Dr. Larry D. Shinn, a scholar of religion, educator, and interfaith voice, passed away on April 2, 2025, at the age of 83. For devotees of ISKCON, Dr. Shinn’s departure marks the loss of not only a thoughtful academic but also a longtime friend whose balanced research and nuanced understanding of Srila Prabhupada’s movement helped shape both the Society’s self-reflection over the decades.
Born in 1941 in Indiana, Shinn began his academic journey with a deep love for religion and cross-cultural understanding. He served as a Methodist minister, earned his doctorate in South Asian religions from Princeton University, and devoted his life to studying the world’s great spiritual traditions—especially those from India. Over his distinguished career, he held key roles including Danforth Professor of Religion and South Asian Studies at Oberlin College, Vice President and Dean at Bucknell University, and eventually President of Berea College in Kentucky.
While his influence spanned many areas, Dr. Shinn is remembered within ISKCON as one of the earliest scholars to examine the Hare Krishna movement with fairness, insight, and integrity. He approached ISKCON not as a sociological oddity or mere “cult,” but as a living, evolving Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, rooted in centuries of devotional practice yet dynamically situated in the modern world.
Read More https://iskconnews.org/remembering-dr-larry-shinn-a-friend-scholar-and-advocate-of-iskcon/
Comments