Re-Enchanting Re-enchanting... Charisma - Molly Worthen
Dec 10, 2025
Molly Worthen, a historian and journalist known for her insights into American religious history, returns to discuss her book 'Spellbound'. She explores the nature of charisma as more than mere charm, suggesting it's about leaders weaving compelling narratives. Worthen reflects on America's inclination towards charismatic figures, ties this to Protestant roots, and even analyzes Trump as a contemporary guru. The conversation also delves into the implications of charismatic leadership on faith, politics, and community in modern society.
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Charisma Is Narrative Power
- Charisma is best understood as storytelling that invites followers into a transcendent narrative.
- Charismatic leaders make sense of personal suffering by connecting it to a larger, meaning-giving story.
Why America Amplifies Charisma
- The American context amplifies charisma because Reformation individualism and a religious marketplace loosened institutional controls.
- That mix created fertile ground for entrepreneurial religious and political leaders to offer direct, unmediated relations to the transcendent.
Politics As a Surrogate Religion
- Politics functions as a surrogate religion when people seek transcendent meaning through political identity.
- Issues become existential symbols and tribal loyalties deepen because politics supplies a cosmic narrative.
