The Routinization Of Charismatic Authority: Martin Luther’s Case
Open Access
Author:
Korn, Joshua Laurence
Area of Honors:
Interdisciplinary in History and Sociology
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Samar Farage, Thesis Supervisor Dr. Jeffery Todd Ulmer, Thesis Honors Advisor Ronnie Po Chia Hsia, Thesis Supervisor Catherine Wanner, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Charisma Charismatic Authority Routinization Martin Luther Max Weber Protestant Reformation
Abstract:
The German Reformation succeeded in changing both the ecclesiastical and secular hierarchy
that had existed since the Catholic Church had become the state religion of Rome. There were
two mutually dependent components that made the German Reformation so influential: Martin
Luther had a charismatic authority that garnered support from the masses and the subsequent
routinization of Luther’s charisma by the secular German princes. Luther’s need for protection
from the pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, combined with his belief in the divinely granted
authority of secular government, provided the optimal scenario for the secular German Princes to harness control. It was this routinization of Luther’s charisma that transformed the Reformation from a singular event in Church history to a revolutionary force. The result was a more bureaucratic institution where the divide between congregants and citizens was eventually
indistinguishable and the emergence of a new religion that would stand the test of time.
