Jesus is considered by historians such as Weber to be an example of a charismatic religious leader;

The sociologist Max Weber defined charismatic authority as "resting on devotion to the exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person, and of the normative patterns or order revealed or ordained by him." Charismatic authority is one of three forms of authority laid out in Weber's tripartite classification of authority, the other two being traditional authority and rational-legal authority. The concept has acquired wide usage among sociologists. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Jesus (8–2 BC/BCE to 29–36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... Sociology is the study of the social lives of humans, groups and societies. ... Maximilian Weber (IPA: ) (April 21, 1864 – June 14, 1920) was a German political economist and sociologist who is considered one of the founders of the modern study of sociology and public administration. ... In politics, authority (Latin auctoritas, used in Roman law as opposed to potestas and imperium) is often used interchangeably with the term power. However, their meanings differ. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Traditional authority (also known as traditional domination) is a form of leadership in which the authority of an organization or a ruling regime is largely tied to the tradition. ... Rational-legal authority (also known as rational authority, legal authority, rational domination, legal domination) is a form of leadership in which the authority of an organization or a ruling regime is largely tied to legal rationality, legal legitimacy and bureaucracy. ...

Characteristics

In his writings about charismatic authority, Weber applies the term charisma to "a certain quality of an individual personality, by virtue of which he is set apart from ordinary men and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities. These are such as are not accessible to the ordinary person, but are regarded as of divine origin or as exemplary, and on the basis of them the individual concerned is treated as a leader [...] How the quality in question would be ultimately judged from an ethical, aesthetic, or other such point of view is naturally indifferent for the purpose of definition." ^[1] The word charisma (from the Greek word χάρισμα (kharisma), gift or divine favor, from kharizesthai, to favor, from kharis, favor) refers to a rare trait found in certain human personalities usually including extreme charm and a magnetic quality of personality and/or appearance along with innate and powerfully sophisticated personal communicability...

Charismatic authority is 'power legitimized on the basis of a leader's exceptional personal qualities or the demonstration of extraordinary insight and accomplishment, which inspire loyalty and obedience from followers' ^[2]. As such, it rests almost entirely on the leader; the absence of that leader for any reason can lead to the authority's power dissolving. However, due to its idiosyncratic nature and lack of formal organization, charismatic authority depends much more strongly on the perceived legitimacy of the authority than Weber’s other forms of authority. For instance, a charismatic leader in a religious context might require an unchallenged belief that the leader has been touched by God, in the sense of a guru or prophet. [1] Should the strength of this belief fade, the power of the charismatic leader can fade quickly, which is one of the ways in which this form of authority shows itself to be unstable. In contrast to the current popular use of the term charismatic leader, Weber saw charismatic authority not so much as character traits of the charismatic leader but as a relationship between the leader and his followers — much in the same way that Freud would transform Gustave Le Bon's crowd psychology through the notion of identification and of an Ideal of the Ego. The validity of charism is founded on its "recognition" by the leader's followers (or "adepts" - Anhänger). This recognition "is not (in authentic charism) the grounds of legitimity, but a duty, for those who are chosen, in virtue of this call and of its confirmation, to recognize this quality. "Recognition" which is, psychologically, a completely personal abandon, full of faith, born either from enthusiasm or from necessity and hope. No prophet has seen his quality as depending from the crowd's opinion towards himself", although his charisme risks disappearing if he is "abandoned by God" or if "his government doesn't provide any prosperity to those whom he dominates". The word charisma (from the Greek word χάρισμα (kharisma), gift or divine favor, from kharizesthai, to favor, from kharis, favor) refers to a rare trait found in certain human personalities usually including extreme charm and a magnetic quality of personality and/or appearance along with innate and powerfully sophisticated personal communicability... The word leadership can refer to: the process of leading the concept of leading those entities that perform one or more acts of leading. ... An organization or organisation (read more about -ize vs -ise) is a formal group of people with one or more shared goals. ... The word legitimacy comes from the Latin word legitimare and it has two uses: Legitimacy (political science) is whether or not people accept the validity of a law or ruling or the validity of a governing regime. ... Various religious symbols Religion is a system of social coherence based on a common group of beliefs or attitudes concerning an object, person, unseen being, or system of thought considered to be supernatural, sacred, divine or highest truth, and the moral codes, practices, values, institutions, and rituals associated with such... Wiktionary has related dictionary definitions, such as: belief Belief is usually defined as a conviction to the truth of a proposition. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Guru - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... In religion, a prophet is a person who has directly encountered God, of whose intentions he can then speak. ... Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud (May 6, 1856 – September 23, 1939; (IPA pronunciation: []) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of the psychoanalytic school of psychology. ... Gustave Le Bon (May 7, 1841 – December 13, 1931) was a French social psychologist, sociologist, and amateur physicist. ... Ordinary people typically can gain direct power by acting collectively. ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ... As Thought Process During the process of thinking, recognition occurs when some event, process, pattern, or object recurs. ... Faith is com hello im anna i luv yoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!monly known as a belief, trust or confidence often based on a transpersonal relationship with God, a higher power, elements of nature and/or a perception of the human race as a whole. ...

