are, ‘Let all who are thirsty come. Let all who wish
receive the water of life freely. Amen, come Lord Jesus. Amen, come Lord Jesus.’ People are starting
to go up to the cross but it is random. There is a small queue forming on the right.
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At 20:25 I decide to go up and at 20:32 I come back to my seat. People go up to the cross as they
want; there is no order or ushers. There are two queues formed quite organically along the taped
out pathway that separates the carpet area from the seating area. People in the right hand queue
were mostly kneeling, whereas people in the left hand were mostly standing. The icon cross is on the
floor at the front of the red carpet area supported by a number of the leather kneeler cushions.
People are kneeling around the cross about six at a time. They put their foreheads on the cross and
prayed. People stayed there longer than I expected, perhaps between 1-3 minutes. I stayed for
about 1 minute. It was new to me. The only other veneration of the cross I have done before has
been during the Good Friday service, which happens faster as people kiss the feet of Jesus. As I knelt
down, the song ‘Jesus, remember me’ started. I was glad of it because it was one of the only Taizé
chants I knew prior to the weekend. Then I returned to my seat and carried on with my notes.
In the time I was away from my notes there were three songs. ‘Jesus, remember me’ was the third. It
is no. 15 and the booklet notes that it is based on Luke 23:42. The words are ‘Jesus, remember me
when you come in to your kingdom. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’
At 20:34 the screens show ‘6’ and we sing. It is called ‘Nothing can ever’ and the booklet notes that it
is based on Romans 8:39. The words are ‘nothing can ever come between us and the love of God,
the love of God revealed to us in Christ Jesus.’
At 20:36 people are starting to leave and the Welcome at Carrs Lane will now be open again for new
arrivals.
At 20:37 I notice that the mother and baby are back. There is a short pause and then the music
starts. There is no number on the screen but people seem to know it. The young man next to me
points to no. 20 in the booklet with a smile. It is called ‘Nada te turbe (Nothing can trouble)’ and the
booklet notes that it is from Teresa of Ávila.
The music first has the Spanish words: ‘Nada te turbe nada tespante; quien a Dios tiene nada le falta.
Sólo Dios basta,’ and then the English words: ‘Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten. Those who
seek God shall never go wanting. God alone fills us.’
At 20:40 people are still queuing to go to the cross. Male cantor 1 solos quite loudly.
At 20:41 the woman with the tripod leaves. I start to worry about missing the guide who is going to
show us the way to the host neighbourhood. Female cantor 1 sings ‘Amen’ and the song finishes.
At 20:41 there is a silence and a man and a woman go up to the candles by the high altar but I’m not
sure what they are doing. The musicians start to play no. 16 but it is not on the screen. It is called
‘The kingdom of God’ and the booklet notes that it is based on Romans 14:17. The words are ‘The
kingdom of God is justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Come, Lord, and open in us the gates
of your kingdom.’
At 20:44 the Brothers start to leave going round the side of the altar to the left. Two of them stop to
talk.
At 20:45 I decide to leave so that I can get to the host neighbourhood and meet my host. People are
still singing and queuing for the cross as I leave.
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Appendix 2 Example liturgy observation data matrix
1.1 Ritual space Sun 30th April Morning Sun 30th April Evening Mon 1st May Morning
All Saints Church St Martin in the Bullring St Chad’s
1.1.1 Indoors or Indoors Indoors Indoors
outdoors?
1.1.2 Randomly Special Special Special
chosen or special
place?
1.1.3 Existing Existing Existing Existing
space/specially
constructed for the
occasion?
1.1.4 Natural space? Man-made Man-made Man-made
1.1.5 High or low? ? ? ?
1.1.6 Secluded or Accessible Accessible Accessible
accessible?
1.1.7 Boundaries. Entered through community 3 sets of open doors 2 sets of open doors
Ritual – non-ritual centre not main doors. Clear between outside and in. between outside and in.
space? Clear or difference between modern Also velvet rope across Security guard standing in
amorphous? centre and older church carpet the foyer but he didn’t stop
anyone.
1.1.8 Architectural Victorian Gothic Gothic
style?
1.1.9 Symbols? Icon, crosses, candles, Icons, crosses, candles Icons, crosses, candles
bread, wine, luggage labels
1.1.10 Objects: special All had special status at one Icon cross had special All were on the altar area,
status or background? time or another status. Other crosses and so we were orientated
candles were in the towards them
background
1.1.11 Consecration Existing consecrated space. Existing consecrated space. Existing consecrated space.
or deconsecration of Extra – song, prayer Extra –silence, song, prayer Extra – silence, song, prayer.
space?
1.1.12 Transitional Connecting doors between Open doors, rope, silence. Open doors, silence, Giving
rites in and out of the community centre and back Giving of song booklet and of song booklet
space? of church. Giving of hymn additional song sheet
book, service booklet, and
candle
1.1.13 Ritual space: In a consecrated church so In a consecrated church so In a consecrated church so
profane, neutral, or sacred sacred sacred
potentially sacred?
1.1.14 Shape and Nave and transept with Nave and transept and Nave and transept and
size? aisles. Relatively high aisles. High ceilings aisles. High ceilings
ceiling. Attached community
centre
1.1.15 Colour and Natural light, electric light, Natural light, electric light, Natural light, electric light,
light? Encouraging or candle light. Contemplative, candle light. Contemplative, candle light. Contemplative,
discouraging action calming, not energising calming, not energising calming, not energising
for instance
1.1.16 Providing for Sight: luggage labels, Sight: Candles, cross, icons, Sight: candles, cross, icons,
the senses? Sight, candles, altar cloth, icon, flowers, altar cloth flowers, statues, paintings,
hearing, etc? children’s art Hearing: Music, singing, carvings
Hearing: music, singing, readings, prayers Hearing: music, singing,
readings, prayers, pilgrims Touch: icon cross readings, prayers
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sharing name/country
Touch: luggage labels,
candles, bread and wine,
blessed bread
Taste: Bread and wine,
blessed bread
1.1.17 Paintings? Icon (print of original) Icon cross and lamb painting Icon cross, lamb painting,
Icon (print of original)
1.1.18 Orientation? Enter at back – orientated Enter at back – orientated Enter at back – orientated
Up/down? Left/right? forward towards the altar. forward towards the altar forward towards the altar
Back/front Exited from front to back
1.1.19 Relation Existing formal space. There Existing formal space made Existing formal space made
between formal and were pews. It was made more informal (no pews). more informal by addition
informal space? more informal by inviting of carpet to sit on at the
pilgrims to do things and front but the pews were not
move around the space moved
1.1.20 Which parts The nave and altar were Mostly in the nave but Mostly in the nave but
are mostly used? both used a lot. The church looking towards altar. Some looking towards the altar
was full and the priest and use of the paved area
servers were mostly on the before the altar.
altar. Many things were
placed around the altar. The
reading took place in the
aisle, in the centre of the
nave.
