Product Description
What does religion mean to you? How do you develop a greater sense of purpose in life? How can you cultivate your own spiritual growth? And how do you know if you're heading down the right path? For many people religion is the answer. But what is true religion, and how do you know when you've found it?

Nathan Rutstein provides a personal. thoughtful exploration of these and other questions. At a time when many are struggling with life's most difficult questions, SEEKING FAITH offers a hopeful perspective for the future. It explores how to find your own true purpose and create peace and happiness in your life as well as in the world around you, no matter who you are and no matter what circumstances affect you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

An unobtrusive view of religion
An unobtrusive, delightful book about the real meaning of living a more meaningful life.The author is a Baha'i and he places emphasis on the importance of humanity learning to live together in a harmonious way, free from prejudices of race, colour, nationality and religion.

We need to keep abreast of changing times and changing conditions and not be afraid to face new challenges.The author touches on our spiritual reality and the soul's journey, and a world in which we can all live together in harmony.What goal is better than this?

It is a book able to satisfy the soul's longing for the meaning of life.It demonstrates very simply the importance of recognizing the fact that God may have sent another divine messenger or spiritual guide to lead mankind out of the mess it presently finds itself in.

It is not full of detail and doctrine which is refreshing.I found it helpful and encouraging.What's more it gives hope. I would recommend it to all seeking meaning and purpose in life.An easy to read book too.

Good, contribtory, but read SB 1 or God
I have to say this is a sincere effort to unify persons for peace sake and that should say enough. First, to cover the title of is religion really what you think it is, the author touches nothing new, but stimulates the biased mind in a hope to enlighten the reason for faith. I cannot say I agree with everything here, but it certanly is an effort to help many understand the pro's of faith. Second, the book takes a very realistic approach, well written, but is a bit lacking in character. I strongly recommend a book titled SB 1 or God which is much more convincing, by Karl Maddox.

A REMARKABLE WORK
Nathan Rutstein gives the reader the spiritual tools to discover the true beauty and unity of religion.This is timely work of eternal verities and practical, life-changing wisdom.Highly recommended.

Finding Yourself in the Cosmos
I loved this book for its simple examples of why, as beings created by a loving God, we have the chance to live a life otherwise unimaginable when we open ourselves to the process of seeking faith.

This book also presents compelling information on the Baha'i Faith, a religion that defines what many people are coming to decide for themselves: that all religions are connected.

This book also gives wonderful examples of how gaining spiritual maturity will allow you claim the life you were destined to have, to fully realize your gifts and talents and to be a force for positive change. ... Read more

Product Description
This comprehensive and succinct encyclopedia traces the origins and development of the BahNB'! Faith from nineteenth-century Iran to the modern day, covering its central figures and major historical events. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A must buy for Bahai seekers
I have been attending several Bahai classes and also reading several Bahai books but I find that this book makes it a lot more easier to understand.Some of the other books uses "old & flowery" English :-) which usually takes me longer to understand.. but not this book.I am also one of those people that process information in point forms so this book definitely works for me..Highly recommended reading for someone who is a seeker like me :-)

handy reference
This Encyclopedia covers a HUGE variety of topics. History of the faith, central characters, daily life practices, stances on topics from abortion to burial practices.

One of the Best Bahai reference books
This is a must buy book for all Bahai's. When I first bought it I couldn't put it down. The missing link in any library. The information is accurate and concise. It would take you years to compile this information. Don't wait, get one as soon as possible. You will be overjoyed at the vast information included in this book. Should have had this book 30 yrs. ago.

Useful for a Wide Variety of Students of Reiigion
This is an extremely useful and handy reference book for students of comparative religion, the Baha'i Faith, Middle Eastern studies, Islamic studies, etc. The categories are excellent, the research excellent, and the topics are written extremely well. In addition to fine historical biograhies, this brief book covers a diverse array to topics associated with the history, theology, ethical and moral stances related to the Baha'i Faith. Contemporary issues, social and historical issues, theological controveries, all are in this book as well as the nature of Baha'i administration, social organization, scriptural descriptions, relations with other religions, etc. It is an excellent book and useful to academics and students of the Baha'i Faith. Objective and informative, respectful and accurate, and briefly written this book stands as a good beginning for a series of volumes on the Baha'i Faith. I strongly recommend it to everyone.

