Developing a Theory of Collective Charisma

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  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 09. Culture and Materiality

Abstract

Max Weber’s writings on charisma, while brilliant, are somewhat cryptic about if, and how, charisma would be manifested collectively. This paper explores Weber’s bleak vision of modernity and his theory of charismatic authority and establishes a tie between them; similar to Raymond Lee (2010), I argue that charisma acts as a counter force to modernity’s “disenchantment of the world.” Moreover, I add to Weberian and charisma literature by outlining a theory of collective charisma. Collective charisma can be thought of as a process that begins with a need to transcend current conditions of suffering. Through shared conditions and collectively held structures of meaning, collective identities are formed. The formation of a collective identity allows for groups to define the situation and their action and subsequently arrange themselves and their conditions into what Philip Smith calls a “narrative of salvation” (2000). Collective charisma not only grants powers to the individual leader, but also allows all members of the collective such that they are empowered through increased autonomy. Finally, I use an iconographic analysis of Diego Rivera’s fresco Agrarian Leader Zapata to demonstrate how the outlined theory can enrich the interpretation of data.

Author

• Ian Peacock, Brigham Young University