Submitted by Edward Brown, Core Edge Image & Charisma Institute, Inc., Mar 8, 2007 08:52

Mr. Rieff's last opus on Charisma has been receiving great attention in its attempt to "restore" charisma to it's spiritual beginnings. It is very interesting that Mr. Rieff remained silent during the 1970's on the issue of charisma. Afterall, 1970's had to be one of the most charismatic decades in the history of humanity. Why couldn't he find a constituency for charisma? And why in his last breath, has charisma become a plague on society? A logical answer would be that Mr. Rieff hadn't made up his mind about the impact and sway charisma would have on contemporary society. He didn't appear to be an innovative thinker with forethought to the power of this concept. He merely responded to the thoughts of other great thinkers and no one had weighed in.

To suggest that eminent sociologist Max Weber tainted the spirtual purity of charisma by secularizing it , suggests a naive and inept interpretation of human nature. Misunderstood concepts are often relegated to "mythology" when the rigor of intellectual discipline is lacking. The manipulation and misuse of charisma is not the machinations of Max Weber, but the diabolical and self absorption plaguing humankind. And there never existed a "Golden Age" where charisma was only used for the good of man. From Pharaoh in Egypt to Barack Obama, charisma has always cut both ways.

Mr. Rieff's final thoughts on charisma don't convey piercing analysis or a ground breaking contribution to philosophy , but one man's last ditch effort to make peace with his maker. Fear of the unknown often clouds our ability to be courageous in the end.

Edward S. Brown III

Core Edge Image & Charisma Institute

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