Overview

This unique study of religious leadership guides the reader through the personalities and action contexts of leaders of world religions. A trajectory of sacred authority is identified, stretching from the animating depths of a leader's inner life, to the vitalizing bond connecting a leader to followers, and finally to the powerful inertia of the culture of the religion a leader represents. A psychological typology of leaders is developed on the basis of this trajectory in the history of religions as it is seen in leaders' action contexts: Self-Encounterer, Group-Container, Tradition-Manager. Illustrations include Martin Luther King, Jr., Ramakrishna, Helena Blavatsky, Oral Roberts, Emmanuel Milingo, Salama ibn Hassan Salama, Jonathan Edwards, and the Dalai Lama. Considerable attention is given to methodology in the scientific study of religion, with special emphasis on contemporary depth psychology. The book is useful not only for predicting future religious leadership, but also for training religious professionals.

Full Product Details

9780820413471

Table of Contents

Reviews

The major contribution of this volume is the creativity of Hutch's theoretical construct, particularly its psychological perspective on charisma, and his attempted integration of psychological, sociological and anthropological processes. Another strength is its attention to cross-cultural illustration and discussion. Yet another value is its concern with gender differences in both the theoretical development of charisma and the array of illustrations used to articulate his theory. His acknowledgement of gender as a structural variable is a refreshing insight, all too lacking in scholars outside the feminist academy. (Paula D. Nesbitt, Sociology of Religion)

Author Information

The Author: Richard A. Hutch is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Studies in Religion, University of Queenland, Australia. He has published widely in the areas of Religion and Psychological Studies and Biography. Previous books include Emerson's Optics: Biographical Process and the Dawn of Religious Leadership and (edited with P. Fenner) Under the Shade of a Coolibah Tree: Australian Studies in Consciousness. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, his B.D. from Yale University and his B.A. from Gettysburg College.

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