A Sociological Reading of a Novelty

Jesus Forsaken in Chiara Lubich's Proposal

Abstract

The article examines the relationship between ideas and their social context from the perspective of the sociology of knowledge. It starts by examining recent theories of social constructionists on authorship and authorship competencies. How can we reflect on the process of differentiation of meanings and how they eventually provoke creative re-interpretations and bring about new meanings and competencies? As a case study the article examines the history of the Focolare Movement in its early years. Jesus Forsaken is a key point in Chiara Lubich’s ‘spirituality of unity’, does this term function as a basis for creative reinterpretation? If so, how is this to be understood?