Encyclopedia-writing at its best
Over the past year, for a project I've read a wide variety of encyclopedias on religious movements, religious issues, and religions in general.Out of more than 20, Smith's encyclopedia is certainly the best.Unlike some volumes of the "Concise Encyclopedia of X" series, Smith has reasonably detailed entries, ranging from a paragraph to several pages.The articles themselves are very clear and well-written, with suggestions for further reading.The articles cover an enormous range of personalities, doctrine, and history of Baha'i.Fascinating. ... Read more

Product Description
In this compact work, Esslemont comprehensively yet succinctly sets forth the teachings of Baha'u'llah, the Prophet and Founder of the Baha'i Faith. He outlines the religion's early history; explains its theology; incorporates extracts from Baha'i scripture; and provides information on Baha'i spiritual practices. This is essential reading for students of comparative religion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Good intro to the Baha'i Faith
First a disclaimer.I do NOT share Baha'u'llah's vision for humanity.In particular I am not entirely sure that unity of the human race is necessarily desirable and I am pretty sure that uniformity in language and religion would be a bad thing.Instead I think differences need to be respected.Instead I read this book because when I was a child we had some family friends who were Baha'is from Iran (this was in the middle of Utah).

This book provides first an overview of the history of the Baha'i faith.The main figures here are covered.It describes the religious persecution the groups faced in Persia and Turkey, and it provides a background for understanding the social context for the birth of that religion.

The second part of the book is an overview of Baha'i teachings.It includes attitudes towards prayer, diet, health, marriage, divorce, and so forth.This is a very broad overview and doesn't go into too much detail.

On the whole, I think this is a good book for anyone to read who wants to learn more about the Baha'i faith whether or not one agrees with it.

Particularly recommended to those who are trying to figure out whether the Baha'i faith is the right one for them
Who are the Baha'i? "Baha'u'llah and the New Era: An Introduction to the Baha'i Faith" serves to explain this religion to readers, as the Baha'i faith begins to gain much steam in today's world. Elaborating on this faith, its history, its principles, and more, "Baha'u'llah and the New Era" is particularly recommended to those who are trying to figure out whether the Baha'i faith is the right one for them.

Imperfect but intriguing
This book has a defined scope. It does not address all the questions of a scholarly mind or an inquisitive mind... but that is not within it's scope. The fact that some reviewers find it does not address all the contemporary questions may be related to a misunderstanding of when this material was written. J. E. Esselmont lived from 1874-1925. Keeping the context of history and the author's personal involvement in the faith, it shares a view of the emerging Baha'i faith by one taken up in the swell of the changes of the day. The author's introduction clearly states that when he first glimpsed the teachings, he was struck by their power and beauty.The author thus disclaims his bias and his position.This is not a dispassionate, dry, recitation of the purports of the day. This is the writing of a man in love with something greater than himself, attempting to put his learning into a context historically and socially.

No book will be perfect, but this one is intriguing. A preview of contents is available by project guttenberg online.

UNITY OF THE PLANET
To be a Baha'i simply means to love all the world; to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood." - Abdu'l-Baha

"Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer to the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thygeneration, a fruit upon the tree of humility." - Baha'u'llah

It was an exciting experience.

A whole new world
This is an incredible book which outlines the basics of a new, world-wide faith known as Baha'i.It discusses such topics as:

- The unity of science and religion

- The way to peace

- Health and healing

- Prayer

- Education

- Fundamental justice

- Baha'i history and religion

It contains a number of profound ideas and meaningful insights which can be applied to any life and every society, and offers a basic understanding of this young religion.For some, it leads to still greater questions -- the answers of which can be found in other, further reaching books and studies.

I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fails to convince.
The author states that this faith is a continuation of Christianity as Christianity is a continuation of Judaism. Yet what we really have here is not a continuation of Christianity but a relatively new religion whose supposed prophet cannot prove what he says is true but can only make the startling claim what he is who hesays he is and no more.

When Baha'is state their claims and Christians counter with biblical references showing such claims to be spurious Baha'is then counter that we Christians are much too literal in our application of biblical exegesis. Case in point: Baha'is claim that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was not a literal event but spiritual. Never mind that most of the writers of the New Testament-and many more-witnessed the resurrection and testified to the physicality of such an event. See Luke 24:39 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-9. Another one the author would have us believe is that the raising of Lazarus requires a spiritual interpretation and cannot and should not be understood as a literal event. We are asked to believe that Baha'i beliefs are a continuation of Christianity yet many of the Baha'i doctrines and beliefs cannot be traced back any further than the advent of their prophet and his followers and not before. The appeal is made to symbolism and symbolic imagery as the way to interpret biblical passages supporting their prophet. However, such appeals are always subjective and are rarely, if ever, objective. Baha'is would have us believe that the writers of the Bible were employing symbolism and symbolic imagery when writing but when referencing their own writings they must always be understood as literal and objective. And yet Baha'is would have us believe that they are the only ones who know the correct or true interpretation of what the writers of the Bible wrote. One method of interpretation must be employed for the writings of one faith and a different method of interpretation for the other. The dichotomy is obvious. What we are being asked to believe is that those who wrote the Bible knew that they were writing in such a manner yet failed or neglected to pass on the true meanings of what they wrote. The reason that they did not is they fully expected their readers to understand what they were writing!