1.1.21 Relation Welcoming of pilgrims to sit Taizé Brothers and Taizé Brothers and
between identity and at the front/place luggage Archbishop Emeritus Rowan Archbishop Emeritus Rowan
space? labels/introduce Williams sat at the front. Williams sat at the front.
themselves. Pilgrims lit Hidden Treasure/welcome Hidden Treasure/welcome
candles of the congregation signs - come as pilgrims signs - come as pilgrims
from front to back. Pilgrims
were invited to lead the
procession out.
1.1.22 Ownership: Divine: consecrated Divine: consecrated Divine: consecrated
humans/divine church/place where God is church/place where God is church/place where God is
beings? worshipped. worshipped. worshipped.
Human: man-made/where Human: man-made/where Human: man-made/where
we come to worship/rooted we come to worship/rooted we come to worship/rooted
in the city of in the city of in the city of
Birmingham/belongs to a Birmingham/belongs to a Birmingham/belongs to a
parish community parish community parish community
1.1.23 Marking of Doors (glass and wood), Banner, Open doors (wood Open doors (wood). Security
boundaries? stone walls and glass), welcomers, guard before set of closed
Thresholds, walls, etc. velvet ropes, stone walls doors (glass). Welcomers,
stone walls
1.1.24 Hierarchy? There is a hierarchy because Slight Brother/pilgrim Slight Brother/pilgrim
Male/female? the priest was leading the hierarchy but not hierarchy but not
Priest/teacher? service with the help of the emphasized at all. RW as emphasized at all. Brother
deacon, the servers, the speaker was a little above Alois as speaker was a little
readers, the speaker. congregation but he sat on a above congregation but he
However, the pilgrims and simple chair, he did not use sat on a simple chair, he did
congregation were active the pulpit or lectern not use the pulpit or lectern
participants.
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1.1.25 Private or Public: open to Public: it was open to all – Pubic: it was open to all –
public spots? pilgrims/hosts/locals pilgrims/locals/tourists. pilgrims/locals/tourist.
Private: for Kings Heath There were more people at Private: vestry where
neighbourhood specifically this service than the others. Brothers changed into their
Private: vestry where robes
Brothers changed into their
robes
1.2 Ritual objects
1.2.1 Which objects? Icon, Easter candle, Icon cross, wooden cross, Icon cross, icon, candles
lanterns, holding candles, candles
tea light candles, luggage
labels, bread, wine, blessed
bread, children’s art,
lanterns
1.2.2 How many? I: one IC: one IC: one
EC: one W: two I: one
HC: approx. 150 C: five (fewer candles C: approx. twenty
TC: approx. 20 because the choir area was
LL: approx. 30 taken up by seats today)
B: one large, approx. 150
small in two chalices
W: in two chalices
BB: approx. 100 in a large
bowl
CA: one paper chain snake
and one picture
L: two
1.2.3 Physical I: approx. 30 cm by 30 cm, IC: approx. 1m by 0.5m, IC: approx. 1m by 0.5m,
dimensions, weight, looks to be printed on needs at least two people to needs at least two people to
shape, colour wood. Depicts Jesus with his carry it, cross with carry it, cross with
arm around another figure, additional parts at top and additional parts at top and
it is mostly browns and side, brown/orange/yellow. side, brown/orange/yellow.
yellow W: approx. 1.5m by 1m., I: approx. 30 cm by 30 cm,
EC: white candle in metal brown wood, white stole, looks to be printed on
stand cross shaped. wood. Depicts Jesus with his
HC: white wax with C: small candles arm around another figure,
cardboard drip guard it is mostly browns and
TC: tea lights yellows.
LL: brown card and multi- C: small candles
coloured ribbon stapled on
B: round, cream wafers
W: red wine
BB: flat bread cut into pieces
CA: green paper chain snake
with a red tongue and a
drawing of a blue snake and
a red apple
L: metal with tea light inside
1.2.4 What materials? I: wood IC: painted wood
EC: wax and metal I: printed on wood
HC: wax and cardboard C: wax and metal
TC: wax and metal
LL: card and ribbon
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B: wafer
W: wine
BB: flat bread
CA: paper
L: metal and wax
1.2.5 How is it I: laid out before – placed in IC: before – stood at the All three were laid out
handled (before, front of altar so we were right hand of the altar with before the service before I
during, and after the orientated to it candles below it arrived. None of them were
ritual) EC: laid out before –left of During – placed on the moved during the service.
altar. Used to light holding cushions with two candles
candles. on it, venerated by placing
HC: given out to everyone at forehead on it and praying.
the entrance. Lit from Easter After – it is replaced at the
candle towards the end of right of the altar. Once the
the service. The light was service has been declared
passed from pilgrims to over, it was moved by two
congregation until people to the back of the
everyone’s was lit church to be taken out to
TC: laid out before – around the Carrs Lane church
the icon before the altar (organisational hub)
LL: written on before. Laid W: background
on the altar at the beginning C: background and placed in
of the service. front of/on icon cross
B: The bread is brought to
the altar by the servers. The
priest lifts up the bread. The
priest consecrates it. It is
given to the servers, the
priest, and then the
congregation. The priest and
one server have a chalice of
the hosts. After, the extra is
consumed.
W: The bread is brought to
the altar by the servers. The
priest lifts up the wine. The
priest consecrates it. It is
given to the servers, the
priest, and then the
congregation. One server
and one member of the
congregation.
BB: given out by a HT pilgrim
from a large bowl and the
eaten.
CA: placed at the foot of the
altar as an offering
L: laid out before – the
priest gave them to the
children to take with them
to their children’s activity.
When they children
returned the priest replaced
them at the foot of the altar
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1.2.6 Is it handled in a I: orientated towards but IC: placed in the middle We were orientated in their
special way? not moved reverently by five people direction but they were not
EC: used to light holding (more than is needed to just moved at all
candles move it)
HC: used to light each W: n/a
other’s candles C: placed in front of/on the
TC: orientated towards but icon cross
not moved
LL: placed on the altar and
left in place throughout the
service.
B: it is consecrated and
handled reverently. One
piece is given to each
person who comes up to
receive and they eat it. The
priest/server says ‘The Body
of Christ’ and the recipient
says ‘Amen’. The remainder
is eaten by the priest and
servers.
W: it is consecrated and
handled reverently. Each
person who comes up to
receive takes a sip. The
priest/server says ‘The
Blood of Christ’ and the
recipient says ‘Amen’. The
remainder is consumed by
the priest and servers
BB: it is blessed and given to
those who wish to take it,
regardless of whether they
took Communion. The
server says ‘The Body of
Christ’ and the recipient
says ‘Amen.’
CA: it is placed at the foot of
the altar as an offering
L: it goes with the children
as they go out to have their
session. It is then placed at
the altar with their artwork
1.2.7 Sacred/profane? I: partly sacred, partly IC: sacred IC: sacred
decoration W: partly sacred, partly I: sacred
EC: sacred decoration C: partly sacred, partly
HC: sacred C: partly sacred, partly decoration
TC: partly sacred, partly decoration
decoration
LL: something profane made
sacred
B: sacred
W: sacred
BB: sacred
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CA: something profane
made sacred
L: partly sacred, partly
decoration
