![]() Napoleon Bonaparte ( 1769 – 1821) was a French military leader who is regarded as one of the foremost generals and empire builders in history. Similar lessons can be drawn from the lives of other founders of major world religions.įor instance, the Prophet Muhammad similarly led by example, leading his small band of devoted followers on the strength of his charismatic authority, that, even in his lifetime was perceived as being of divine origin. This laid the foundation for the worldwide institution it was to become later. While Christianity became organized and institutionalized within a century of Christ’s death, it was the charismatic authority of its founder that held the fledgling Christian community together in its nascent years. His trial and crucifixion, demonstrating an extraordinary fortitude in the face of pain and suffering, only served to cement this perception of Jesus’ divine nature among his followers. This helped him acquire a small but devoted following in Jerusalem on account of his personal traits that, even in his lifetime, led to him being perceived as being divine or superhuman. While a considerable body of myth, fable, and hagiography has accumulated around the biography of Jesus over the last two millennia, what can be said with certainty about the historical Jesus was that he had a dynamic personality and leadership qualities that inspired fierce loyalty among those who came in contact with him. Jesus Christ’s life was extraordinary, as is to be expected of the founder of the world’s largest religion. al., 2016) Examples of Charismatic Authority 1. Whereas dominance could be legitimate or illegitimate, authority in the Weberian sense is the legitimate relation of domination and subordination between the leader and the follower.Īuthority is also different from power, in that authority demands subordination without the explicit use of force. AuthorityĪuthority in the Weberian sense can be conceived of as dominance, albeit bound within legitimacy. Therefore, the religious, or at least, the divine or the supernatural is an integral component of charisma as outlined by Weber. Until the medieval era, it was used solely in a Biblical context, to describe the gift of power and authority bestowed upon a mortal being by the almighty God (Weber, 2012). By the 2nd century CE, the word made its way into Christian theology as Charism. ![]() The word charisma derives etymologically from the Greek word Kharis which means “grace” and “that which is freely given”. The phrase charismatic authority is made up of two component words – charisma, and authority, each of which merits a brief discussion before moving forward. Conclusion Charismatic Authority Definition
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