We Christians are being told that what we have believed and taught for nearly two millennia is wrong and only now are we being told this. If what they're asking us to believe is right then they should be able to show what they believe has been taught since biblical times yet they can do no such thing. One cannot and should not expect people to jettison core fundamental beliefs which have been believed, taught and expounded upon for nearly two millennia merely at the insistence of some self-proclaimed prophet who now says we should.

They claim that their prophet-Baha'u'llah-is the second coming of Christ. Again biblical facts fail to support such a claim. The Bible states that when Jesus Christ returns every eye shall see Him. Has every eye seen this "Baha'u'llah"? One does not have to think long or hard to know whether or not this has happened. Jesus told those around Him that no one would know when He would return, and that even He Himself would not know when, only God knows. Yet we're told that His return in 1844 was predicted by many Bible scholars. And that "Baha'u'llah" is the promised second coming. Clearly someone must be wrong for both cannot be right.

Baha'is claim that this "Baha'u'llah" is the comforter that is promised in the Bible. Yet the Bible makes it very clear that the promised comforter is a spirit and not a corporeal entity. Luke 24:29; John 14:26; 15:26.
One of the more interesting parts of this book is when the author is writing about the disparity between the rich and poor. The Baha'i answer for this disparity is, "The remedy must be legislative readjustment of conditions." This is nothing more than the redistribution of wealth. Only one word accurately describes the system that would be needed to implement such a remedy and that word is SOCIALISM.

The name "Baha'u'llah" we are told means "Glory of God" and that this is the promised new name the returning Christ would have. This clearly contradicts Scripture because Isaiah 42:8 reads, "I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another..." See also Isaiah 48:11.

So in other words what we have here in this "prophet" is someone that contradicts the Bible who can only prove his claim of being the return of Jesus Christ by employing the most sweeping symbolism and symbolic imagery available as a means of interpreting previous scriptures and who brings to us a faith bearing the banner of socialism. Not a very sure foundation to place one's faith or for pinning ones hope of an afterlife.

I'm grateful
With the increasing number of introductory books about the Baha'i Faith becoming available, I wondered which would be most helpful in inspiring my Christian friends to learn about, become friendly toward, and then accept the teachings of this relatively new religion.I need search no further."In the Glory of the Father" is succinct, clear, and concise; yet full enough in its explanations to spur my curiosity to learn more.Dr. Lepard makes you want to learn more and spurs you from question to answer to new questions with forthright, reasonable explanations.Reading this book will broaden and likely redirect you on your spiritual pathways. ... Read more

Product Description
A universal God doesn't reveal an exclusive religion. Judaism and Baha'i affirm the Oneness of God and the fundamental oneness of all humanity.

According to Jewish teaching, God has provided guidance to others besides Israel. "The Father of all mankind has made Himself known to more than one single group of His children," affirms Jakob Petuchowski, Professor of Rabbinics and Jewish Theology at Hebrew Union College, "There is, therefore, no reason for assuming that truth is limited to Judaism. God may have chosen other experiences to reveal Himself to Moslems and Buddhists. My concept of the Messianic future includes the prospect of a united mankind, proclaiming that the `the Lord is One, and His name is One’." ... Read more

Product Description
This is a study of the history, teachings, administrative structure and community life of the Baha'i faith, the youngest and fastest growing of the world's independent religions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Highly recommended to all scholars or non-specialist general interest readers
In just one hundred fifty years, the Baha'i faith has become the world's second largest independent religion. "The Baha'i Faith: The Emerging Global Religion" is an all-purpose guide to the religion, covering its history, beliefs, and community. Named by the Encyclopedia Britannica as a book of understanding and knowledge, and it covers all of the recent developments of the Baha'i faith and everything one would need or want to know about them. "The Baha'i Faith: The Emerging Global Religion" is highly recommended to all scholars or non-specialist general interest readers who seek a more complete understanding of the Baha'i faith and everything about it

