After the Buddha: tradition, institutionalization, and multiple charismas in Italian Buddhism

In this article, based on a selection of 267 semi-structured personal interviews with Buddhist practitioners conducted for the project “Buddhism in Italy” (2022–2023), we investigate the present state of Buddhism in Italy, accounting for its plural, hybrid, and global ethos. We enquire into the ways in which the three main forms of legitimate domination classically theorized by Max Weber—‘legal’ or ‘rational’, ‘traditional’, and ‘charismatic’—inform the processes of diffusion, development, and transformation of Buddhism in Italy. We couple Weber’s theory with Peter Berger’s analysis of religious pluralism to show how legal, traditional, and charismatic forms of authority intertwine with and contribute to the proliferation of multiple sources of authority in Italian Buddhism. In so doing, we introduce the concept of multiple charismas, seeking to clarify how Italian Buddhism is governed, regulated, and socially organized following different plausibility structures which are based on the coexistence of multiple sources of authority (a plurality of charismatic figures, a centralized institutional apparatus and governance structure, and socially engaged leadership models).