Charisma is one of the more contentious sociological concepts, in part because it has been absorbed into popular, or at least mass media, usage in a considerably adulterated form. The term derives from a theological conception which referred to the...

Charisma was originally a theological notion, with the literal meaning of the ‘gift of grace’, an attribute in the Catholic theology of saints. Weber used it to describe one of his three principal types of political authority. To Weber...

1. Personal quality or gift that enables a person to inspire and influence others. See also personality. 2. A sociological term that is used to describe a person or leader who has the characteristic of inspiring others to follow. It is not necessarily...

CHARISMA. The word charisma [plural charismata], originally used by St. Paul in the New Testament—to describe "spiritual gift[s]," has expanded its definition in the past hundred years. Academics, journalists, and the general...

The word charisma (from the Greek word χάρισμα (kharisma), "gift" or "divine favor," from kharizesthai, "to favor," from kharis, "favor": see also charism, Charis) refers to a rare trait found in certain human personalities usually including...

Tiger Woods has it. So does Arnold Schwarzenegger and George Clooney. Mickey Mantle certainly had it. And Magic Johnson still does. It's charisma, and you can't manufacture it, bottle it or buy it. It seems you're just born with it.David Beckham had it in his...

Tiger Woods has it. So does Arnold Schwarzenegger and George Clooney. Mickey Mantle certainly had it. And Magic Johnson still does. It's charisma, and you can't manufacture it, bottle it or buy it. It seems you're just born with it. David Beckham had it in...

In his first seven months as prime minister, Gordon Brown seems to have re-inforced the stereotype of the dour Scot — dark suits, stiffness and statistics-crunching economics. His recent visit to India and China did little to dispel that impression.Compared with France's flamboyant, sharp-tongued president,...

Keba Mbaye, a Senegalese judge who held several high-ranking positions in the International Olympic Committee, has died at 82. The IOC said he died Thursday night at his home in Dakar, Senegal, after a long illness.Mbaye was an IOC member from 1973-2002, serving as vice...