This book as a research tool
This book, written by William S. Hatcher and J. Douglas Martin, offers an overview of the Baha'i faith and then focuses on it role as an emerging global religion.It has served as a core secondary source for a research paper I am writing and has been the most relevant to the thesis of my paper. It has been especially helpful because it spends several chapters talking about the world order of the Baha'i faith as well as the community it creates. This book has an extensive bibliography which provides sources on where the information for this book came from.William S. Hatcher and J. Douglas Martin are Baha'i believers who have published under the Baha'i Publishing Trust. The publishing institution lends credibility to the work and supports the strength of the authors' understanding as believers. Published in 2002, this book provides a recent perspective on the Baha'i faith that is aimed at intellectuals striving to understand the basics of the Baha'i faith. Although it is a scholarly work, it does provide a standard overview that can be understood by anyone trying to find out more about this faith.To better understand the book, you should know that it has ten chapters that span the historical background of the faith, the teachings and delve into an understanding of the Baha'i faith as a world order. A great addition to this book are the introduction, epilogue, and the index.The index is especially helpful during research! This book is a wonderful research tool and is also helpful to anyone trying to find out more about the Baha'i faith.

Great introduction for beginners
This is a great introductory book for beginners or people interested in faith. It covers all the areas of spiritual and social aspects in a brief understandable way. Any one interested in contemporary yet globally encompassing religion will find it an easy read for quick review.

The concept of progressive revelation
The Baha'i Faith is the newest religion on the block and like the others, has its own independant book and founder. The faith emerged out of Persian in the 19th century. Just as Jesus (Christ)was a Jew who founded Christianity, Siddartha (Buddha) a Hindu who founded Buddhism, Mirza Huysan Ali (Baha'u'llah) was a Muslin who found Baha'i. Whether you agree with the concept or not the Baha'i Faith has grown in just under 200 years into a worldwide community of 6 million believers beyond the borders of Persia. However, the faith is not without controvery since Baha'i still faith persecution in Iran.

I do believe that anyone who investigates the Baha'i Faith be very versed in the theology of their original faith whatever it is. Faith is complex and religion complicated. Theology is your spiritual foundation as is what is in your heart. In my life, once a Catholic always a Catholic, but a healthy respect for other religions is a positive thing when one considers the Christian virtues taught by Jesus. If you think the buck stops with Jesus it does not give you license to persecute those who follow other world soul teachers. It is between them and God.

Manufactured religion
I found this book to be a strange blending of all major religions into Bahai, while it deftly eliminates all the points of these religions that clash with each other. It shows that Bahai has a mission, to unite all nations into one world, and it seems that the Bahai faith is the 'tool' for that union.

It is well written, has the poetic language of many Middle-Eastern religious writings, does not attack anyone, and it will be able to attract people who are not really familiar with the doctrines of their own faith. It is -in my opinion-the ultimate in manufactured religion. ... Read more

Product Description
In this clear and informative guide, Momen provides a vibrant introduction to all aspects of this fast-expanding faith, which now has over 5.5 million adher ents. From the spiritual development of the individual to the belief in the need for world peace, this gives anyone interested in the contemporary religious landscape an insight into this 150-year old tradition, whose spiritual and social teachings are so much in tune with the concerns of today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Overview of the Baha'iFaith
Moomen has done a beautiful job presenting the Faith clearly and concisely. This is an excellent introduction for someone who hasn't heard of the Faith as well as someone who is familiar with it and would like the information "all in one place". ... Read more

Product Description
The Baha'i Faith in America provides an engaging and accessible overview of one of the world's youngest and fastest growing religions. William Garlington explores the principles of the Baha'i faith and traces the historical development Baha'i faith both worldwide and in the USA. In the process, Garlington reveals a dynamic and highly idealistic faith that is attempting to offer a model of religious community that is compatible with the continuing process of globalization. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

The American Bahai Mixture
Of even more interest to me is Garlington's discussion of the many incidents that have developed in connection with the rise of the Internet during the mid and late `90s since I participated in the long battle to create what is still the only uncensored forum for the discussion of the Bahai Faith, talk.religion.bahai on Usenet. As with China, the Bahai Faith found itself confronted for the first time with a means of communication it couldn't entirely control and silence. Like China, the Bahai Faith has developed an apologetical cadre for monitoring, influencing and controlling discussion on the Internet. Yet the early atmosphere of the talisman mailing list, as with other online forums, was euphoric with new found liberty and freedom for Bahais to speak honestly about the Bahai Faith, setting off paroxysms of outrage and self-righteous allegations by fundamentalists that others were "tending toward covenant breaking," "divisive," "not Bahai," and so on. Much of it, along with other incidents touching on religious freedom, can still be found documented on the Internet through University of Michigan Professor Juan Cole's website, my own, [...], and the Google archive for talk.religion.bahai.