Note that according to Weber, a charismatic leader does not have to be a positive force; thus, Adolf Hitler could be reasonably considered a charismatic leader. Furthermore, sociology is axiologically neutral (Wertfreie Soziologie) towards various forms of charismatic domination: it does not makes difference between the charisma of a Berserker, of a shaman, of the founder of Mormonism or of the one displayed by Kurt Eisner. For Weber, sociology considers these types of charismatic dominatione in "an identical manner than the charisma of heros, prophets, the "greatest" saviours according to common appreciation". Hitler redirects here. ... Axiology, from the Greek axia (αξια, value, worth), is the study of value or quality. ... Berserkers (or Berserks) were Norse warriors who had sworn allegiance to the god Odin and worked themselves into a frenzy before a battle. ... The shaman is an intellectual and spiritual figure who is regarded as possessing power and influence on other peoples in the tribe and performs several functions, primarily that of a healer ( medicine man). The shaman provides medical care, and serves other community needs during crisis times, via supernatural means (means... Joseph Smith, Jr. ... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the most-recognized architectural symbol of Mormonism Mormonism is a religion, movement, ideology, and subculture that originated in the early 1800s as a product of the Latter Day Saint movement led principally by Joseph Smith... Kurt Eisner (14 May 1867–21 February 1919) was a Bavarian politician. ... From the Greek , in mythology and folklore, a hero (male) or heroine (female). ...

Routinizing charisma

Charismatic authority almost always evolves in the context of boundaries set by traditional or rational (legal) authority, but by its nature tends to challenge this authority and is thus often seen as revolutionary. [2] However, the constant challenge that charismatic authority presents to a particular society will eventually subside as it is incorporated into that society. The way in which this happens is called routinization. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Routinization is the process by which ‘charismatic authority is succeeded by a bureaucracy controlled by a rationally established authority or by a combination of traditional and bureaucratic authority’ (Turney, Beeghley, and Powers, 1995 cited in Kendal et al. 2000). For example, Muhammad, who had charismatic authority as "The Prophet" among his followers, was succeeded by the traditional authority and structure of Islam, a clear example of routinization. For other persons named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ...

Some leaders may employ various tools to create and extend their charismatic authority; for example utilizing the science of public relations. Public relations is the art and science of managing communication between an organization and its key publics to build, manage and sustain its positive image. ...

As in the example of Islam, a religion which evolves its own priesthood and establishes a set of laws and rules is likely to lose its charismatic character and move towards another type of authority upon the removal of that leader. A priesthood is a body of priests, shamans, or oracles who are thought to have special religious authority or function. ...

In politics, charismatic rule is often found in various authoritarian states, autocracies, dictatorships and theocracies. In order to help to maintain their charismatic authority, such regimes will often establish a vast personality cult, which can be seen as an attempt to gain legitimacy by an appeal to other forms of authority. When the leader of such a state dies or leaves office and a new charismatic leader does not appear, such a regime is likely to fall shortly thereafter unless it has become fully routinized. Bold text:This article applies to political ideologies. ... An Autocracy is a form of government in which unlimited power is held by a single individual. ... A dictatorship is a autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by a dictator. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Adolf Hitler built a strong cult of personality, based on the Führerprinzip. ...

Application of Weber's theories

Weber’s model of charismatic leadership giving way to institutionalization is endorsed by several academic sociologists, such as Eileen Barker. Barker discusses how new religious movements often have founders or leaders who wield considerable charismatic authority and who are believed to have special powers or knowledge. She asserts that almost by definition, charismatic leaders are unpredictable, for they are not bound by tradition or rules. Such leaders may be accorded by their followers the right to pronounce on all aspects of their lives. Barker warns that in these cases the leader may lack any accountability, require unquestioning obedience, and encourage a dependency upon the movement for material, spiritual and social resources. ^[3]. George D. Chryssides asserts that not all new religious movements have charismatic leaders, and that there are differences in the hegemonic styles among those movements that do. ^[4] Eileen Barker is a professor in sociology and is an emeritus member of the London School of Economics, and a consultant to that institutions Centre for the Study of Human Rights at. ... Dr George D. Chryssides is the senior lecturer in Religious Studies at the School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences of the University of Wolverhampton. ...