1.2.8 What does it I: Need to research but it is IC: Crucifixion, Jesus, IC: Crucifixion, Jesus
symbolize? Jesus and someone – saint? W: Crucifixion I: Need to research but it is
EC: light and the C: light Jesus and someone – saint?
resurrection C: light
HC: light and the spreading
of God’s work
TC: light
LL: the pilgrims and their
journey
B: the Body of Christ
W: the Blood of Christ
BB: the Body of Christ
CA: the time the children
spent learning about God
L: light and the fact that the
children are an important
part of the community.
1.2.9 What is told I: n/a IC: pray by putting forehead No explanations
about the object? EC: that the pilgrims should on the cross: a symbolic
use it to light our candles gesture of entrusting
HC: that the pilgrims should everything to God
use their candles to light the W: n/a
candles of the congregation C: n/a
as a symbol of the
congregation joining in the
pilgrimage and the pilgrims
reminding them that they
share in God’s ministry to
the world.
TC: n/a
LL: symbolic of the pilgrims
and their journey
B: Body of Christ – open
invitation but no one should
feel pressured
W: Blood of Christ – open
invitation but no one should
feel pressured
BB: ‘in the tradition of Taizé’
available for all
CA: explanation of the story
they talked about – the
Garden of Eden
L: n/a
1.2.10 Does it have EC & HC: spread light No efficacy No efficacy
efficacy? B & W: spiritual
sustenance/encounter with
God
1.2.11 Does it have a I: need to research IC: The Cross IC: The Cross
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name? EC: Easter candle or paschal W: n/a I: need to research
candle C: n/a C: n/a
HC: candles
TC: n/a
LL: luggage labels
B: Bread or Body of Christ
W: Wine or Blood of Christ
BB: blessed bread or Body of
Christ
CA: n/a
L: n/a
1.2.12 Does its I: meaning IC: meaning IC: meaning
meaning lie in its EC: meaning and efficacy W: meaning I: meaning
meaning or efficacy? HC: meaning and efficacy C: meaning C: meaning
TC: meaning
LL: meaning
B: meaning and efficacy
W: meaning and efficacy
BB: meaning and efficacy
CA: meaning
L: meaning
1.2.13 What status HC: joining the pilgrimage Not sure that they have Not sure that they have
does its LL: ‘Hidden Treasure’ owner/keepers. owners/keepers
owner/keeper have? pilgrims
Priest and servers have a
‘holy’ status as keepers of
the Bread and Wine
1.2.14 Is it art? I: yes IC: yes IC: yes
EC: yes W: maybe I: yes
HC: no C: no C: no
TC: n
LL: maybe
B: no
W: no
BB: no
CA: yes
L: no
1.2.15 Is it an No No No
extension of a ritual
edifice or officiant?
1.2.16 Is it detachable I: yes IC: yes IC: yes
from the ritual place? EC: maybe W: maybe I: yes
HC: yes C: yes C: yes
TC: yes
LL: yes
B: yes
W: yes
BB: yes
CA: yes
L: yes
1.3 Ritual time
1.3.1 What time of Morning - 10:00 Evening – 19:30 (song Morning – 10:00
day? practice 19:00)
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1.3.2 Which date? Sunday 30th April 2017 Sunday 30th April 2017 Monday 1st May 2017
1.3.3 Season? Spring Spring Spring
1.3.4 Always same There is always a Sunday n/a n/a
time? morning service but usually
without the Taizé emphasis
1.3.5 One-time or There is always a Sunday One-time (within ‘Hidden One-time (within ‘Hidden
recurring? morning service but the Treasure’) Treasure’)
Taizé pilgrimage elements
were one-time
1.3.6 Calendar Liturgical: it was, for the Question: does Prayer No
(liturgical/civil/fiscal/ most part, a Anglican service around the Cross generally
academic) so it fit within the Anglican happen on a Friday –
liturgical calendar breaking with the usual
cycle?
1.3.7 Natural cycle? No No No
1.3.8 Maturation No No No
ritual?
1.3.9 Coincide or Neither No Sight coincide – it was the
conflict between final service of the weekend
ritual/ social time? so it marked the end of the
long weekend
1.3.10 Commemorate Commemorates Jesus’s Commemorates Jesus’s Commemorates Jesus’s
history (Eucharist)? ministry – readings, songs, ministry – readings, songs, ministry – readings, songs,
sermon, Eucharist. cross cross. Also marks the end of
weekend
1.3.11 Remembrance Jesus Jesus Jesus
of people, places?
1.3.12 Anticipation of Praying for Praying for Praying for
the future (as part of people/intentions in the people/intentions in the people/intentions in the
the ritual) hope of God’s blessing going hope of God’s blessing going hope of God’s blessing going
forward forward forward
1.3.13 Which tense Past: remembering what Past: remembering what Past: remembering what
(past, present, God has done God has done God has done
future)? Present: emphasis on the Present: emphasis on the Present: emphasis on the
presence of God, asking presence of God, asking presence of God, asking
blessing for the ‘Hidden blessing for the ‘Hidden blessing for the ‘Hidden
Treasure’, gathering and the Treasure’, gathering and the Treasure’, gathering and the
world in general, emphasis world in general, emphasis world in general, emphasis
on making the world a on making the world a on making the world a
better place. better place. better place.
Future: emphasis on what Future: emphasis on what Future: emphasis on what
God will do, emphasis on God will do, emphasis on God will do, emphasis on
making the world a better making the world a better making the world a better
place place place, and God blessing us
as we go into the world
1.3.14 Duration of the Approx. 60 minutes Unclear. Practice lasts 10 Approx. 90 minutes
ritual mins. Prayer lasts between
120 and 150 minutes
depending on what you
decide to include
1.3.15 Phases, For pilgrims there was small Song practice, evening Morning prayer
breaks? group sharing and an prayer, prayer around the
explanation of some of the cross, gradual ending,
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Taizé elements beforehand. clearing of the church
In the booklet, the service
was divided in to descriptive
sections: ‘We gather;’ ‘We
prepare;’ ‘We hear and
reflect on God’s Word;’ ‘We
affirm our faith;’ ‘We tell the
story of God’s faithfulness;’
‘We are sent out.’
1.3.16 Preparation Church was obviously Church was obviously Church was obviously
time? prepared but I don’t know prepared but I don’t know if prepared but I don’t know
how long. Icons, fabric, it was just left that way from how long. Icons, fabric,
candles, lanterns had to be Saturday evening prayer. candles, song numbers had
laid out and the altar had to There was a 10 min song to be laid out.
be prepared. practice.
1.3.17 Impact time (?) Included intercessions so (?) Included intercessions so (?) Included intercessions so
after ritual? impact of prayer? Creation impact of prayer? Creation impact of prayer? Creation
of atmosphere for of atmosphere for of atmosphere for
gathering? gathering? gathering?
1.3.18 Repeated Taizé music is repetitive and Taizé music style is Taizé music style is
elements within meditative repetitive and meditative. repetitive and meditative.
ritual?
1.3.19 Beginning or Gradual beginning as the Gradual beginning and Gradual beginning and
ending: gradually or parish congregation were ending ending but not so long as
abruptly? seated and singing before Friday
the HT pilgrims arrived.
Gradual ending as people
stood around talking and
then went to the café in the
community centre
1.3.20 Mythical time ? ? ?
as model for the
present?
1.3.21 Does age play a There are people of all ages. There are people of all ages There are people of all ages
role? The HT pilgrims are mostly present although most are present although most are
18-30. The parish between 18-30. More so between 18-30
community includes all ages than at other services, there
including a number of are more people of a wide
children, families, and range of ages.
elderly people.
1.3.22 Emphasising on Neither Neither Slight emphasis on endings
beginnings or because it was the last
endings? service of the weekend.
1.4 Ritual sound and

