Antichrist as (Anti)Charisma: Reflections on Weber and the ‘Son of Perdition’
Brett Edward Whalen
The figure of Antichrist, linked in recent US apocalyptic thought to President Barack Obama, forms a central component Christian end-times scenarios, both medieval and modern. Envisioned as false-messiah, deceptive miracle-worker, prophet evil, Antichrist inversely embodies many the qualities characteristics associated with Max Weber’s concept charisma. This essay explores early Christian, medieval, contemporary depictions imagined political circumstances his reign manifesting notion (anti)charisma, compelling but misleading charismatic religious leadership oriented toward damnation rather than redemption.
Religions|Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)