Prem Rawat - Charisma and Leadership

Charisma and Leadership

J. Gordon Melton says Rawat's personal charisma was one of the reasons for the rapid spread of his message among members of the 1960s counterculture. Several scholars refer to Max Weber's classification of authority when describing Rawat as a charismatic leader.

Paul Schnabel described Rawat as a pure example of a charismatic leader. He characterized Rawat as materialistic, pampered and intellectually unremarkable compared to Osho, but no less charismatic.

Meredith McGuir, a professor of sociology and anthropology sees formalization resulting from Rawat's desire to consolidate his power and authority over the movement in the United States.

Lucy DuPertuis, a sociologist and one-time follower who assisted James V. Downton with his book about the Divine Light Mission, described Rawat's role as a Master as emerging from three interrelated phenomena: traditional or theological definitions of Satguru; adherents' first-hand experiences of the Master; and communal accounts and discussions of the Master among devotees.

David G. Bromley described the difficulty of a charismatic leader in proving to be above normal human failings such as not to suffer ill health or indulge in worldly pursuits. He presents Rawat's marriage as such a situation. Bromley described Prem Rawat and other founders of new religions as being held in awe by their early followers, who ascribe extraordinary powers to them that set them apart from other human beings.

Thomas Pilarzyk, a sociologist, wrote in a 1978 paper that the distribution of power and authority in the DLM was officially based on the charismatic appeal of Maharaj Ji, which he described as being somewhat ambiguous, and that many followers were not certain about his position in the organizational scheme of the movement, or the claim that he was the only true spiritual master.

Stephen J. Hunt said that in Rawat's case the notion of spiritual growth is not derived — as is traditionally the case with other gurus — from his personal charisma, but from the nature of his teachings and the benefits to the individuals applying them.

Ron Geaves says that Rawat is not a renunciate, and that he has made great efforts to assert his humanity and take apart the hagiography that has developed around him.