Consciousness raising movements and charismatic Christian worship display an extraordinary degree of rhetorical similarity. This four-part paper outlines the likenesses of the two groups, indicates where they differ, and focuses on the social and political dimensions of consciousness raising. The first section lists the following similarities between the charismatic movement and consciousness raising: use of some of the same specialized words or labels, standardized responses to questions, rationalization of persuasion as good for the target person, concentration on disclosure of feelings, and polarization, which involves constant exposure to group doctrine. The section on the social dimensions of consciousness raising asserts that the process developed as a response to widespread needs for satisfying interpersonal communication and has become the exclusive property of the radicals. This response, according to the final section of the paper, involves confrontation as an extension of communication. The resulting radicalization displays a rhetoric of self-persuasion and a group-centered nature that is characterized by the prevalence of fantasies and myths, frustrated attitudes, and the search for relationships. (MAI)