New Sacred Writing and Charisma

The Transformation of Religious Authority in Nineteenth-Century America

Author: Dr. Claudia Jetter Series: Kirche – Konfession – Religion

Mid-nineteenth century America was filled with charismatic leaders and visionaries who produced new sacred writing. The author traces the stories of Mormon founder Joseph Smith Jr., Methodist revivalist Phoebe Palmer and Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson and their new text productions to investigate a diverse community that grappled with a perceived loss of religious authority.

New sacred writing and the influence of charismatic leadership in antebellum America

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Summary

New sacred writing and the influence of charismatic leadership in antebellum America

Description

Mid-nineteenth-century America was a vibrant period marked by charismatic leaders who produced new sacred writing. This book explores the lives and works of Mormon founder Joseph Smith Jr., Methodist revivalist Phoebe Palmer, and Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson, focusing on how their textual productions contributed to a diverse discourse community grappling with a perceived loss of religious authority. It identifies shared motifs and practices these modern prophets employed to establish new carriers of religious authority. Claudia Jetter examines the concept of ‘religious authority,’ highlighting the dynamic ascription processes between charismatic leaders and interactive social communities within the historical context of nineteenth-century America.

About the Author

Dr. Claudia Jetter is a researcher at the Department of English at Heidelberg University. Her research focuses on new religious movements, women's history and digital religious practices.