Angela R. Burt - Böcker

The Hare Krishna movement is a modern manifestation of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, which has its roots in sixteenth century West Bengal, India. The tradition was institutionalized in a modern form when it was registered as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in New York City in 1966 by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Its mission was to present bhakti-yoga (the yoga of devotion) to a Western audience. This Element introduces the historical origins of the movement and examines its beliefs and practices within the context of its institutional and community dynamics. It also considers the Hare Krishna movement's changing relationship with mainstream society and its shifting demographic makeup in tandem with key challenges and controversies that have beset the movement throughout its history. The Element concludes by considering how the movement's responses to a new set of issues and challenges are pivotal for its future direction in the twenty-first century.

This book examines issues of leadership and succession in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) which was founded in by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1966. After the founder’s death in 1977, the movement was led by a group of gurus in a "zonal system" until their authority was challenged and reformed in the mid-1980s. At the heart of the book is an exploration of the developments, conflicts, and defining characteristics of leadership in ISKCON in this decade. Themes of hierarchy, status, power and authority, and the routinisation of charisma are shown to be keys to understanding the events of the time. With careful analysis of interviews and documentary evidence, the research offers a unique insight into ISKCON as an organisation and the broader religious community in which ISKCON is located. The book will be of particular interest to scholars of new religious movements and those concerned with religious leadership.