A History of Charisma

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-x

   PDF

2. The History of a Word

   • John Potts

   Pages 1-11

3. The Roots of Charisma

   • John Potts

   Pages 12-22

4. Paul Invents Charisma

   • John Potts

   Pages 23-50

5. Charisma Eclipsed

   • John Potts

   Pages 51-83

6. Where Did Charisma Go?

   • John Potts

   Pages 84-105

7. Weber Reinvents Charisma

   • John Potts

   Pages 106-136

8. Twentieth-Century Charismatics

   • John Potts

   Pages 137-158

9. The Age of Media: Charisma and Celebrity

   • John Potts

   Pages 159-181

10. Charisma Past, Present and Future

    • John Potts

    Pages 182-214

11. That Elusive Something Called Charisma

    • John Potts

    Pages 215-221

12. Back Matter

    Pages 222-265

    PDF

This book traces the history of the word 'charisma', and the various meanings assigned to it, from its first century origins in Christian theology to its manifestations in twenty-first century politics and culture, while considering how much of the word's original religious meaning persists in the contemporary secular understanding.

• 20th century
• bibliography
• Christian theology
• culture
• future
• history
• history of literature
• knowledge
• media
• politics
• present
• theology
• twentieth century
• understanding

'Potts' contribution provides perspective and context for the teaching of leadership.' -Thomas F. Tumblin, Journal of Religious Leadership

'After reading John Potts's engrossing new book, A History of Charisma, I agree with him unreservedly...Charisma matters a lot, for good and ill, in politics, religion, business, the arts and many other walks of life.' The Australian

...[an] absorbing book...it is brilliantly argued and, though deeply scholarly, fully accessible to the general reader.' Richard King, Australian Literary Review

'...it takes a skilful author to make such a page-turner based on a 'history of a word'. Potts has succeeded by writing in a lucid and intelligent style...A mystery wrapped up as a work of historical scholarship.' - Transforming Management

...'John Potts' synthesis- clearly written, and helpfully structured with numerous subheadings- leaves us with a much fuller, richer meaning for a concept that serves to provide some refuge from an increasingly rationalised, bureaucratised, disenchanted, as well as celebrity obsessed, world. Its problematic usage is unlikely to decline, and we need all the help we can get to try to understand it.' - Beverley Southgate, Rethinking History

• Macquarie University, Australia

  John Potts

JOHN POTTS is Associate Professor in Media at Macquarie University, Australia. He is author of Radio In Australia, Culture and Technology (co-authored with Andrew Murphie) and Technologies of Magic (co-edited with Edward Scheer).

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