ABSTRACT

To address the macro- and micro-level objectives of this study, Chapter 10 continues tracing the TCPIRM through the Modern Period. While several charismatic leaders, neo-charismatic leaders and spiritual guides are identified throughout this analysis, reflective of the significant expansion of the TCPIRM through the 1990s and 2000s, Osama bin Laden is the primary focus of this chapter. Despite an immense body of scholarship devoted to Osama bin Laden (Reeve 1999, Bergen 2001, Wright 2007, Atwan 2007), there are no significant studies that use charismatic leadership theory to understand Bin Laden’s emergence and influence on the evolution of modern Islamist militancy. Chapter 10 addresses this gap in the literature. Beginning with a brief socio-historical analysis of the ‘post-Afghan Jihad’ and ‘9/11 decade’ phases of the Modern period, this chapter then examines the role of al-Qaeda as a facilitator of Bin Laden’s transnational charisma before concluding with the Bin Laden case study.