Abstract
A study of the relationship between music and religion. Music is undeniably an important part of religious rite, and it is a powerful medium. But whose medium is it? And what effect does religious music have on the worshipper? In this thesis I have explored the practices within Taizé, a monastic community that has had effects far beyond the borders of their monastery in France. Studying the individual experiences in light of religious phenomenology have given great insight into what happens at a personal level in the prayers. But the community also greatly affects the individual, and also this relationship adds to the personal experience. An interesting duality has evolved from the empiri: that of individuality and community, an individual religious experience and a powerful connection to a community of common values and visions.