Hare Krishna Movement Research Articles

Kimmo Ketola, An indian guru and his western disciples. Representation and communication of charisma in the hare Krishna movement

Kimmo Ketola, An indian guru and his western disciples. Representation and communication of charisma in the hare Krishna movement

The Hare Krishna and the Counterculture in the Light of the Theory of Divergent Modes of Religiosity

The religious roots of the Hare Krishna movement, officially known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), are in Indian (Bengali) Vaishnavism, but the organization was founded in New York in 1966 by a charismatic Indian monk named A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada1 (1896-1977). The Hare Krishna movement has often been presented as a paradigm case of the new religious movements that emerged in the wake of the counterculture of the 1960's (see e.g. Bellah 1976, 344; Daner 1976; Johnson 1976; Judah 1974; Yinger 1982: 39; 239-240). Therefore the analysis of the movement in the light of the more comprehensive theories of religious social organization is also a crucial test case for our understanding of the whole phenomenon of the new religious movements in the West.2 In this paper, I will analyze the Hare Krishna movement in light of the modes of religiosity theory developed by Harvey Whitehouse (1995; 2000; 2002; 2004) and I shall present some suggestions of how the modes theory might be refined or sharpened in light of the preceding discussion.

Beyond the grave: dreams of Prabhupada and devotional life in the Hare Krishna movement

With a focus on the main UK centre of the Hare Krishna movement, this article examines current developments in the devotional lives of Hare Krishna devotees. It concentrates on devotees' dreams of the movement's late founder and argues that, while this phenomenon has been much neglected by scholars who have written about the movement, it is an important key, not merely for understanding the spiritual orientation and religious commitment of many of today's adherents, but, importantly, a key for understanding hitherto undocumented devotional trends and trajectories of Hare Krishna community members. In addition, some important studies by scholars and some of the writings of influential figures within the Hare Krishna movement itself are discussed in this article, studies or writings which, in part, help frame the analysis it provides.

Factors Influencing Hostility towards Controversial Religious Groups

The results of a research project conducted by questionnaire among a representative sample of 1041 Polish people over 15 years of age indicate that hostility towards controversial religious groups (Jehovah's Witnesses, Hare Krishnas and Satanists) is related to certain elements of their image (as intolerant, dishonest, unfriendly or creating a threat to society). Respondents spontaneously used the word “sect” in relation to the group (most frequently in the case of Satanists); they relied on the teaching of the Church for information. Their hostility was also linked to religious authoritarianism. Personal acquaintance with members of these religious groups, and reference to information via the media, reduced this hostility, but only in case of Hare Krishnas.

Buddhists, Hindus, and Sikhs in America

Buddhists, Hindus, and Sikhs in America explores the challenges that Asian immigrants face when their religion--and consequently culture--is remade in the U.S.A. Peppered with stories of individual people and how they actually live their religion, this informative book gives an overview of each religion's beliefs, a short history of immigration--and discrimination--for each group, and how immigrants have adapted their religious beliefs since they arrived. Along the way, the roles of men and women, views toward dating and marriage, the relationship to the homeland, the brain drain from Asia of scientists, engineers, physicians, and other professionals, and American offshoots of Asian religions, such as the Hare Krishnas and Transcendental Meditation (TM), are discussed.

From slogans to mantras: social protest and religious conversion in the late Vietnam War era

This book takes a provocative look at early 1970s - an often overlooked yet colorful period when Vietnam War and student protests were on wane as new religious groups grew in size and visibility. Certainly, religious strains were evident through postwar popular culture from 1950s Beat generation into 1960s drug counterculture, but explosion of nontraditional religions during early 1970s was unprecedented. This phenomenon took place in United States (and at edges of American-influenced Canadian society) among young people who had been committed to bringing about what they called the revolution but were converting to a wide variety of Eastern and Western mystical and spiritual movements. Stephen Kent maintains that failure of political activism led former radicals to become involved with groups such as Hare Krishnas, Scientology, Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church, Jesus movement, and Children of God. Drawing on scholarly literature, alternative press reportage, and personal narratives, Kent shows how numerous activists turned from psychedelia and political activism to guru worship and spiritual quest as a response to failures of social protest - and as a new means of achieving societal change.

Hindu and Christian Creationism: “Transposed Passages” in the Geological Book of Life

Antievolution arguments of Christian and Hindu creationists often critique Darwin's metaphor of the geological record as an ill‐preserved book of life, while highlighting the problem of anomalous fossils. For instance, Bible‐based young‐Earth creationists point to anomalous humanlike prints alongside authenticated dinosaur tracks to argue for the creation of all life some few thousand years ago. But Vedic‐based ancient‐hominid creationists view the same sort of evidence as indicating the existence of all species, including the hominids, billions of years ago. I examine the roots of this Hindu Vedic creationism and its recent elaboration among scientifically minded members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Similarities in the methods and rhetorical strategies of the two creationist groups are considered, as well as the underlying motives that have brought together such otherwise disparate religious worldviews.