Another shortcoming in Garlington's book is that while his Conclusion acknowledges that "vocal and liberal Bahais" are becoming "an ever-decreasing minority," he fails to examine sufficiently why that is, namely, the extreme and alarming tactics used to drive liberals out of the Bahai Faith, exemplified in the attacks on Ruth White and Ahmad Sohrab-the most vicious shunning and slandering techniques used by perhaps any religion in America today. Official Bahai sources and the Internet abound with examples. Garlington barely scratches the surface of the extent to which "hikmat," so-called wisdom, operates in Bahai history, as do "taqlid," blind obedience, and "takfir," excommunication. Much more needs to be said in this regard.

The real test of any religious ethic is not the treatment of those who keep their mouths closed, never thinking or questioning anything (taqlid), but rather the treatment of those writers and scholars of capacity, deeply grounded in the intellectual history and traditions of their culture. The Bahai Faith has so thoroughly failed that test, especially during the last few decades, that no individual or country should take its claims at face value without reading and reflecting on such books as William Garlington's. It should be noted that the December 2005 Library Journal review of Garlington's book, by William P. Collins, a conservative apologist for Bahai orthodoxy, employs the usual Bahai tactic of discrediting and slandering any dissident opinion, while recommending books that have passed "Bahai review," in reality, censorship. The reader might want to reflect on the fact that William P. Collins is a librarian at the Library of Congress, yet readily uses his position to defend a system of administration regularly attacking the liberal values that make a library worthy of the name possible and to discourage acquisition librarians from ordering Garlington's book.

In his closing paragraph Garlington urges the Bahai leadership to manifest a higher degree of wisdom, echoing all too much for me the practices of "hikmat" that resulted, in the Western world, often in the most cynical manipulation of the "rank and file." Rather, I would say, what's required is a higher level of normal decency, humility, and respect for the individual's freedom and liberty of conscience, along the lines of Isaiah Berlin. It doesn't take much wisdom to realize what kind of world the present arrogant and utopian administration would create. One needs only to look at American Bahai history and the abuse of now countless individuals and families.

While Garlington seldom moves very far beyond the received version of American Bahai history, his book is at least the first written by a scholar trying to discover essentially what Edward Gibbon called the "inevitable mixture of error and corruption" that a religion contracts "in a long residence upon earth," versus the predictably self-serving propaganda of the converted. The publisher Praeger is to be applauded for its commitment to free speech and discussion.

[...]

Misses the whole point of religious Democracy
Just imagine Baha'u'llah, the Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i Faith, locked in the depths of the most terrible prison in history, banished from city to city, belongings plundered, family murdered, poisoned, and sending a message of revolution and revival of religion to the planet. Suddenly, in walks this Angel, who tells Him, in the midst of the most violent, prejudiced, totalitarian Arab culture on the planet, that He is the next Messenger of God. But wait, You're not just a Messenger, but your Message, in the early 1900s (when US doctors don't have to graduate from college, when there are 3 experimental telegraphs, when there are only 90 miles of paved roads, when the population of Vegas is 45, the life expectancy of a male is 41, stars are not known to be suns, galaxies have not yet been discovered, and the leading cause of death is pneumonia), that He will announce:

--The equality of men and women (at a time and in a culture where female babies are being buried at birth, and women are considered the equivalent of a horse)
--Universal education for children (at a time when children are considered the spawn of Satan)
--World peace and harmony (at a time when conquest was the rule)
--Elimination of the extremes of wealth (ok, so we are going to tell the Arabs they don't possess their wives, and they also have to give up their gold!)
--Racial equality (at a time when "lower" races were also slaves)

And if that isn't enough to have 30,000 believers tortured and killed (which they were, and are in Iran to this day), and which happens when you threaten even ONE of these vicious power-centers, when leaving, the Angel also lets Him know: "And, by the way, you're going to eliminate the clergy, and create the first Democratic Faith on earth." (Long before any Democracy on the planet let women vote). This book misses the whole point of the real Message!

