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Abstract

Religious scholars disagree about the nature and locus of charisma. Is charisma a quality possessed by individuals, an authority projected upon leaders by their followers, or a force generated by ritual behavior? Followers of Max Weber locate charisma within individual leaders, drawing a sharp distinction between charismatic religious movements and institutionalized religious organizations. This article notes that many successful missionaries have wielded charismatic authority and tests Weber's notions about charisma by examining the case of George Leslie Mackay in Taiwan (1872–1901). The author concludes that Weber's distinction between charismatic and institutionalized leadership does not fit missionaries like Mackay. The article also concludes that in North Taiwan, both the personality of Mackay and the cultural context of his mission were crucial to the formation of a new charismatic sect.

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Charisma in a Mission Context

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