The Hare Krishna Movement : The Postcharismatic Fate of a Religious Transplant

Dancing and chanting with their shaven heads and saffron robes, Hare Krishnas presented the most visible face of any of the eastern religions transplanted to the West during the sixties and seventies. Yet few people know much about them. This comprehensive study includes more than twenty contributions from members, ex-members, and academics who have followed the Hare Krishna movement for years. Since the death of its founder, the movement, also known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), has experienced debates over the roles of authority, heresy, and dissent, which have led to the development of several splinter movements. There is a growing women's rights movement and a highly publicized child abuse scandal. Providing a privileged look at the people and issues shaping ISKCON, this volume also offers insight into the complex factors surrounding the emergence of religious traditions, including early Christianity, as well as a glimpse of the original seeds and the germinating stages of a religious tradition putting down roots in foreign soil. Part 1. Krishna Consciousness In The Context Of Hindu Theology -- Krishna, The Intimate Deity / Graham M. Schweig -- The History Of Indic Monotheism And Modern Chaitanya Vaishnavism: Some Reflections / Neal Delmonico -- Hare Krishna Mahamantra: Gaudiya Vaishnava Practice And The Hindu Tradition Of Sacred Sound / Guy L. Beck -- Krishna In Mleccha Desh: Iskcon Temple Worship In Historical Perspective / Kenneth Valpey (krishna Kshetra Das) -- Part 2. Bhaktivedanta Swami And His Predecessors -- Who Is Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu? / Steven J. Rosen (satyaraja Das) -- Charismatic Renewal And Institutionalization In The History Of Gaudiya Vaishnavism And The Gaudiya Math / Jan Brzezinski -- Bhaktivinoda And Scriptural Literalism / Shukavak N. Das -- The Guru, Mayavadins, And Women: Tracing The Origins Of Selected Polemical Statements In The Work Of A.c. Bhaktivedanta Swami / Ekkehard Lorenz -- Bhaktivedanta Swami's Preaching In The Context Of Gaudiya Vaishnavism / Paul H. Sherbow -- Part 3. Post-bhaktivedanta Controversies Of Lineage -- Cleaning House And Cleaning Hearts: Reform And Renewal In Iskcon / William H. Deadwyler (ravindra Svarupa Das) -- The Guardian Of Devotion: Disappearance And Rejection Of The Spiritual Master In Iskcon After 1977 / Swami Bhakti Bhavana Vishnu -- The No Change In Iskcon Paradigm / Krishnakant Desai [and Others] -- The Routinization Of Charisma And The Charismatic: The Confrontation Between Iskcon And Narayana Maharaja / Irvin H. Collins -- Part 4. Heresies -- Doctrinal Controversy And The Group Dynamic / Conrad Joseph (kundali Das) -- Heresy And The Jiva Debate / Howard Resnick (hridayananda Das Goswami) -- Part 5. Social Issues -- Airports, Conflict, And Change In The Hare Krishna Movement / E. Burke Rochford Jr. -- Healing The Heart Of Iskcon: The Place Of Women / Kim Knott -- Life As A Woman On Watseka Avenue: Personal Story I / Nori J. Muster -- Child Abuse And The Hare Krishnas: History And Response / David Wolf -- Fifteen Years Later: A Critique Of Gurukula: Personal Story Ii / Gabriel Deadwyler (yudhishthira Das) -- Race, Monarchy, And Gender: Bhaktivedanta Swami's Social Experiment / Ekkehard Lorenz -- Part 6. Reevaluations -- On Leaving Iskcon: Personal Story Iii / Steven J. Gelberg -- On Staying In Iskcon: Personal Story Iv / Michael Grant (mukunda Goswami), Anuttama Das Adhikari -- Re-visioning Iskcon: Constructive Theologizing For Reform And Renewal / Thomas Herzig (tamal Krishna Goswami), Kenneth Valpey (krishna Kshetra Das) -- Concluding Reflections / Edwin F. Bryant, Maria L. Ekstrand. Edited By Edwin F. Bryant And Maria L. Ekstrand. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright Page......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Contributors......Page 10 Foreword......Page 16 Introduction......Page 24 Part 1 Krishna Consciousness in the Context of Hindu Theology......Page 34 1. Krishna, the Intimate Deity......Page 36 2. The History of Indic Monotheism and Modern Chaitanya Vaishnavism: Some Reflections......Page 54 3. Hare Krishna Mahamantra: Gaudiya Vaishnava Practice and the Hindu Tradition of Sacred Sound......Page 58 4. Krishna in Mleccha Desh: ISKCON Temple Worship in Historical Perspective......Page 68 Part 2 Bhaktivedanta Swami and His Predecessors......Page 84 5. Who Is Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu?......Page 86 6. Charismatic Renewal and Institutionalization in the History of Gaudiya Vaishnavism and the Gaudiya Math......Page 96 7. Bhaktivinoda and Scriptural Literalism......Page 120 8. The Guru, Mayavadins, and Women: Tracing the Origins of Selected Polemical Statements in the Work of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami......Page 135 9. Bhaktivedanta Swami’s Preaching in the Context of Gaudiya Vaishnavism......Page 152 Part 3 Post-Bhaktivedanta Controversies of Lineage......Page 170 10. Cleaning House and Cleaning Hearts: Reform and Renewal in ISKCON......Page 172 11. The Guardian of Devotion: Disappearance and Rejection of the Spiritual Master in ISKCON After 1977......Page 193 12. The No Change in ISKCON Paradigm......Page 217 13. The “Routinization of Charisma” and the Charismatic: The Confrontation Between ISKCON and Narayana Maharaja......Page 237 Part 4 Heresies......Page 262 14. Doctrinal Controversy and the Group Dynamic......Page 264 15. Heresy and the Jiva Debate......Page 287 Part 5 Social Issues......Page 294 16. Airports, Conflict, and Change in the Hare Krishna Movement......Page 296 17. Healing the Heart of ISKCON: The Place of Women......Page 314 18. Life as a Woman on Watseka Avenue: Personal Story I......Page 335 19. Child Abuse and the Hare Krishnas: History and Response......Page 344 20. Fifteen Years Later: A Critique of Gurukula: Personal Story II......Page 368 21. Race, Monarchy, and Gender: Bhaktivedanta Swami’s Social Experiment......Page 380 Part 6 Reevaluations......Page 414 22. On Leaving ISKCON: Personal Story III......Page 416 23. On Staying in ISKCON: Personal Story IV......Page 427 24. Re-Visioning ISKCON: Constructive Theologizing for Reform and Renewal......Page 439 Concluding Reflections......Page 454 Glossary......Page 466 Index......Page 470