With one snap of the Divine Finger, Baha'u'llah thus eliminates the entire planet's priests, ministers, rabbis and mullahs, and creates the first true DEMOCRATIC religion on the planet! Now, you've seen (eg: reverend Wright and Islamic suicide bombers) how much "followers" are loathe to give up their clergy, and how important it is to have someone else tell you what to believe. Regardless of the ego driven, petty arguments about the birth pangs of the Baha'is, they are still the only true Democratic Religion on the planet, and the elimination of the clergy is as revolutionary and modern now as it was in 1844. To back it up, priests chasing little boys, mullahs creating death warrants, TV ministers having numerous affairs, and accumulating incredible wealth, and many other Signs of the inevitability of independence and democracy in religion are now everywhere. Critics can dismiss the Baha'is as "liberal or conservative," but the revolutionary Truth of their movement is still not even dimly perceived until you consider the stunning new sex, racial, and democratic equalities at their heart.

To the idiots who suggest Iranian youth are not catching fire with this new movement: ask them about Mona, the young Baha'i teacher RECENTLY imprisoned and murdered for her belief. We've only seen the very first ray of this Sun, friends.

How refreshing
How refreshing to read a book about a religions where the author is neither promoting not attacking.I found the content to be well balanced and evenly presented, and find Collins' review to be absurd.Collins who is probably a Baha'i is defending where there is no attack.As a student of religion I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a fair and honest approach to the study of the Baha'i Faith.

Readable but disappointing
This work promises to be a neutral academic treatment, but is plagued with some questions about how that neutrality is achieved. While Dr. Garlington gives a good overview of the Baha'i Faith's progressive teachings and a useful history of American polemic against it, he gives disproportionate weight to the viewpoints of a handful of ex-Baha'i critics and disaffected Baha'is. Thus his later chapters on contemporary developments are deprived of the Baha'i community's and institutions' authentic and nuanced voice in the understanding of their own Faith. The critics, if not the author himself, tend to believe that "fundamentalism" is rampant in the Baha'i community. Thus the author quotes as fact one critic's false connections between right-wing Christianity in America and the membership of international Baha'i institutions. In reality, Baha'i institutions advise Baha'is that they should not seek to impose Baha'i requirements on those who are not Baha'is and a national Baha'i educational institution has held courses about how to ensure a spiritual, thinking, non-fundamentalist culture. When treating the controversies fomented by many of these critics, the author draws frequent unfounded conclusions, for example stating that large scale enrollments of African-Americans in the Baha'i Faith in the south around 1970 came to an end because Baha'i "leadership" was unwilling to cope with large numbers of poor and minority members. If this were true, would that same leadership have built a Baha'i institute and a radio station for those believers and continued to emphasize the importance of consolidating their membership? Though I (the reviewer) am a Baha'i, I am able to see from the outsider's viewpoint and understand how contemporary thinking raises some issues to prominence. However, I was personally involved in or observed most of the contemporary issues mentioned in the book. Garlington's informants did not give a complete picture of their interactions with the community and its institutions. The work frequently gives their viewpoints without a full accounting of the Baha'i understanding of the issue at hand, which might make for a richer picture of how the Baha'i tradition applies to daily life and practice. Unfortunately, the work too often characterizes as major crises, controversies that are largely unnoticed among the general Baha'i populace or that are being worked out within the framework of a developing community life.

Good book. Appraisal too optimistic. A little on the naive.
William Garlington's THE BAHA'I FAITH IN AMERICA is an important addition to the corpus of writings regarding the history of Baha'ism in the Western world, specifically in America. Refreshingly, it details, for possibly the first time (and objectively and at length at that), the Chicago Reading Room Affair of 1916-21 and Ahmad Sohrab's New History Society fiasco. Garlington brings developments up to the present, including the late 1980s with the DIALOGUE MAGAZINE affair as well as into the 1990s with the talisman@indiana.edu explosion, which I was personally involved with. His appraisal and analysis of these affairs is well presented and articulately broached.

Precisely where this book suffers, in my opinion, is beginning with its preface (which is a near sugar-coated hagiography) and the rather subjective appraisal by the author regarding Baha'ism's present and future state in the West. I am a former Baha'i, hailing from a Persian Baha'i family of six generations on one side, who after he formally resigned in 1996 looked deeply into Baha'ism's past - far, far deeper in fact than Garlington possibly could, because such archaeology requires expert proficiency in Arabic and Persian and access to texts and sources. My investigative research finally led me to find the case presented by the Bayanis (derogatively designated by the Baha'is as "Azalis") not only compelling, but thoroughly and categorically confuting of Baha'ism's entire claim to legitimacy tout court. In my personal opinion, and as history will ultimately prove me right, Baha'ism absolutely has no future whether in the West or in the East for that matter. I would even go so far and state that I believe Baha'ism will eventually go the same way as Manichaeanism.

