CHARISMA AND RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY IN THE

and 100,000 members, founded in the mid-19th century. They consider their founder the reincarnation of the prophet Muhammad as well as the Mahdi, and his son the second coming of Jesus. This article, the first treatment of the group in English, draws on fieldwork to describe and interpret their beliefs and practices. The findings suggest a new definition of charisma as embodiment of a group's collectively held conception of the ideal version of itself. Empirically, understanding the core elements of a moderately large religious group makes a meaningful contribution to our understanding of West African Islam. Methodologically, this study affirms the capacity of ethnography to study theology and, more generally, beliefs as well as practices. Theoretically, the case of the Layenes clarifies the connection between the societal ideal and the routinization of charismatic authority. The Layene religious leader (marabout) is the routinized charismatic embodiment of the Layene ideal society. I