The Quarterly Journal of St. Philaret’s Institute

This article is dedicated to the memory of Robert Francis Taft, who was an outstanding 20th century liturgist. It analyzes the main milestones in Taft’s life, as well as his scholarly formation. Given that Taft was a practicing liturgist, rather than a desk researcher, from times dating back to his student years, the author concludes that this is the primary factor which determined Taft’s methodology for liturgical research. Taft’s approach to the study of liturgy involves not only entering into the Church’s experience of prayer as preserved by the tradition, but also the consideration of various socio-cultural aspects in the life of liturgical texts; here he was motivated by a desire to explore the impact of liturgy on people’s everyday lives. Taft’s approach to the study of worship was based on personal knowledge and free from ultimate conclusions. At the same time, Taft studied historical sources meticulously, so as to put them into their proper historical context and take proper account of subsequent events. Taft applies Anton Baumstark’s comparative liturgical method in his research, developing it through the examination of liturgical structures. One of Taft’s most influential teachers was Juan Mateos, who proved the importance of A. Baumstark’s comparative method through his study of cathedral and monastic worship. With the works of his pupils Archimandrite Robert Taft, Fr. Miguel Arranz and others, Mateos was able to lay down new foundations for the use of Baumstark’s comparative method. Archimandrite Taft continued the research of J. Mateos in several directions simultaneously, making a significant contribution to the study of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. In addition to Robert Taft’s main lines of research, this article touches on various topics beyond his historical and liturgical studies, including his works in the fields of practical ecclesiology, problems in ecumenism, issues of unity, and proselytism.