Its scriptural platitudes aside, clearly Baha'ism has no real agenda working in its favor for our times (whether as a serious spiritual discipline or as progressive social movement). In serious spirituality scenes of a non-traditional nature throughout the West these days, the pole of gravitation is either towards various forms of esotericism, syncretism and the like, or universalisms such as the UU and similar. Christian based entheogenic spiritualities based in South America, such as the Brazilian Santo Daime and UDV, have far better chances of attracting potential converts at present than the Baha'is could possibly hope for. Socially, those who might have been potentially attracted to Baha'ism at one time are now finding comfortable homes among Green activists, human rights workers or other such progressive endeavours. The other problem is that among Baha'isms core constituency, the Iranians in diaspora (esp. the USA), many have begun voting with their feet and hence drifting clear away. The socially ultra-rightwing agenda of the current Baha'i high elite in Israel does not look like it is going to change any time soon or even within the next few generations in fact. Given this, not much is really going for Baha'ism and as such I do not see how one could argue then that Baha'ism has a bright future ahead of it, either in potentia or actuality. In Garlington's alliance with the Baha'i Liberals - those like Cole, Scholl, Lee and others - there is a philosophically problematic position that with a structural shake-up of bureaucratic structures erected by Shoghi Effendi (especially in the elimination of "review") a panacea for all the ills currently beseting Baha'ism can be found. Far from being the case, unless and until these liberals recognize that the ills beseting Baha'ism today are firmly located historically in the 1860s, and then immediately after the death of Husayn 'Ali Nuri Baha' himself in 1892-1930, any struggle on their part now to even attempt to reform an irreformable Baha'ism will result in precisely the experience of the reform movement activists in Iran under Khatami - abject failure! Besides, as the truism goes, bad systems are vulnerable to destruction precisely at the moment when they attempt to reform themselves. Totalitarianisms must be discarded, not reformed. Baha'ism is a form of religious totalitarianism, not just in its current manifestation, but also as expounded in it's author's sciptures. A kindler, gentler Baha'i system is well nigh an oxymoron, and what is to say that if these same liberals were to be at the helm of power they would do any better than the fundamentalists currently in control? Experience proves they wouldn't, and quite possibly would even be worse. Demonstrably, Baha'ism is a bad system. Its spirituality is second (nay, third-) rate compared to that of its parent religion, i.e. the Bayani gnostic faith (Babism), not to mention the High Sufism of Ibn 'Arabi which both are heir to. It's internal and institutional workings and dynamics are more akin to 1930s Soviet style Stalinism than anything remotely palatable to a Western, let alone an American, audience. Given all this, one cannot prognosticate anything for Baha'ism but eventual (and in my opinion, inevitable) doom. As a side note, I find it quite ironic that Juan Cole and Abbas Amanat - two of the foremost names in the Liberal Baha'i cause - where recently attacked in no uncertain terms within a online Persian weekly of the secular Left, Baz-Tab, and characterized as close-minded and self-interested (moghriz) representatives of Baha'ism. It seems the exposes I have been making on USENET over the past few years are fast becoming part and parcel of popular Iranian consciousness in so far as Baha'ism is concerned. Even Abdolkarim Soroush himself - that intellectual doyen of Iranian reform in the early '90s - recently made the comparison in a talk in Tehran of the VF system (wilayat'ul-faqih, absolute guardianship of the jurisprudent) with the Baha'i system. Also it would seem that the current generation of younger Iranians (especially in Iran) are not buying what Baha'ism is offering, either, even in its Liberal re-packaging. If this is so, then a doomed Baha'ism in the land of its birth is ten-folddoomed among any constituency in the West. I hope these liberals one and all see this one day and wake up to smell the coffee and thereby jump off this run away train they insist on clinging to with dear life.

Having said that, this book is an extremely important contribution to the field and should not be underestimated for what it does present between its two covers. The author should be highly commended for his valuable work, and he definitely receives my highest accolades for what he has accomplished in the book. Bravo, Bill!

Wahid Azal
Ecclesia Gnostica Bayani Universalis
Eastern Coast, Australia ... Read more

Product Description
Starting with a brief account of my own search for a more compassionate understanding of Salvation, My Bahá'í Faith explores the idea of the oneness of religion, progressive revelation and how it relates to the maturation of the human race, then goes on to explain social and spiritual teachings. I do not ignoreBahá'u'lláh , but I do wait until the reader understands the Trinity and the three-fold nature of the Prophets before going into an in-depth exploration of His life and station. The 28 pages devoted to history are enough to capture the excitement and drama of the Age of Revelation without getting the reader bogged down in details.

