The Priest and the Prophet (Max Weber)

Prophet: either a renewer of a religion or a founder of a new religion

--authority is charismatic (set apart from ordinary humans and regarded as extraordinary)

--irrational (does not fit rules)

--radical reorientation of values

--hostile to everyday concerns

--can only originate, cannot sustain

--lack of formal organization

--present at genesis of things, must eventually become "routinized"

--one method of routinization is the priest

Priest: upholds the status quo and served as the "reinforcement of the stability of societies"

--authority rests in his office rather than in his person


--focused upon everyday living

--highly organized methods for transferring authority

--a ritual functionary who is part of an organized system