What is the force in art, C. Stephen Jaeger asks, that can enter our consciousness, inspire admiration or imitation, and carry a reader or viewer from the world as it is to a world more sublime? We have long recognized the power of individuals to lead or enchant by the force of personal charisma and indeed, in his award-winning "Envy of Angels," Jaeger himself brilliantly parsed the ability of charismatic teachers to shape the world of medieval learning. In "Enchantment," he turns his attention to a sweeping and multifaceted exploration of the charisma not of individuals but of art.

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