Abstract:

"Founder of religion" is an important concept of Wach's religious authority typology. Weber indicates that the religious authority is used with charisma. Wach was inspired by Weber's first systematic review of religious authority types. He has classified the users of religious authority according to various characteristics. The concept 'founder of religion' refers to the effect of the charismatic personality's actions and discourses on historical and social processes, not on his basic character or activity. Having a founder is an important feature of universal religions like a master in far eastern religions, Prophet in Islam or Jesus in Christianity. Each of these founders represented an unprecedented experience and became a model of people's faith and hope. The message of the founder has created a sociological "crystallization" center, apart from the effect of his personal charisma. The behaviors of the founders stand out with being balanced and far from extremism. All founders of religion have shaken the religious/national community with new and universal messages by opposing the national bond of religion. They have removed the obligations in the national religious community that have existed so far and emphasized new and high values. Great founders are members of a particular social class in their society. But the characteristics of the social class to which the great founders belonged didn’t greatly affect that religion’s message. The characteristic feature of the national religious communities where the founders were born is "sacred customs". The founders have especially directed the new protest of religion to these 'sacred customs'.

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