Donald N. Levine (1931-2015) was Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Chicago and was founder of an NGO, Aiki Extensions. He received a lifetime achievement award from the American Sociological Association.

Howard G. Schneiderman is Professor of Sociology at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He has a longstanding interest in intellectual history, and has written extensively on some of sociology's leading scholars. He has served in a variety of editorial capacities, including Executive Editor of Society and editorial consultant to Transaction Publishers. His research interests include charisma, authority, and the intersection of both of these with religion, and he has authored many articles, introductions to classic works, and essays in social theory.