Charisma

From a profoundly influential social theorist comes a posthumously published analysis of the deepest level of crisis in our culture. “A compelling diagnosis of our condition.” — The Wall Street Journal 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