Charisma is more than glitz and celebrity. It is the result of a comprehensive zeitgeist that galvanizes power and influence-and it has been a part of our history since time immortal. Written by Dr. Gary M. Gray, theologian, presidential historian, and organizational consultant, Charisma reveals how environment and circumstance give birth to charisma. Gray seeks to identify the key elements in the dynamic of charismatic leadership based on "truth" and backed by believing disciples as they march to advance a great cause against a real or perceived enemy. Examples of this are historically found in religious, political, social, educational, medical, and military settings.
Gray focuses on the rare combination of dynamics necessary for a person believing in a great "truth" to mobilize that truth into a significant movement that confronts an "evil." Culling the archives of history from Jesus Christ to Adolph Hitler, Gray shows how the potential charismatic must speak of great truths, recruit devoted followers, and battle enemies to right the evils of society, or descend into oblivion. Long-term, the movement must find a successor to the cause and institutionalize. Ultimately, Gray reveals that charisma is the single most important dynamic in significant world change, both now and throughout history.
Well-researched and meticulously organized, Charisma is a unique and in-depth look at one of the most important, yet often overlooked, dynamics of history.
About the Author: Dr. Gary M. Gray, Ed.D., founder of the National Institute on Living History, is a historian, theologian, and organizational dynamics consultant. The author of fourteen books and the former publisher of two national magazines, Dr. Gray holds graduate degrees from Phillips University, the University of Notre Dame, Southern Methodist University, and Oklahoma State University. He is also the author of Mr. Presidents: Voices of Freedom, Equality, and Dignity.