language
1.4.1 Non-linguistic None Holding of the note at the Holding of the note at the
sounds end of each repeat of some end of each repeat of some
of the songs, over which the of the songs, over which the
cantors sang cantors sang
1.4.2 Causal word use The prayer of consecration? ‘Amen’? ‘Amen’?
or magical word usage ‘Amen’?
(Tambiah)
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1.4.3 Words as Description: scripture Description: scripture Description: scripture
description of reality readings, songs from readings, songs from readings, songs from
or effect reality? scripture scripture scripture
Effect: prayers and songs Effect: prayers and songs Effect: prayers and songs
1.4.4 Relation Mostly working together. Mostly working together. Mostly working together.
between instrumental There was an organ and a Sometimes instrumental Sometimes instrumental
– vocal sounds choir and they played and sound would start a song, sound would start a song,
sang together. sometimes vocal. Usually a sometimes vocal. Usually a
vocal sound ended a song vocal sound ended a song
‘Amen’. ‘Amen’.
1.4.5 What musical Choir (mixed voices), organ Cantors (male and female), Cantors (male and female),
sounds/instruments choir, guitar, clarinet, violin, choir, guitar, clarinet, violin,
predominate? flute flute
1.4.6 Musical style? Taizé: chanting, repetitive, Taizé: chanting, repetitive, Taizé: chanting, repetitive,
contemplative. Also contemplative contemplative
Anglican hymns - more
words than Taizé
1.4.7 Which moods Evoked: contemplation, Evoked: contemplation, Evoked: contemplation,
are evoked/ avoided? reflection, prayerfulness reflection, prayerfulness reflection, prayerfulness
Avoided: Unpredictability, Avoided: Unpredictability, Avoided: Unpredictability,
chaos chaos chaos
1.4.8 Sacred/secular Sacred Sacred Sacred
music?
1.4.9 Role of silence? Small role. Most of the time Large role, space for Large role, space for
there was music or reflection: beforehand, after reflection: beforehand, after
someone speaking reading, after prayers reading, after prayers
1.4.10 Dependency on Written: songs in hymn Written: songs and reading Written: songs, reflection
written texts or oral book or service booklet. in booklet/programme read from notes, readings
lore? Order of service including Oral: Prayers (from paper)
prayers and explanations in Oral: prayers, readings (not
service booklet. Readings in in booklet)
lectionary. Service structure
in priest’s book. Sermon
from notes. Intercessions
from a paper
Oral: words of welcome and
explanation by priest
1.4.11 Relation Mostly complementary with Mostly complementary. The Mostly complementary. The
between text and an emphasis on written text prayers and translations readings, prayers, and
oral? were oral but the songs and reflection were read from
scripture reading were also paper but not included in
written down. booklet
1.4.12 Talk about Beforehand to HT pilgrims in No Beforehand: welcome from
ritual? small group: welcome, Catholic priest on behalf of
invitation to share our name Archbishop. Gave thanks for
and country at the the weekend. Female
beginning of the service. volunteer gave
Explanation of luggage announcements about
labels (represents practicalities
pilgrimage journey), lighting
of candles (represents
joining of pilgrimage and
reminding witness), blessed
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bread (for everyone in the
‘Taizé tradition’)
1.4.13 Talk during During: Words of welcome, Explaining praying by No
ritual? explanation of visiting placing forehead on cross
pilgrims and Taizé. Reading
of the Banns of marriage,
announcement about youth
project anniversary.
Explanation of luggage
labels and pilgrims
introducing themselves.
Open invitation for all to
communion but no one
should feel pressured.
Blessed bread for all who
wish. Explanation of lighting
of candles. Invitation to stay
for refreshments.
1.4.14 Art of speech: The majority of the prayers Some of the prayers were Some of the prayers were
formulaic/repetitious, and general structure of the formulaic and had formulaic. Biblical reflection
ordinary? service was formulaic. Some repetitious responses. was given in ordinary
of the prayers had speech
repetitious responses. The
welcome, explanations, and
sermon were in ordinary
speech.
1.4.15 Ritual Some of the parts of the In general, there was not In general, there was not
explanation? service that were Taizé style much explanation, apart much explanation
additions (luggage labels, from briefly about praying
lighting of candles, blessed with the Cross
bread) were explained but
the ‘normal’ parts of the
service were less so.
However, there was a lot of
spoken prayer which made
clearer what was
happening.
1.4.16 Anti-ritualistic No No No
sentiments?
1.4.17 Importance of Language, especially Language, especially Language, especially
language during the scriptural language, is scriptural language, is scriptural language, is
rite? important in prayers, songs, important in prayers, songs, important in prayers, songs,
reading, and biblical reading, and talk by RW reading, and biblical
reflection. Also important reflection
for expressing welcome and
solidarity.
1.4.18 Styles of Repetitious songs (often Repetitious songs (often Repetitious songs (often
language: poetry, scriptural), Anglican hymns, scriptural), story (scripture), scriptural), story (scripture),
stories, dialogue, story (scripture), prayers, prayers, talk by RW prayers, biblical reflection
prayers? sermon
1.4.19 Tones of voice? Generally calm Generally calm Generally calm
1.4.20 Use of speech The parish joining the Kinship: Brothers. Kinship: Brothers
figures as metaphors pilgrimage by hosting us
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(kinship: father),
metonyms?
1.4.21 Harmony or Harmony Harmony Harmony
tension between
words and actions?
1.4.22 Usage of books Songs and prayers in Songs in booklet and Songs in the booklet.
during ritual? booklet and hymn book. reading in the programme. Prayers and readings not
Format of the liturgy in the Could not see where included in the programme
priest’s book. Readings from translation phrases came
lectionary from.
1.5 Ritual identity

