A divine trajectory: diet, devotion and animal rights in Krishnacore

Drawing upon Implicit Religion as a framework and set of analytical tools, firstly, this work considers what can be learnt about religion as a concept by exploring animal rights within the straight edge (sometimes termed as sXe) punk community. Second, by specifically tracing the journey of animal advocacy within the punk subgenre Krishnacore, it will begin to broaden the scholarship on animal rights within a wider range of faith-based communities. The data presented in this chapter draws upon ethnographic research in the form of interviews with the UK-based musician Rat (from the band Statement), various Krishnacore band members, and an anthropological consideration of locale, focused on NYC. The chapter begins with a brief overview of Implicit Religion before moving into the emergence of straight edge punk, noting how key tenets of the movement (abstaining from alcohol, drugs and tobacco), lent itself to a wider participatory awareness of lifestyle choices linked to environmental issues and vegetarianism/veganism. This section will also outline the advent of ‘vegan straight edge,’ which emerged from the UK in the 1980s, and which informed the later so-called ‘Hardline’ subculture, and bands such as Earth Crisis, Raid and Vegan Reich.