Demons, Karmies, and Non-devotees: Culture, Group Boundaries, and the Development of Hare Krishna in North America and Europe

Abstract

Research on new religious movements in the West has given little attention to the role of culture. yet many new faiths represent cultural as well as spiritual alternatives. The author considers the interrelationship between social movement culture, group boundaries, and the North American and European development of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), more widely known as the Hare Krishna movement. The author argues that in failing to develop an internal domestic culture in support of family life, ISKCON's communal structure is eroding as householders are forced outside the movement's ranks to seek employment and raise their families. Outside the supportive environment of the devotee community, members' religious and ISKCON commitments and involvements have been adversely affected. In making peace with the conventional world, house-holders have moved ISKCON toward becoming a congregationally-based movement in North America and Europe.