1.5.1 Which roles: Priest, deacon, servers, Four Taizé Brothers, Four Taizé Brothers,
priest, teacher, public, readers, choir, organist, Archbishop Emeritus, Archbishop Emeritus,
etc.? speaker, HT pilgrims, guests musicians, singers, musicians, singers,
from other churches, conductor, pilgrims/public conductor, pilgrims/public
members of the parish (mixed together, undefined) (mixed together, undefined)
1.5.2 Transformation Everyone became a pilgrim Everyone became a pilgrim Everyone became a pilgrim
of roles?
1.5.3 Roles which are At the end, we met socially Brothers are always Brothers are always
confined and without so much emphasis Brothers, even outside of Brothers, even outside of
extended beyond the on roles. However, there ritual (not in robes though). ritual (not in robes though).
ritual arena? was still the dynamic of Archbishop Emeritus is Archbishop Emeritus is
host/visitor between the always Archbishop Emeritus. always Archbishop Emeritus.
parish congregation and the The roles of pilgrim and/or Catholic priest is always a
pilgrims. The vicar remains volunteer extended through priest.
the vicar, even outside the the weekend The roles of pilgrim and/or
ritual. He wears a clerical volunteer extended through
collar. the weekend
1.5.4 Degree of High degree of participation: High degree of participation: High degree of participation:
participation? singing, praying, reading, singing, praying, reading, singing, praying, reading,
translation (of reading), translation (of translation (of
placing luggage labels, reading/prayers), going up reading/prayers),
lighting candles, processing to the cross, many people
out together helped to clear the church
at the end
1.5.5 Special names Priest and deacon Taizé Brothers and Taizé Brothers , Archbishop
for special roles? Archbishop Emeritus Emeritus, Catholic priest
1.5.6 Slipping out of a The priest removed his Taizé Brothers removed Taizé Brothers removed
role? ceremonial robes in the their ceremonial robes in their ceremonial robes in
vestry and returned in the vestry and returned in the vestry and returned in
normal clothes with a normal clothes towards the normal clothes towards the
clerical collar at the end. end end
Likewise the deacon and
servers removed their
ceremonial robe.
1.5.7 Are participants Priest and deacon have Brothers and RW have made Brothers, RW, Catholic
regarded as sacred? made religious vows. religious vows. Everyone is a priest have made religious
Everyone is a pilgrim. pilgrim vows. Everyone is a pilgrim
1.5.8 Determination Priest and deacon: choice Brothers: choice and divine Brothers, RW, and priest:
of ritual roles: choice, and divine calling. calling. choice and divine calling.
divine calling? Other roles: mixture of Other roles: mixture of Other roles: mixture of
choice and divine calling and choice and divine calling and choice and divine calling and
88
volunteering. volunteering volunteering
1.5.9 Which groups Pilgrims (visitors), pilgrims Pilgrims (implied) Pilgrims (implied)
are recognized, (congregation joining in),
addressed: adults, pilgrims (hosts visiting from
men, poor? other Birmingham
churches).
1.5.10 Who initiates, The priest with volunteers The Brothers with The Brothers with
plans and sustains the from the parish, other volunteers from ‘Hidden volunteers from ‘Hidden
ritual? churches, and from ‘Hidden Treasure’ Treasure’, and the Catholic
Treasure’ priest
1.5.11 Can it be Although the invitation to The lack of announcements The lack of announcements
criticized? communion was open to is good once you are is good once you are
everyone, as a Catholic, I familiar but at first is familiar but at first is
decided to just go up for a confusing confusing. In the ornate
blessing. It was good that setting of St Chad’s
there was additional blessed Cathedral, Taizé seemed less
bread. simple
1.5.12 Is anyone For pilgrims and locals based It is a Christian service so It is a Christian service so
excluded/ marginal? in Kings Heath. There were maybe, but locals and maybe, but locals and
different services for the tourists were invited and tourists were invited and
different HT everyone was welcome. everyone was welcome
neighbourhoods. The fact However I saw a Muslim
that it was a Eucharistic couple and they were made
service may have made welcome
some denominations feel a
little excluded, although
there was an open invitation
1.5.13 Which interests Serve: local cooperation Serve: international Serve: international
does the ritual serve (different churches involved cooperation (different cooperation (different
or threaten (political, in hosting pilgrims), languages are included), languages are included),
economic)? international cooperation ecumenism (people from ecumenism (people from
(different languages are different churches), different churches)
included), ecumenism interreligious dialogue Threaten: ?
(people from different (subject of RW’s talk, active
churches). welcome of people of other
Threaten: ? social injustice religions by participants)
Threaten: ?
1.5.14 Does the ritual It crosses denominational It crosses denominational It crosses denominational
cross boundaries (people from boundaries (people from boundaries (people from
cultural/religious different churches), and different churches), and different churches), and
boundaries? cultural (people from cultural (people from cultural (people from
different countries). different countries). In a different countries).
way it crossed religious
boundaries because people
of other religions were
actively welcomed by
participants and RW’s talk
was about ‘friendship with
those of other religions’
1.5.15 Does the ritual People from different People from different People from different
cross regional countries (though mostly countries (though mostly countries (though mostly
boundaries? Europe). Europe) Europe)
1.5.16 What feelings Welcome, praise, reverence, Praise, reverence, hope, Praise, reverence, hope,
89
are expressed? hope, love, worship, love, worship, openness love, worship, openness
openness, social
responsibility
1.5.17 Relation Individual: physically coming Individual: silence Individual: silence
between individual – to communion, lighting encourages your own encourages your own
collective? candle, introducing oneself reflection, physically coming reflection, saying ‘Amen’.
(pilgrims), saying ‘Amen’. to the cross, saying ‘Amen’. Collective: singing together,
Collective: sharing of candle Collective: singing together, praying together, saying
light, singing together, praying together, saying ‘Amen’ together.
praying together, saying ‘Amen’ together.
‘Amen’ together, sharing a
handshake for sign of peace,
socialising after.
1.5.18 Emphasis on Balance between feelings, Form of prayer mostly Form of prayer mostly
actions, feelings, thoughts, and intentions, emphasising feelings, emphasising feelings,
thoughts, intentions? and actions. There was thoughts, and intentions. thoughts, and intentions
sitting and standing, But kneeling at Cross is an
introductions, placing of action.
luggage labels, moving
around to share handshake
for sign of peace, lighting
candles.
1.5.19 Room for Creativity in combining an New song for the gathering New song for the gathering
creativity/ ordinary Sunday morning ‘Seek treasure’ ‘Seek treasure’
innovation? service with Taizé elements:
luggage labels, candle
lighting, blessed bread,
Taizé songs.
1.5.20 Clothes/ Priest wore cream Brothers in white hooded Brothers in white hooded
costumes? Are they vestments with gold trim. robes. RW wearing black robes. RW wearing black
prescribed or The deacon and servers with a clerical collar. with a clerical collar.
individualised? wore cream robes with a Everyone else in ordinary Catholic priest wearing
coloured cord. Everyone clothes vestments. Everyone else in
else in ordinary clothes. ordinary clothes
1.6 Ritual action

