Esperienza religiosa, Mission e Organizzazione. Lo studio di un campo emergente

Journal title STUDI ORGANIZZATIVI
Author/s Stefania Palmisano
Publishing Year 2014 Issue 2013/2
Language Italian Pages 26 P. 62-87 File size 96 KB
DOI 10.3280/SO2013-002003
DOI is like a bar code for intellectual property: to have more infomation click here

Below, you can see the article first page

If you want to buy this article in PDF format, you can do it, following the instructions to buy download credits

Article preview

FrancoAngeli is member of Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA), a not-for-profit association which run the CrossRef service enabling links to and from online scholarly content.

The aim of this article is to find out whether or not there are meaningful connections between the core religious experience of selected New Catholic Communities (NCCs) born in the wake of Vatican Council II and some of their organizational aspects. Because the NCCs are not only extremely varied, but are also extremely numerous, we chose the research strategy of theory-building from multiple cases, examining ten NCCs based in Piedmont, North-West Italy. Adopting the Neo-institutionalist approach, we claim that NCCs operating in the same organizational field demonstrate important organizational differences. More specifically, we argue that these differences originate from the basic religious experience which inspires a community’s raison d’être. As a consequence, we maintain that communities born out of different religious experiences demonstrate different organizational structures. The article is divided as follows. Using a classical Weberian distinction, we construct a typology of NCCs dividing communities according to the twofold criteria of, first, ascetic and mystical and, second, this-wordly and other-wordly. Later we illustrate our findings from the multiple case study. After that we discuss the form and extent to which relevant organizational differences correspond to NCCs’ different core religious experiences. Finally, we identify some theoretical questions which could be answered by further research.

Keywords: Religious Experience, Mission, Organization, Emerging Field, New Catholic Communities, Vatican Council II.

