ISKCONcomes out of this Bengali tra-
dition, but in other ways it shows ten-
sions that mark it as a twentieth-century
phenomenon. Its strong missionary
activities make it a highly unusual Hindu
religious organization, as does its mem-
bership—Prabhupada founded ISKCONin
New York City, most of ISKCON’s members
are Western converts from Judaism and
Christianity, and the bulk of its mission-
ary activities have been performed out-
side of India. The roots of ISKCON’s
membership, and the general fervor
associated with converts, have led to
some theological contradictions. On
one hand, ISKCONdoctrine tends to den-
igrate human capacity, putting the
emphasis on the saving power of God’s
grace. On the other hand, ISKCONdevo-
tees (bhakta) believe that they gain
religious merit by living a rigorously
regulated lifestyle that mandates a
strict vegetarian diet, abstinence from
liquorand nonmedicinal drugs, sexual
activity only for procreation, and a
well-established daily religious routine;
many devotees also adopt Indian cloth-
ing and hairstyles. In these two oppos-
ing emphases—complete surrender to
God’s grace, and strict adherence to a
prescribed “holy” lifestyle—ISKCONshows
surprising parallels to evangelical
Christianity. Since Prabhupada’s death in
1977, the organization has been run by
these Western converts, and thus ISKCON
can be characterized as a “countercul-
tural” Euro-American phenomenon,
despite its Indian origins. ISKCONhas a
significant presence in Brindavan, the
village celebrated as Krishna’s childhood
home, where the group has built a
magnificent temple; they are also active
in Mayapur in Bengal, which they
claim as Chaitanya’s birthplace. After a
period of growth in the 1970s, ISKCONhad
serious legal problems in the 1980s,
including losses in civil suits and
allegations of money laundering and
murder. For a sympathetic perspective
on the movement, see Larry Shinn,
The Dark Lord,1987; and Robert D. Baird
(ed.), Religion in Modern India, 1998.
See also vegetarianism.
ISKCON