Elisabeth Kubler-Ross as a Religious Leader

Abstract

Previously it has been argued that Elisabeth Kubler-Ross' concept “acceptance” should be understood as a symbol of the private sphere which arose as a feminine cultural response to early capitalism. In this article, Kubler-Ross is considered as a charismatic religious leader. The feminine quality of her message and leadership style is examined. Kubler-Ross' career is examined in the light of recent studies of feminine versus masculine psychological development. It is concluded that Kubler-Ross' content and style conform to the femine developmental patterns, patterns that transform infantile narcissism into the creative source of her promise to true believers. The prospects for an enduring cultural jnnovation based on Kubler-Ross' work are then examined in the light of the process of institutionalizing charismatic vision as that process has historically occurred for some women charismatic leaders, but not for others. The form taken by such a process in the case of Kubler-Ross aligns her with ancient practitioners of Greco-Roman and Near Eastern mystery religions. It is concluded that Kubler-Ross' leadership, at this time, does not conform to the conditions necessary for institutionalization of her charismatic vision.