1.6.1 Kinds of action: Sitting, standing, placing of Mostly sitting but also Sitting, (some) kneeling
sitting, kneeling, luggage labels, sharing a kneeling and touching the
touching, walking? hand shake for the sign of cross.
peace, lighting of candles,
processing out.
1.6.2 Which order?
1.6.3 Emphasis on Emphasis on verbally Mostly emphasis on stillness Mostly emphasis on stillness
actions? participating while sitting or and quiet contemplation. and quiet contemplation.
standing still. Some Also singing and physically Also singing
movement around the going to cross.
church for luggage labels,
sign of peace, lighting
candles, and processing out.
1.6.4 Central actions? Sitting, standing, facing the Sitting, facing the altar. Sitting, facing the altar
altar, handshake for sign of Kneeling and placing
peace, placing luggage forehead on cross
labels, lighting candles,
90
distributing and receiving
bread and wine.
1.6.5 Symbolic Orientating ourselves Orientating ourselves Orientating ourselves
actions? towards the altar, placing towards altar. Symbolically towards altar
luggage labels, lighting coming to Jesus on the Cross
candles, sharing handshake
for sign of peace, receiving
bread and wine.
1.6.6 Which meanings Orientating ourselves Orientating ourselves Orientating ourselves
are attributed? towards God, travelling on a towards God. Coming to towards God
pilgrimage/having come Jesus
from many different places,
sharing God’s
light/rekindling their
witness, wishing peace for
our neighbours, receiving
the Body and Blood of Jesus.
1.6.7 Which actions In general, each phase of In general, there are no In general, there are no
are not justified, the service was briefly announcements as to what announcements as to what
explained? introduced. Some of the will happen, apart from the will happen.
physical movements praying with the Cross.
(reading in the centre of the
aisle etc.) were not
explained
1.6.8 Spontaneous/ No No No
stylized actions?
1.6.9 Which actions None None None
are incongruent with
other actions,
contexts, or words?
1.6.10 Repetition of The pilgrims all placed their Many different people went None
actions? luggage labels on the altar up to kneel at the Cross
and lit candles. Elements of
the consecration were
repeated for the bread and
wine. Most people took
communion.
1.6.11 Qualities of Generally things were done Generally things were done Generally things were done
action: quickness, slowly and calmly but there slowly, calmly, and quietly. slowly, calmly, and quietly,
slowness, hesitancy, was a fair amount of When people were clearing but there was very little
mobility? movement (luggage labels, the church afterwards there movement
candles, reading etc.) was more movement and
noise
1.6.12 Demeanour of The priest was calm and It was hard to see the It was hard to see them
ritual officiants? welcoming. He smiled when Brothers because they because those
he welcomed us/explain remained seated. The reading/praying remained
things. He had a more readers went up to the seated.
solemn demeanour during pulpit to read. They were The speaker sat on a chair
the ritual itself. He and the calm and stood silently with children sitting near
servers/readers moved with while they waited. RW sat him, faced the congregation,
relatively slow deliberation. on a chair facing the and spoke calmly
When the pilgrims moved congregation to speak. He
around, they moved slightly was animated and looked
91
faster around at people as he
spoke.
1.6.13 Framing? ? ? ?
1.6.14 Emphasis on Emphasis on Body and Kneeling and placing None
body parts? Blood of Jesus and on forehead on the cross
physically eating the bread
and wine
1.6.15 Usage of the Mostly hearing (song) and Mostly hearing (song) and Mostly hearing (songs)
senses? taste (bread and wine) touch (cross)
1.6.16 Actions with Facing icon/altar. Placing of Facing icon/altar. Kneeling Facing icon cross/ altar
objects? luggage labels, lighting of at the Cross.
candles, carrying of lantern,
placing of children’s art,
consecration, distribution,
and consumption of bread
and wine
1.6.17 Emphasis on Mixture of action (luggage Mostly on passiveness Mostly on passiveness
action or passiveness? labels, candles, communion, (maybe better to say still, (maybe better to say still,
sign of peace) and quiet participation) quiet participation)
passiveness (still, quiet
participation)
1.6.18 Inner-directed Mostly inner-directed Mostly inner-directed Mostly inner-directed
or outer-directed toward internal relationship toward internal relationship toward internal relationship
actions? to God but also outer- to God but also outer- to God but also outer-
directed (praying for the directed (praying for the directed (praying for the
world) world) world)
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Appendix 3
3.1. Participants’ answers (themes from participant interviews)
P1 (Footnote 79): ‘…It feels quite simple, and knowing that the brothers are from different
denominations, and therefore, there’s no kind of hierarchy [….] I’ve got a lot of time for many
different expressions of Christianity, and I suppose, I see bits of each of them in, in Taizé. And I guess
that’s their witness as well, is like living reconciled, isn’t it?’
P6a (Footnote 80): ‘I mean it’s slightly different, in Taizé itself, they have the Catholic Mass, and so
the Eucharist is kind of consecrated by Catholic priests […]’, but the way that they do it makes it
necessary for it to be like that to include the Catholics, but the way they distribute the communion,
with the special dispensation from the bishop, and the form of the service in which they distribute
communion, makes it inclusive to everyone else so it’s really kind of a miracle that everyone is
catered for. And there’s still not that sense of “we are from this spirituality, but we’re allowing
everyone else to come too.”’
P1 (Footnote 81): ‘I’ve never been to something like this before, like Taizé outside of Taizé, I suppose.
It’s more similar than I thought it might be, but obviously it’s also in a drastically different context. So
the actual prayer and the community spirit and the atmosphere is very, very similar and I imagine
that’s carefully, I feel like they know how to organize that because obviously they have the kind of
European meetings each year [….] I guess they know how to welcome lots of people, and I think a lot
of people that have come have been to Taizé before and so that does mean, I suppose, everyone’s
bringing bit of an understanding, like, how we behave, and how we interact with each other.’
P1 (footnote 82): ‘I was going at a time when, I wasn’t really sure, like I knew that I believed in God,
but I was still kind of working out quite how, like what faith was about, and what I thought [….] and I
went to Taizé and I think I just, I don’t know, I just remember walking into the church and it feeling so
peaceful, and I don’t know, I felt like I belonged even though I didn’t know, like all the stuff I wasn’t
sure about didn’t feel important compared with the sort of belonging that I felt there [….] For me,
because when I first went to Taizé, I didn’t have a denomination, and I wasn’t sure, like, where I
should fit or, again, it just didn’t feel like it mattered and I guess like at Taizé they, like everyone
takes communion, for example, which is obviously quite rare ….’
P6a (Footnote 83): ‘It provides a very accessible way of worship for people, I think it’s very
unintimidating, I’m from a Catholic background, and I’m very aware that the Catholic Mass is very
rich, it’s very difficult for people to get inside it and understand it if they are unfamiliar with it. And
so, I often encourage people to go to Taizé (laughs) as a sort of introduction, a sort of more gentle,
and open, approach for people who just, I don’t know, just on the margins of faith or exploring
different… ideas related to God….’
P5 (Footnote 84): ‘…the Taizé cross, was given to the brothers at a time when Communism was very
strong in Russia [….] And the brothers held a meeting in Russia to support the Russian Christians, and
they were given the icon of the cross as a gift, so they brought that into the church, they
incorporated it into the worship, it’s always in the church, and on Friday nights it’s brought down into
the centre of the church after the […] evening prayer and laid on the floor, and first of all the
monastic community come, the brothers come round it and pray in silence, and then when they
move away the young people are invited to come if they wish and just pray around the cross. Some
people will come and kneel down and place a hand or their head on the cross as a symbol of
surrendering their burdens to Jesus, you know “Come to me all you who labour and are heavy laden
and I will give you rest.” Other people will just touch the cross; other people will pray there a long
time; other people will come and sob, because they have heavy burdens that they perhaps find it
difficult to share. So, that’s a very beautiful, traditional thing, but it’s been incorporated, and I think
93
when young people see other young people doing something which is perhaps unfamiliar to them,
from another tradition, they might, it might invite them to consider “maybe I could do that.”
Sometimes people are a bit shy of going over to the cross and touching it because they think, “Am I,
is this idolatry?” When they see other young people doing it very sincerely, they realize that actually
that can be a very deep act of surrender to God, it can be something very deeply interior….’
3.2. Hosts’ answers (themes from host interviews)
H2 (Footnote 87): ‘When I went to Taizé I also didn’t feel very connected to the church […] but I felt
really connected at Taizé and I think there is something very, there’s like a great silence at Taizé,
although it’s quite busy [….] So I look back and I think Taizé was really important for me, in the search
for another way of connecting with God and connecting with other people in a more silent way.’
H8 (Footnote 88): ‘So it probably was one of the things that made me feel that I would carry on going
to church because it became a bit more, you know, applicable to me, it made sense, as a teenager
[….] It just seemed that this was a less dogmatic, less kind of theological, less ‘you have to believe
this, this, and this’ type of faith….’
H3 (Footnote 89): ‘…What we’re talking about is something that doesn’t really involve a lot of words,
and what I’ve been describing here, is the kind of vision aspect, that’s one way where you’re
effected, and you’re connected, you’re all looking at the same thing. And it connects you even if
you’re not saying the same words [….] But the Taizé service, because of its visual quality, and it’s the
music being very simple, everyone can connect.’
H2 (Footnote 90): ‘I remember when I was in Taizé, the first time […] I remember there was an icon
outside with, candles, and it was so beautiful, like in a shelter, and I just remember sitting there, that
was just so, there was so much beauty to feed your soul at Taizé. And with the music, and the
singing, the really deep sense of prayer and unity, and in the icons and the candles, and this huge,
cavernous, kind of church space, and the simplicity.’
3.3. Example interview transcript excerpt

