Hare Krishna Transformed

E Burke Rochford

ISBN 10: 0814775799 / ISBN 13: 9780814775790

Published by New York University Press Mai 2007, 2007

About this Item

Neuware - Most widely known for its adherents chanting 'Hare Krishna' and distributing religious literature on the streets of American cities, the Hare Krishna movement was founded in New York City in 1965 by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Formally known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or ISKCON, it is based on the Hindu Vedic scriptures and is a Western outgrowth of a popular yoga tradition which began in the 16th century. In its first generation ISKCON actively deterred marriage and the nuclear family, denigrated women, and viewed the raising of children as a distraction from devotees' spiritual responsibilities. Yet since the death of its founder in 1977, there has been a growing women's rights movement and also a highly publicized child abuse scandal. Most strikingly, this movement has transformed into one that now embraces the nuclear family and is more accepting of both women and children, steps taken out of necessity to sustain itself as a religious movement into the next generation. At the same time, it is now struggling to contend with the consequences of its recent outreach into the India-born American Hindu community. Based on three decades of in-depth research and participant observation, Hare Krishna Transformed explores dramatic changes in this new religious movement over the course of two generations from its founding.

Seller Inventory # 9780814775790

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Hare Krishna Transformed
• Publisher: New York University Press Mai 2007
• Publication Date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0814775799
• ISBN 13: 9780814775790
• Binding: Taschenbuch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 226W x 156H x 18D millimeters 226 millimeters width by 156 millimeters height by 18 millimeters depth
• Weight: 404 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Most widely known for its adherents chanting “Hare Krishna” and distributing religious literature on the streets of American cities, the Hare Krishna movement was founded in New York City in 1965 by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Formally known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or ISKCON, it is based on the Hindu Vedic scriptures and is a Western outgrowth of a popular yoga tradition which began in the 16th century.
In its first generation ISKCON actively deterred marriage and the nuclear family, denigrated women, and viewed the raising of children as a distraction from devotees' spiritual responsibilities. Yet since the death of its founder in 1977, there has been a growing women’s rights movement and also a highly publicized child abuse scandal. Most strikingly, this movement has transformed into one that now embraces the nuclear family and is more accepting of both women and children, steps taken out of necessity to sustain itself as a religious movement into the next generation. At the same time, it is now struggling to contend with the consequences of its recent outreach into the India-born American Hindu community.
Based on three decades of in-depth research and participant observation, Hare Krishna Transformed explores dramatic changes in this new religious movement over the course of two generations from its founding.

About the Author

E. Burke Rochford, Jr. is Professor of Sociology, Anthropology and Religion at Middlebury College. He is the author of Hare Krishna in America.