What is charisma? In the context of politics, sometimes we use the word as a synonym for charm; in other cases, it can imply immoral manipulation. Just as often, charisma is a hazy word that we punt to when, frankly, we don’t understand a leader’s appeal at all. A survey of the dynamics between leaders and followers across American history helps us cut through the confusion and explain today's crisis of institutional authority. Charisma in secular politics remains more connected to charisma in the original New Testament sense than we might think—and theological concepts like transcendence and idolatry are more relevant than ever.
Molly Worthen, Ph.D.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Professor of History
Molly Worthen is a professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where her research and teaching focuses on American religious and intellectual history and global Christianity. Her most recent book is Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump. She writes about religion, politics, and higher education for the New York Times and has also contributed to the Atlantic, the New Yorker, Slate, and other publications.
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Lecture seriesEntrepreneurship and the Economy in Uncertain Times
Lecture seriesWho Do We Trust Now? Charisma, Expertise, and the Future of Leadership
Chicago Luncheon
Conference seriesRethinking Charity: "Building Civil Society”