AEC: So, yeah, just tell me about your Taizé experience, how many times you’ve been.
Interviewee 1: Sure, so I’ve been three times, and I first went back in 2011 and that was during my
year abroad and I’d heard about Taizé, and I think I’d maybe been to a prayer in Cardiff once, but um
it wasn’t really, I didn’t know much. And then when I was living in Non I met, um, someone, actually
quite an elderly lady who just told me how wonderful it was and how much it had like changed her
life and that I absolutely had to go. So I went by myself in sort of, I think end of January or beginning
of February. And I was going at a time when, I wasn’t really sure, like I knew that I believed in God,
but I was still kind of working out quite how, like what faith was about, and what I thought…
AEC: Hmm mmm
Int 1: and I went to Taizé and I think I just, I don’t know, I just remember walking into the church and
it feeling so peaceful um and I don’t know, I felt like I belonged even though I didn’t know, like all the
stuff I wasn’t sure about didn’t feel important compared with the sort of belonging that I felt there…
AEC: Hmm mmm
94
Int 1: So yeah… Um and then, so yeah that was a week also I met some wonderful people and had
some very interesting discussions and met some of the brothers and um, obviously you get really
involved in like the rhythm of the prayer and it was really great. And then I went to Pisa because I
was studying and I was going somewhere else, it was interesting actually that I felt so peaceful after
Taizé, that you know, I arrived in a country I didn’t know with no, like plans for my accommodation
or anything, and everything just felt fine, I felt like really trusting and everything…
AEC: (laughs) yeah
Int 1: And then I went back that same year, for two weeks and I spent one of those weeks in silence,
which is one of the things that you can do if you want to. That was really, really interesting. Um, you
do like the prayer with the rest of the community, and then you have two of sort of like your own
prayer times that you incorporate into the day, um you have a special like reflection to the group
who are in silence to help you understand like the process, what you start to become aware of when
you stop talking…
AEC: Hmm mmm
Int 1: And then I went back again a couple of years ago, I was working and I just wanted to sort of, er,
another injection of calm, I suppose…
95
Appendix 4: Online questionnaire
Thank you for participating in my survey. My name is Alice Costar and I am studying for a Master's in
Ecumenical Studies at the University of Bonn, Germany. I am conducting research on Taizé and its
approach to ecumenism. However, it is important to state the my research is in no way associated
with the Taizé Community. This is an individual academic research project.
I am very interested to hear your thoughts and experiences of Taizé worship, both in the village itself
and around the world. All your answers will be anonymous. If you have friends who might be willing
to share their experience of Taizé, please share the survey link with them.
If you have questions or additional comments you wish to share, please feel free to send an email to
acostar.research@gmail.com
1. What is your age?

2. Where are you from?
3. What is your current religion? If you are Christian, please indicate what denomination(s) you
identify with.
4. If you have had any former Taizé related experiences, please describe them. (This could
include visiting Taizé in France, attending official Taizé gatherings elsewhere, attending
unofficial Taizé gatherings or prayer meetings, using Taizé music in other worship settings,
etc….)
5. How do you understand ecumenism?
6. Taizé is an ecumenical community. How would you describe the way in which Taizé is
ecumenical?
7. Taizé events often rely heavily on volunteers. Please describe any experience you have had
with volunteering in a Taizé context. This could include practical task, leading worship,
leading workshops or sharing groups, hosting people etc….
8. Is there anything else you’d like to share about Taizé?
9. Please indicate whether you heard about this survey directly from the researcher (Alice
Costar) or via someone else
a. Directly from the researcher at Hidden Treasure: Taizé Birmingham 2017
b. Directly from the researcher at another time
c. Via someone else
d. Other (Please specify)
10. Going forward… please indicate what you would like to happen next:
a. Nothing
b. Participate in a future survey (enter your email below)
c. Participate in an informal interview (enter your email below)
d. Receive a copy of the final research findings (enter your email below)
96
I hereby certify that this submission is my own work, and that, to the best of my knowledge, it
contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due
acknowledgment has been made in the footnotes and bibliography.
Signature Date

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Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn

Supervisor: Dr. Kim de Wildt

To the Examination Office of the Evangelisch-Theologische Fakultät

1.4. What is Taizé?..........................................................................................................................7

1.5 What does ‘ecumenical’ mean? ..............................................................................................9

3.2. Ecumenical worship……………………………………………………………………………………………………………....61

Appendix 2 Example liturgy observation data matrix…………………………………………………………………….…77

Appendix 3…………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………..93

The Taizé community as a whole, however, is too large a topic to be tackled

2.2.2 Analysis of Taizé liturgies

2.3.4 Analysis of interviews with hosts

2.4.2 Where do the different types of data verify each

At 20:08 someone else’s phone goes off.

1.4 Ritual sound and

1.5 Ritual identity

1.6 Ritual action

3.2. Hosts’ answers (themes from host interviews)

3.3. Example interview transcript excerpt

AEC: Hmm mmm

AEC: Hmm mmm

AEC: (laughs) yeah

AEC: Hmm mmm

1. What is your age?

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