Book Review: "Multiculturalism & Minority Religions in Britain: Krishna Consciousness, Religious Freedom, and the Politics of Location"

Book Review: "Multiculturalism & Minority Religions in Britain: Krishna Consciousness, Religious Freedom, and the Politics of Location"

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

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.

In Search of Identity within the Hare Krishna Movement: Memory, Oblivion and Thought Style

In its early days, the Hare Krishna movement (ISKCON) was considered by its members to be an ideal micro-society that, once developed, would replace the existing “materialistic” social structure. Although this aspiration now appears “utopic” even to most of the membership, it is still useful as a model in which the accuracy of certain new social theories related to identity and knowledge can be tested: in particular, the phenomenon known as “thought style” finds a striking application in the approach that both institutional and individual ISKCON members have taken to the world. The Hare Krishna movement has undergone several important changes in a relatively brief history, and these are all well documented. In this article the author illuminates the various transformations of Hare Krishna thought style, and the complex dynamics that have accompanied them.

Conscience de Krishna: interprétation hongroise

The author of this article, which is a synthesis of a book based on an empirical study conducted between 1995 and 1997, mainly discusses the following questions: (1) the history of the Hare Krishna movement in Hungary; (2) the recruitment of Hungarian Krishna believers; (3) motives for joining the movement; (4) adherence or conversion to the Krishna movement? (5) a comparison of the values of Krishna believers with those of other religions; (6) the relationship between Krishna believers and wider (Hungarian) society; (7) the dialogue between Hungarian Krishna believers and Hungarian and European cultures.

In Every Town and Village: Adaptive Strategies in the Communication of Krishna Consciousness in the UK, the First Thirty Years

The raison d'être of ISKCON is the communication of the name of Krishna worldwide, ensuring that it reaches into the hearts and minds of those in every town and village. ISKCON's own intention, derived from the teachings of Chaitanya and preached unceasingly by the founder, Bhaktivedanta Swami, provides a focus for assessing the success of the movement since its arrival in England in 1968. What strategies have been adopted for achieving this objective? How have the strategies changed as ISKCON has increased its membership and support throughout the UK, and has become more established on the public religious scene? Using ISKCON's publications and ephemera, the author evaluates the shift from world-rejection to social integration, and from the desire for refuge to the more recent commitment to encounter and dialogue. Does this represent a change of message or merely the rise of new messengers?

Wolves Within the Fold: Religious Leadership and Abuses of Power.

Wolves within the Fold is the first collection of new articles dealing with abuse of authority by religious leaders and the victimization of their parishioners. The power of religion as a symbolic, salvationDpromising enterprise resides in its authority to create and shape reality for believers and command their obedience. This power can inspire tremendous acts of human kindness, charity, compassion, and hope. But witch hunts, inquisitions, crusades, and pogroms show us how religious authority can be used for far darker purposes. This abuse of power by religious authorities at the expense of their followers is termed clergy malfeasance by editor Anson Shupe and examined by the contributors to Wolves within the Fold.The essays provide an innovative examination of behavior that is sometimes illegal and always unethical, sometimes punished but often not. Topics range from a cultural study of Aum Shinrikyo, the Japanese apocalyptic group now infamous for releasing lethal gas into the Tokyo subway system, to a sociological analysis of financial scandals among evangelical religious groups. Groups analyzed include the Roman Catholic Church, Protestant denominations, televangelists, and the Hare Krishnas.

Why do people join the Hare Krishna Movement? Deprivation theory revisited

Why do people join New Religious Movements? After discussing and refuting the theory that members suffer from mental illness, the theory of deprivation is examined. Although the theory of relative deprivation has a number of problems as a social theory, it is argued that in some cases potential converts do experience a feeling of deprivation and therefore it is useful as a psychological theory of conversion. The concept of existential deprivation is elucidated. The paper ends with a discussion of the conversion process.

Betrayal of the Spirit: My Life behind the Headlines of the Hare Krishna Movement

Betrayal of the Spirit: My Life behind the Headlines of the Hare Krishna Movement

Om Shalom: Judaism and Krishna Consciousness (review)

