Charisma - The Gift of Grace, and How It Has Been Taken Away from Us (Paperback)

From the profoundly influential social theorist Philip Rieff comes a posthumously published analysis of the deepest level of crisis in our culture.
According to Rieff, the contemporary notion of charisma-the personal magnetism of political leaders or movie stars-is a tragic misunderstanding of a profoundly important concept. Charisma originally meant religious grace and authority transferred through divine inspiration, before it evolved into little more than a form of celebrity stripped of moral considerations. Rieff argues that without morality, the gift of grace becomes indistinguishable from the gift of evil and devolves into a license to destroy in the name of faith or ideology. Offering brilliant interpretations of Kierkegaard, Weber, Kafka, Nietzsche, and Freud, Rieff shows how certain thinkers attacked the very possibility of faith and genuine charisma and helped prepare the way for a therapeutic culture in which it is impossible to recognize anything as sacred.

General

Imprint:	Random House USA Inc
Country of origin:	India
Release date:	March 2008
First published:	March 2008
Authors:	Philip Rieff
Foreword by:	Daniel Frank • Aaron Manson
Dimensions:	202 x 142 x 16mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - Trade
Pages:	269
ISBN-13:	978-0-307-27753-4
Categories:	Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Christianity > Christian theology > General Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Christian theology > General Books > Christianity > Christian theology
LSN:	0-307-27753-4
Barcode:	9780307277534

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