Degree Year
2012
Document Type
Thesis - Open Access
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Anthropology
Committee Member(s)
Baron Pineda, Chair
Erika Hoffman-Dilloway
Keywords
Krishna, ISKCON, Prabhupada, Nation, Nationalism, Vegetarian, Vegetarianism, Transcendence, Identity
Abstract
This paper discusses the ways in which American devotees of Krishna understand their identities. Some second-generation Asian Americans have criticized American Krishna devotees of cultural appropriation, but devotees defend themselves against this claim with a philosophy of bodily transcendence. Many devotees practice transcendence through a rejection of nationalism and sectarianism. The paper also considers vegetarianism and ISKCON's attitude toward animals.
Repository Citation
Williams, Rachel Lynn, "We Are Not These Bodies: Identity and Transcendence Among American Devotees of Krishna" (2012). Honors Papers. 373.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/honors/373
