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This article is an electronic version of an article originally
published in Cultic Studies Journal, 1986, Volume 3, Number 1, pages 57-77.
Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from
that of the bound volume. This fact could affect how you enter bibliographic
information in papers that you may write.
Charismatic Leadership: A Case in Point
Natalie Isser,
Ph.D.
Lita Linzer Schwartz,
Ph.D.
Abstract
This article is a psychohistorical study of the life of Theodore Ratisbonne, a
French Jewish convert to Catholicism, who became a priest and founded Notre Dame
de Sion, a religious order dedicated to converting Jews. Ratisbonne's
considerable charisma is compared to that of modem cult leaders, and the social
context in which he was able to find converts is contrasted with the factors
leading to cult membership today. The authors discuss the ethical shortcomings
of contemporary cult proselytizing and conclude that Ratisbonne was different
from many cult leaders today in that he did not raise money for his own benefit
and glory, had no philosophical plan to dominate the secular world, and was
accountable and loyal to a higher earthly authority.
Full text available through
ICSA E-Library.
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