Creating Charisma Online: The Role of Digital Presence in the Formation of Religious Identity

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/10.1080/13537903.2019.1585104This 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

Antisemitisme onder Nederlandse socialisten in het fin de siècle

Anti-Semitism in the Dutch labour movement has not been studied sufficiently. This is certainly true with regard to Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis and the early socialist movement in the nineteenth century. However, we have to take anti-Jewish propaganda into account in order to understand why the Jewish proletariat joined the socialist ranks at such a late stage, only after the reformist wing split from Domela’s Social Democratic League (sdb) into the Social Democratic Labour Party (sdap) in 1894.This article aims to address this lacuna, and demonstrates that Domela had been using Anti-Semitic stereotyping against the parliamentaryorientated reformists, because his main rival P.J. Troelstra was dependent on a modest group of Jewish diamond labourers in Amsterdam. Once the conflict was over Anti-Semitism faded into the background again.Het antisemitisme binnen de Nederlandse arbeidersbeweging is onvoldoende onderzocht. Dit geldt a fortiori voor de vroege socialistische beweging en haar voorganger Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis. Dat is een tekortkoming want alleen door hun antisemitisme op waarde te schatten is te begrijpen waarom het joodse proletariaat de Sociaal Democratische Bond (sdb) uit de weg ging en pas na 1894 in de sdap voor het socialisme werd gewonnen. Dit artikel probeert in deze lacune te voorzien. De auteur komt tot de conclusie dat Domela in zijn conflict met P.J. Troelstra antisemitische beeldvorming inzette als politiek wapen. De Friese advocaat telde een bescheiden aanhang onder de joodse diamantbewerkers en Domela trachtte met anti-joodse stereotypen diens positie te ondermijnen. Toen het conflict met de afscheiding van de sdap in 1894 eindigde, verschoof het antisemitisme – een incidentele oprisping daargelaten – weer naar de achtergrond

Die Bühne als Schiedgericht: Peter Weiss' 'Trotzki im Exil'

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Charismatic leadership and social movements: the revolutionary power of ordinary men and women

Much of the writing on charisma focuses on specific traits associated with exceptional leaders, a practice that has broadened the concept of charisma to such an extent that it loses ist distinctiveness - and therefore its utility. More particularly, the concept's relevance to the study of social movements has not moved beyond generalizations. The contributors to this volume renew the debate on charismatic leadership from a historical perspective and seek to illuminate the concept's relevance to the study of social movements. The case studies here include such leaders as Mahatma Gandhi; the architect of apartheid, Daniel F. Malan; the heroine of the Spanish Civil War, Dolores Ibarruri [La pasionaria]; and Mao Zedong. These charismatic leaders were not just professional politicians or administrators, but sustained a strong symbiotic relationship with their followers, one that stimulated devotion to the leader and created a real group identity

De Man die de weg wees: leven en werk van Paul de Groot 1899 - 1986

Levensbeschrijving van Paul de Groot (1899-1986), van 1938 tot 1978 leider van de Communistische Partij van Nederland.Ook verschenen als proefschrift Universiteit van Amsterdam, 2000.Met lit. opg., reg.Levensbeschrijving van Paul de Groot (1899-1986), van 1938 tot 1978 leider van de Communistische Partij van Nederland.Deneckere, Git