Community called Taize: A Story Of Prayer, Worship and Reconciliation

by Jason Santos

Taize--the word is strangely familiar to many throughout the contemporary church. Familiar, perhaps, because the chanted prayers of Taize are well practiced in churches throughout the world. Strangely, however, because so little is known about Taize--from its historic beginnings to how the word itself is pronounced. The worship of the Taize community, as it turns out, is best understood in the context of its greater mission. On the day Jason Brian Santos arrived in the Taize community its leader was brutally murdered before his eyes. Instead of making Santos want to leave, the way the community handled this tragedy made him long to stay and learn more about this group of people who could respond to such evil with grace and love. In this book he takes us on a tour of one of the world's first ecumenical monastic orders, from its monastic origins in the war-torn south of 1940s France to its emerging mission as a pilgrimage site and spiritual focal point for millions of young people throughout the world. In A Community Called Taize you'll meet the brothers of the order and the countless visitors and volunteers who have taken upon themselves a modest pronouncing peace and reconciliation to the church and the world.

Genres: Spirituality

304 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 2010

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ran into this book on my phone and downloaded it, frankly, because it was fairly inexpensive and I was interested in learning a bit more about Taize. I have attended Taize events and our church uses Taize chants from time to time, so I was acquainted with those elements of the Taize story. I knew about the Taize community, but not really in detail. So, it was interesting to read more about the community; both its history and how it all works. Santos does give the sense of the place and that is valuable.

I think what disturbs me a bit, however, is the degree to which Santos dismisses the partial adoption of Taize songs and services. One gets the strong feeling that Santos thinks there really is only way to use these resources. I sympathize in the sense that I also think that one has to respect where practices come from, but I wonder if Santos gives enough scope for creative re-formulation in different contexts.

Still, this is an excellent introduction to Taize and is well worth reading on that basis.

[Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was very interesting to learn more about Taize and I thought that the author's analysis and understanding was insightful. However his writing is not lyrical and at times his insistence on spelling everything out felt patronizing. But, as a general guide to Taize it is informative and worth reading.

[Saffron Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book. Explains all about Taize, it's origins, what a typical day is like, gives travelling tips, also gives the context of the parayers and songs and the spirit behind teh community. Well worth a read.

[Lukas Eka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pembahasaannya tak sulit, penceritaannya jujur, dan penyampaiannya membuat saya memunculkan semua memori tentang Taizé. Buku yang patut Anda baca jika ingin memiliki imajinasi tentang kehidupan Taizé secara lengkap.