Max Weber described the "routinization of charisma," the process by which the personal authority of a leader is transformed into the institutional authority of the leader's office. This is a predictable part of the rationalization of any social institution.
Pope Benedict XVI, by resigning rather than dying in office, has taken a crucial step in routinizing the charisma of the Pope into the Papacy.
I expect his successors will follow suit more often than not.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment