Creating Charisma Online: The Role of Digital Presence in the Formation of Religious Identity
Authors
Tee, CarolineAffiliation
University of ChesterPublication Date
2019-04-23
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This article investigates the construction and transmission of charisma through online channels, and its role in the formation of religious identities. Mindful of Max Weber’s observation that charisma inhabits the relationship between a leader and their followers, I argue for a critical reappraisal of the theoretical model in light of the ubiquity in the 21st century of new, virtual forms of social encounter. I focus my analysis on the Christian creationist movement in the USA, and particularly on an influential leader called Ken Ham. Using digital ethnographic methods, I show how Ham constructs charisma online, and how a virtual community forms itself around his charismatic claims. I illustrate how this virtual community intersects with offline worlds, and suggest that the theme park attractions that Ham’s organisation runs (Creation Museum, Ark Encounter) are imbued with deflected charisma by virtue of their association with his online avatar.Citation
Tee, C. (2019). Creating Charisma Online: The Role of Digital Presence in the Creation of Religious Identity. Journal of Contemporary Religion, 34(1), 75-96.Publisher
Taylor & FrancisJournal
Journal of Contemporary ReligionAdditional Links
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13537903.2019.1585104Type
ArticleLanguage
enDescription
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Contemporary Religion on Publication Date 23-4-19, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/13537903.2019.1585104ISSN
1353-7903EISSN
1469-9419ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1080/13537903.2019.1585104
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/