Topical Book Reviews III together with an index that runs to over a hundred. pages, makes it easy to locate particular topics and to use the book for one's own purposes. And that is perhaps the role that it will significantly play in future scholarship: no one who writes on the scriptural forms of Hinduism or Judaism, or on "scripture" as a genus of religious expression, or on the theory of comparison in religious studies and more broadly can afford to ignore the evidence adduced here. It establishes Holdrege as an important voice in the next generation of comparative historians of religion. Thomas B. Coburn Religious Studies St. Lawrence University Om Shalom: Judaism and Krishna Consciousness, by Rabbi Jacob N. Shimmel and Satyaraja Dasa Adhikari. Brooklyn, NY: Folk Books, 1990. 213 pp. $6.95. Om Shalom is a collection of conversations between Rabbi Jacob N. Shimmel, a worldrenowned Halakhic scholar, and Satyaraja Dasa Adhikari, a prominent Jewish-American convert to the "Hare Krishnas," officially called the International Society for the Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). ISKCON was brought to the United States in the 1960s by founder and spiritual master, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. This book is fascinating for many reasons. Since the book is excerpted transcriptions of actual conversations, I felt as if I were sitting in a room next to a cozy study, listening to two men who-aware I might be inclined to eavesdrop-speak loudly enough about juicy topics and provide sufficient background that I might listen and understand. The subject matter is lively, entertaining, and well explained. The topics range enormously. In six chapters-divided more by occasion than subject-each speaker sets out the basic teachings of his respective faith and considers the role of idolatry, literalism, and metaphor. Throughout, they debate whether there is an essence to religion that both might share (Dasa pro, Shimmel con), and whether God can be understood to be a "person," or not (again, Dasa pro, Shimmel con). On comparative mysticisms, both agree a great deal, exchanging enormous amounts of complicated information in a wonderfully understandable manner. Vaishnava insistence on vegetarianism and Jewish teachings on kosher meat-eating occupy their attention, as do some of the common questions most outsiders might ask about each group. For instance, why wear those funny clothes (dhoti for Dasa, tefillin for Shimmel)? Beyond its subject matter and format, this book is fascinating-and significantsimply for the fact that it exists. It is it rapprochement between a respected figure of the Jewish establishment and a born Jew who seeks spiritual sustenance outside of, or in addition to, traditional Jewish avenues by initiation into an ancient Hindu fold. 112 SHOFAR Spring 1999 Vol. 17, No.3 The Introduction by Sylvia Rosen is particularly interesting. Ms. Rosen writes to affIrm her approbation ofher son, Satyaraja Dasa (born Steven Rosen). She recalls their secular household and what a nice and curious boy he was, one whose thirst for spiritual knowledge led him eventually to devotion to Krishna. In her concluding paragraph, she reveals that although herself not a devotee, she believes that not only did the Hare Krishna faith pose no obstacle to her son's Jewishness, but that it actually augmented it, "since the essence of Judaism is to love and honor God with all one's heart, mind, and soul" (p. 6), as a theory of essence she shares with son Dasa. This mother's testimony-told with great wit, self-reflection, and love-responds in advance to a point Rabbi Shimmel poses: can you be as a good Jewish man and yet not practice Judaism? Dasa and Sylvia Rosen say yes, Shimmel says no. The question of Jewish-American participation in the Hare Krishna movement has been a particularly sensitive one. In part due to Bhaktivedanta's insistence on preserving Hindu cultural dress, names, and eating customs, the Hare Krishnas-perhaps more than any other Hindu group-was singled out in the 1970s by so-called "anti-cultists," who sought to "educate" the public about the evils of these "new cults" and intervene directly into the lives ofthose who had joined them. Given the radical conservatism of most features of the Hare Krishna...

Betrayal of the spirit: my life behind the headlines of the Hare Krishna movement

Betrayal of the spirit: my life behind the headlines of the Hare Krishna movement

Belief transformations: some aspects of the relation between science and religion in Transcendental Meditation (TM) and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)

Belief transformations: some aspects of the relation between science and religion in Transcendental Meditation (TM) and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)

Hare Krishna and Sanatan Dharm in Britain: The Campaign for Bhaktivedanta Manor

Abstract Bhaktivedanta Manor, the main centre for ISKCON (the ‘Hare Krishna movement') in Britain, has been under threat of closure for over ten years. The centre—which is a place of pilgrimage for many thousands of Indian Hindus in Britain—is considered by its local authority to be used inappropriately, since it does not have the required planning permission to be a place of public worship. In their view, Bhaktivedanta Manor should be used only as a theological college. ISKCON have challenged this position, and through a series of legal and political battles have tried to prevent the local authority from taking enforcement action. The campaign against closure by ISKCON demonstrates the large support this ‘new’ religion has among the Hindu population of Britain, and indeed has played an important part in developing the relationship between Hindus and the Hare Krishna movement. But the campaign also demonstrates a key point about the role of religious freedom within British law, as the series of legal chal...

Clinical and Personality Assessment of Participants in New Religions

This article builds on an earlier effort to review exhaustively the personality and clinical assessment literature about controversial new religions, both in the United States and abroad. The present review covers considerable research on the Rajneesh movement in the United States, the Hare Krishna movement in the United States and Australia, as well as a group from the Jesus Movement. The conclusions drawn in the earlier review-that most experiences in the groups were generally positive-are strengthened by including this later research. Implications of this conclusion are discussed.