Len Oakes, an Australian psychologist who wrote a dissertation about charisma, had eleven charismatic leaders fill in a psychometric test, which he called the adjective checklist and found them as a group quite ordinary. Following the psychoanalyst Heinz Kohut, Oakes argues that charismatic leaders exhibit traits of narcissism and also argues that they display an extraordinary amount of energy, accompanied by an inner clarity unhindered by the anxieties and guilt that afflict more ordinary people. He did however not fully follow Weber's framework of charismatic authority.^[5] // Psychoanalysis is a family of psychological theories and methods based on the pioneering work of Sigmund Freud. ... Best known for his development of Self Psychology, a school of thought within psychodynamic/psychoanalytic theory, psychiatrist Heinz Kohuts contributions transformed the modern practice of analytic and dynamic treatment approaches. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...

Some authors describe Weber's concept of charismatic authority as charismatic domination ^[6] or charismatic leadership ^[7]

See also

• Authority
• Charisma
• Guru
• King
• Leadership
• List of charismatic leaders
• Prophet
• Priest
• Statesman
• The Three Types of Legitimate Rule
• Cool (aesthetic)

In politics, authority (Latin auctoritas, used in Roman law as opposed to potestas and imperium) is often used interchangeably with the term power. However, their meanings differ. ... The word charisma (from the Greek word χάρισμα (kharisma), gift or divine favor, from kharizesthai, to favor, from kharis, favor) refers to a rare trait found in certain human personalities usually including extreme charm and a magnetic quality of personality and/or appearance along with innate and powerfully sophisticated personal communicability... Guru - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Look up monarch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The word leadership can refer to: the process of leading the concept of leading those entities that perform one or more acts of leading. ... This is a list of people whose leadership has been characterized as based on charismatic authority by listed sources. ... In religion, a prophet is a person who has directly encountered God, of whose intentions he can then speak. ... Roman Catholic priests in traditional clerical clothing. ... The term statesman is a respectful term used to refer to diplomats, politicians, and other notable figures of state. ... The Three Types of Legitimate Rule is a book written by Max Weber, a German economist and sociologist. ... Look up cool in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

References

1. ^ Weber, Maximillan. Theory of Social and Economic Organization. Chapter: "The Nature of Charismatic Authority and its Routinization" translated by A. R. Anderson and Talcot Parsons, 1947. Originally published in 1922 in German under the title Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft chapter III, § 10 (available online)
   Original German: "»Charisma« soll eine als außeralltäglich (ursprünglich, sowohl bei Propheten wie bei therapeutischen wie bei Rechts-Weisen wie bei Jagdführern wie bei Kriegshelden: als magisch bedingt) geltende Qualität einer Persönlichkeit heißen, um derentwillen sie als mit übernatürlichen oder übermenschlichen oder mindestens spezifisch außeralltäglichen, nicht jedem andern zugänglichen Kräften oder Eigenschaften oder als gottgesandt oder als vorbildlich und deshalb als »Führer« gewertet wird."
2. ^ Kendall, Diana, Jane Lothian Murray, and Rick Linden. Sociology in our time (2nd ed.), 2000. Scarborough, On: Nelson, 438-439.
3. ^ Barker, E. New Religious Movements: A Practical Introduction (1990), Bernan Press, ISBN 0-11-340927-3
4. ^ Chryssides, George D. Unrecognized charisma? A study and comparison of four charismatic leaders: Charles Taze Russell, Joseph Smith, L Ron Hubbard, Swami Prabhupada. Paper presented at the 2001 International Conference The Spiritual Supermarket: Religious Pluralism in the 21st Century, organised by INFORM and CESNUR (London, April 19-22, 2001). Available online
5. ^ Oakes, Len: Prophetic Charisma: The Psychology of Revolutionary Religious Personalities, 1997, ISBN 0-8156-0398-3
6. ^ [ http://uregina.ca/~gingrich/o12f99.htmPower, Domination, Legitimation, and Authority] Sociology 250 Retrieved October 2006
7. ^ Adair-Toteff, Christopher, Max Weber’s Charisma, Journal of Classical Sociology, Vol. 5, No. 2, 189-204 (2005)

Eileen Barker is a professor in sociology and is an emeritus member of the London School of Economics, and a consultant to that institutions Centre for the Study of Human Rights at. ... Dr George D. Chryssides is the senior lecturer in Religious Studies at the School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences of the University of Wolverhampton. ... CESNUR is a center for studies on new religions, based in Turin, Italy. ...

External links

• Charisma by Thomas Robbin in the Encyclopedia of Religion and Society edited by William H. Swatos (February 1998) ISBN 0-7619-8956-0
• Charismatic Authority: Emotional Bonds Between Leaders and Followers
• Weber links