Charisma and Institution in American Culture

Ethnography of a Catholic Pentecostal Prayer Group
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-041-32635-9
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 152 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 397 g

The book offers an ethnographic account of the composition, leadership, and ritual performance of a charismatic Catholic prayer group. Through analysis, it reveals how the charismatic priest maximizes his authority by integrating personal and institutional power within the context of global Pentecostalism and recent American cultural history.

What happens when charisma and bureaucratic structure collide? This book provides a firsthand look at how charismatic authority emerges within highly institutional settings and explains why it matters. It demonstrates how vertical ties of personal devotion between the leader and followers and horizontal ties among group members, built through stories of conversion and healing, forge deeply charismatic relationships that strengthen group cohesion and resilience. Written in accessible language, the book explores the tension between individualism and distrust of institutional structures and the unique experience of Catholics in a predominantly Protestant culture. Moving beyond the classic Weberian paradigm, it delivers a fresh, nuanced understanding of charismatic leadership in American culture and society and reveals how a deeply personal, sacred form of Christianity takes root.

The book will appeal to scholars and students of religious studies, anthropology of religion, and anyone who is interested in Pentecostalism, Christianity, charisma, and American culture.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate and Professional Reference

Autoren/Hrsg.

Wu, Keping

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religiöse und spirituelle Führer
• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Systematische Theologie
• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Christliche Kirchen, Konfessionen, Denominationen Protestantismus, evangelische und protestantische Kirchen Pfingstkirchen

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter One: Global Pentecostalism and the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in America Chapter Two: Father Leo: The Making of the Charismatic Leader Chapter Three: Fire and Fire Place: Charisma and Institution Chapter Four: Conversion Narratives: The Making of the Charismatic Community Chapter Five: Performing the Charismatic Ritual

Über Autor(innen)

Keping Wu is Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Duke Kunshan University. With a B.A. from Peking University and a PhD from Boston University, Wu’s research centers around religions across different cultural contexts, with special attention to philanthropy, charisma, pluralism, and gender.