The founder of the Hare Krishnas as seen by devotees : a cognitive study of religious charisma / / by Kimmo Ketola.

• Superior document: Numen book series : studies in the history of religions, v. 120
• Author: Ketola, Kimmo.
• Year of Publication: 2008
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Studies in the history of religions ; 120.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (248 p.)
• Notes: Based on the author's dissertation (doctoral--University of Helsinki, 2002).

The Hare Krishna movement is one of the most well-known new religious movements in the Western societies. It was founded in New York in 1966 by the Indian monk A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda (1896-1977). The fact that it emerged during the heyday of the countercultural protests is often invoked in the explanations of its success. This book offers a completely new account for the rise and growth of the Hare Krishna movement by analysing it from the viewpoint of cognitive science of religion. It focuses on the charisma of the founder-guru through the writings of his earliest disciples and also takes a close look at the theology and ritual practices of the movement.

Table of Contents

Introduction -- The cognitive approach to charisma -- The founder-guru and his legacy -- Institutionalisation of charisma -- Hindu rituals and cultural models -- Cultural models and Prabhupāda's charisma -- The guru as a counterintuitive being -- The guru's essence and emotional impact -- Ritual frame and its vulnerability -- Cognitive explanations of charisma and new religions -- Conclusion.