Religions 2013, 4(1), 77-95; doi:10.3390/rel4010077
Article

Antichrist as (Anti)Charisma: Reflections on Weber and the ‘Son of Perdition’

Brett Edward Whalenemail
Department of History, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB# 3193, Chapel Hill, NC, 27707, USA
Received: 20 December 2012; in revised form: 25 January 2013 / Accepted: 29 January 2013 / Published: 4 February 2013
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Charisma, Medieval and Modern)
PDF Full-text Download PDF Full-Text [87 KB, uploaded 4 February 2013 14:28 CET]
Abstract: The figure of Antichrist, linked in recent US apocalyptic thought to President Barack Obama, forms a central component of Christian end-times scenarios, both medieval and modern. Envisioned as a false-messiah, deceptive miracle-worker, and prophet of evil, Antichrist inversely embodies many of the qualities and characteristics associated with Max Weber’s concept of charisma. This essay explores early Christian, medieval, and contemporary depictions of Antichrist and the imagined political circumstances of his reign as manifesting the notion of (anti)charisma, compelling but misleading charismatic political and religious leadership oriented toward damnation rather than redemption.
Keywords: apocalypticism; charisma; Weber; antichrist; Bible; US presidency

Article Statistics

Click here to load and display the download statistics.

Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Whalen, B.E. Antichrist as (Anti)Charisma: Reflections on Weber and the ‘Son of Perdition’. Religions 2013, 4, 77-95.

AMA Style

Whalen BE. Antichrist as (Anti)Charisma: Reflections on Weber and the ‘Son of Perdition’. Religions. 2013; 4(1):77-95.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Whalen, Brett E. 2013. "Antichrist as (Anti)Charisma: Reflections on Weber and the ‘Son of Perdition’." Religions 4, no. 1: 77-95.

Religions EISSN 2077-1444 Published by MDPI AG, Basel, Switzerland RSS E-Mail Table of Contents Alert