  1. Ammerman, N.T. (2005), Pillars of Faith, Los Angeles, CA, University of California Press.
  2. Anderson, A. (2010), “Varieties, Taxonomies, and Definitions”, in A. Anderson, M. Bergunder, A. Droogers e C. Van der Laan (a cura di), Studying Global Pentecostalism, Los Angeles, University of California Press: 13-29.
  3. Bartholomew, J.N. (1981), “A Sociological View of Authority in Religious Organizations”, Review of Religious Research, 23-2: 118-132.
  4. Bartunek, J.M. (1984), “Changing Interpretative Schemes and Organizational Restructuring: The Example of a Religious Order”, Administrative Science Quarterly, 29-3: 355-372.
  5. Baudouin, J., Portier P. (2002), Le mouvement catholique français à l’épreuve de la pluralité, Rennes, Presses Universitaires de Rennes.
  6. Beckford, J. A. (1973), “Religious Organization”, Current Sociology, XXI-2: 78-102.
  7. Beyer, P. (2007), “Globalization and Glocalization”, in J.A. Beckford, N.J. Demerath III (a cura di), The Sage Handbook of the Sociology of Religion, Los Angeles London New Delhi Singapore Washington DC, Sage.
  8. Blasi, T., Zimmerman, J. (2004), Transition from Vowed to Lay Ministry in American Catholicism, Lewiston New York, Edwin Mellen.
  9. Bord, R.J., Faulkner, J.E. (1983), The Charismatics: The Anatomy of a Modern Religious Movement, University Park, Pennsylvania State University Press.
  10. Chaves, M. (1997), Ordaining women: Culture and conflict in religious organization, Harvard, Harvard University Press.
  11. Christiano, K.J., Swatos, W.H., Kivisto, P. (2008), Sociology of Religion, Plymouth, Rowman and Littlefield.
  12. Csordas, T.J. (1997), The Sacred Self: Cultural Phenomenology of Charismatic Healing, Berkeley, University of California Press.
  13. – (2001), Language, Charisma, and Creativity: Ritual Life in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, New York, Palgrave MacMillan.
  14. Demerath III, N.J., Dobkin Hall, P., Schmitt, T., Williams, R.H. (a cura di) (1998), Sacred Companies, New York, Oxford University Press.
  15. Dillon, M. (2007), “Bringing doctrine back into action: The Catholicity of VOTF Catholics and its imperative”, in W. D’Antonio, A. Pogorelc (a cura di), Voices of the Faithful: Loyal Catholics Struggling for Change, New York, The Cross Road Publishing Company: 105-120.
  16. Diotallevi, L. (2001), Il rompicapo della secolarizzazione. Caso italiano, teorie americane e revisione del paradigma della secolarizzazione, Soveria Mannelli, Rubbettino.
  17. Dyck, B., Starke, F. Harder, H., Hecht, T. (2005), “Do the structure of religious organizations reflect their statements-of-faith? An exploratory study”, Review of Religious Research, 47 (1): 51-69.
  18. Ebaugh, H.R. (1993), Women in Vanishing Cloisters. Organizational Decline in Catholic Religious Orders in the United States, New Brunswick NJ, Rutgers University Press.
  19. Eisenhardt, K.M., Graebner, M.E. (2007), “Theory Building from Cases: Opportunities
  20. and Challenges”, Academy of Management Journal, 50-1: 25-32.
  21. Etzioni, A. (1961), A Comparative Analysis of Complex Organizations, New York,
  22. The Free Press of Glencoe. Harris, M. (1998), “A Special Case of Voluntary Associations? Towards a Theory of Congregational Organization”, The British Journal of Sociology, 49-4: 602-618.
  23. Harrison, P. (1959), Authority and Power in the Free Church Tradition, Princeton, Princeton University Press.
  24. Hervieu-Leger, D., Hervieu, B. (1983), Des communautés pour les temps difficiles. Néo-ruraux ou nouveaux moines, Paris, Le Centurion.
  25. Hinings, C.R., Foster, B.D. (1973), “The organization structure of churches. A preliminary model”, Sociology, 7: 93-106.
  26. Hougland, J.G., Wood, J.R. (1980), “Control in Organizations and the Commitment of Members”, Social Forces, 59 (1): 85-105.
  27. Kalberg, S. (1980), “Maw Weber’s Types of Rationality: Cornerstones for the Analysis of Rationalization Processes in History”, American Journal of Sociology, 85-5, 1145-1179.
  28. – (2001), “Should the Dynamic Autonomy of Ideas Matter to Sociologists? Max Weber on the Origin of Other-Worldly Salvation Religions and the Constitution of Groups in American Society Today”, Journal of Classical Sociology, 1-3: 291-328.
  29. Kanter, R.M. (1972), “Commitment and the Internal Organization of Millennial Movements”, The American Behavioural Scientist, 16-2: 219-243.
  30. Iannacone, L.R. (1988), “A formal model of church and sect”, American Journal of Sociology, 94: 241-268.
  31. Introvigne, M. (2004), I pentecostali, Rivoli, Elledici.
  32. Landron, O. (2004), Les Communautés nouvelles. Nouveaux visages du catholicisme français, Paris, Éd. du Cerf.
  33. Lofland, J., Richardson, J.T. (1984), “Religious Movement Organizations: Elemental Forms and Dynamics”, Research in Social Movements, Conflict and Change, 7: 29-51.
  34. Makler, H.M. (1963), “Centralization/Decentralization in Formal Organizations: A Case Study of American Protestant Denominations”, Review of Religious Research, 5-1: 5-11.
  35. Marzano, M. (2009), Cattolicesimo magico, Milano, Bompiani.
  36. Meyer, M., Zucker, L.G. (1988), Permanently Failing Organizations, Huntington Park –CA., Sage.
  37. Neitz, M.J. (1987), Charisma and Community: A Study of Religious Commitment within the Charismatic Renewal, New Brunswick – NJ, Transaction.
  38. Pace, E. (1983), Asceti e mistici in una società secolarizzata, Venezia, Marsilio.
  39. – (2003), “Crescete e moltiplicatevi. Dall’organicismo alla pluralità dei modelli, nel cattolicesimo contemporaneo”, Concilium, 3: 87-103.
  40. Poloma, M.M. (1989), The Assemblies of God at the Crossroads: Charisma and Institutional Dilemmas, Knoxville, University of Tennessee Press.
  41. Pratt, M.G. (2000), “The Good, the Bad, and the Ambivalent: Managing Identification among Amway Distributors”, Administrative Science Quarterly, 45: 456-493.
  42. Pugh, D., Hickson, D., Hining, C.R.. (1983), Writer on Organizations, London, Penguin.
  43. Rocca, G. (2002), “Nuove forme di vita consacrata”, Vita consacrata. 38-6: 96-112.
  44. Roldàn, V. (2009), Il rinnovamento carismatico cattolico, Milano, FrancoAngeli.
  45. Schieman, S. (2010), “Socioeconomic Status and Beliefs about God’s Influence in Everyday Life”, Sociology of Religion, 71-1: 25-51.
  46. Scheitle, C.P., Dougherty, K.D. (2008), “The Sociology of Religious Organizations”, Sociology Compass, 2-3: 981-999
  47. Seidler, J., Meyer, K. (1989), Conflict and Change in the Catholic Church, New Brunswick
  48. – NJ, Rutgers University Press. Sharot, S. (2001), A comparative sociology of world religious: virtuosos, priests and popular religion, New York London, New York University Press.
  49. Stark, R.,. Bainbridge, W (1987), A Theory of Religion, New York, Peter Lang.
  50. Szafran, R.F. (1981), “Control Structures in Religious Organizations”, Sociology of Work and Occupation, 8-3: 327-352.
  51. Trist, E., Higgin, L.G.W., Murray, H., Pollock A.B. (1963), Organizational Choice, London, Tavistock.
  52. Weber, M. (1958), The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, New York, Scribner.
  53. – (1978), Economy and Society, a cura di Guenther R., C. Wittich, New York, Bedminister.
  54. Wilkinson, M., Althouse, P. (2010), Varieties of Prayer in the Pentecostal Movement, Atlanta, Oral presentation – ASR 72nd annual meeting, 12-16 August.
  55. Wittberg, P. (1996), “Real Religious Communities: A Study of Authentication in New Roman Catholic Religious Orders”, Religion and The Social Order, 6: 139-174.
  56. Woodward, J. (1965), Industrial Organization: Theory and Practice, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
  57. Yin, R. (1994), Case Study Research: Design and Methods, London, Sage. 87

Stefania Palmisano, Esperienza religiosa, Mission e Organizzazione. Lo studio di un campo emergente in "STUDI ORGANIZZATIVI " 2/2013, pp 62-87, DOI: 10.3280/SO2013-002003