Grassroots Charisma Four Local Leaders in China [Paperback]

This book relates the stories of four leaders under very different political regimes: Colonial, Nationalist and Communist. The authors compare Chinese notions of respect and inspiration with their equivalents in other religious and political histories of colonial and post-colonial modernity, thereby producing a thorough re-working of the idea of charisma. The result is an intriguing study of the relationship between religious and political authority in a changing world.1. Introduction
2. Charisma
Part 1: Meifa
3. Meifa and its Festivals
4. Revolution, Fortune, and Respect: Darkface (Wansheng) 5. Revitalisation of Meifa's identity
Part 2: Shiding
6. Shiding and its Temple
7. Writing and Inspiration: Darkwood (Wumu)
8. The Location of Face: Lin Qingbiao
9. Reform and Refinement: Gao Bineng's Face
10. Gao Bineng at 90, his Authority and the New Politics of Taiwan
Part 3: Conclusions
11. Charisma in Shiding and Meifa
12. The Dispersal of Charisma under a National Canopy
'This is a fascinating book to read and will remain useful for a long time to come for both university students and researchers in the field.'- The Journal of Asian Studies