<p>This article in the journal Gruppe, Interaktion, Organisation (GIO) elaborates the socio-historic manifestation of a highly specialized functionality, known as expertise. This concerns both individuals and the organizations in which these individuals are employed. The historical contextualization reveals that we are dealing with an attempt to counter the crisis of capitalism after World War II. However, a broader perspective shows that experts are not a modern invention, but rather a phenomenon with strong religious connotations that can be traced back to antiquity. Crypto-religious traces are also present in modern discourses on management and consulting. On a secular level, expertise has always been, and continues to be, entangled in power struggles, both on a societal and political level as well as at the level of individual organizations. How the group dynamics of the individuals involved are affected is illustrated using examples from the author’s own consulting practice.</p>