Every historical stage is related directly back to its equivalent in Christian history so that the Western reader is forced to recognize that in spite of the strange names and places, Bahá'u'lláh and Christ followed the same Divine Path. The book ends with a description of the Bahá'í Community, an acknowledgement of some of its challenges, and a celebration of its diversity and unity.

There is a short bibliography, information on how to find out more, and even a declaration form on the next-to-last page. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

How My Faith can also be Our Faith
How can one religion be both personal and universal?Many people of all religions put their religion on a lofty plain separate from their personal lives.Such people, usually trapped in a concept of unity which says unified people all think alike, cannot conceive of how both unified action and individuality can coexist within the same organization, not even when they belong to such an organization.This concept of intertwined personal identity and unity among people who think, act, look, and believe differently about significant ideas is demonstrated honestly and lovingly throughout Justice St. Rain's "My Baha'i Faith."So also are difficult ideas such as how can the same faith espouse both individual salvation and regeneration of the entire human race, how can both science and religion actually be right, not only how can many religions come from one God, but also how can one distinguish truth from falsehood.The language in which he explores these concepts (and more) is simple and clear without talking down to the reader.This is an intelligent book written by an intelligent man who helps the reader see how to live a life in which mind and heart, body and soul function as a unified whole -- how to practice science without shutting down faith, how to practice religion without denying the truths science teaches, and how to be an individual in a faith which stresses unity.I highly recommend this book to people with any of these questions.

Not his Baha'i Faith
This is a nice story of one journey to spiritual fulfillment, but the Baha'i Faith belongs to no one. It is Baha'u'llah's Faith. No one can own it. Can one have a personal relationship with the prophet-founder? Yes,indeed! St Rain has a habit of using I, me and mine, which is the antithesis of the Baha'i attitude of "us and we"...true unity. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of pioneering works on the academic study of Babi and Bahai history in Iran and in America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Review of Leo Tolstoy and the Baha'i Faith
This is a fascinating book, drawing heavily from Tolstoy's own letters and diaries, highlighting his fluctuating and ever-increasing understanding of and respect for the Baha'i Faith. It also shows what roles the Babi and Baha'i Faiths had to play during various stages in Tolstoy's own spiritual journey. ... Read more

Product Description
Millennial fervor gripped many people around the worldduring the first half of the nineteenth century.While Christiansexpected the return of Christ, a wave of expectation swept throughIslam that the "Lord of the Age" would appear.Both Christians andMuslims believed that a new spiritual age was about to begin.

In Persia, this messianic expectation reached a dramatic climax on May23, 1844, when a twenty-five-year-old merchant from Shiraz--theBáb--announced that He was the bearer of a long-promised DivineRevelation destined to transform the spiritual life of the human race.Against a backdrop of wide-scale moral decay in Persian society, theBáb's declaration aroused hope and excitement among all classes.Hequickly attracted thousands of followers.Why He did so, and why theevents of over 150 years ago—including the Báb’s execution and themassacre of some 20,000 of His followers—have relevance today, isone of the great and dramatic untold stories of our time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Not remotely useful
I first read this book over 40 years ago and thought it very fine. In subsequent years, I went on to take degrees related to the subject matter, to write a PhD on the Bab and his movement, and to write many books and articles on the topic. Others have done some academic work on the subject as well. Sears was a TV presenter who knew next to nothing about Babism, took everything from a well-known Baha'i history of limited value, and wrote an entertaining tale that is aimed at converting readers to Baha'ism. If you want a serious and well argued study of this subject, stay away from this book. If you prefer fairy stories, be my guest.

An important book to read
At barely thirty, he seemed so young to die. He appeared helpless and gentle, yet confident; a look of contentment on his face as he gazed calmly into the hostile barrels of 750 cocked rifles in the public square in Tabriz, Persia on July 9, 1850. In 1844 there had been great excitement over the return of the Messiah, the promised Christ and on May 23, "The Bab proclaimed that He was the One foretold in all the holy Books of the past. He said that he had come to usher in a new era, a fresh springtime in the hearts of men. His name, the Bab, meant the door or gate. His teaching, he said, was to open the door or the gate to a new age of unity in which men would recognize one God and worship in one religion - the same religion which all of God's prophets had taught from the beginning of time. It would be an age in which all men would live as brothers."

18 people accepted the Bab's teachings. One of these was Tahirih, the Pure, who saw Him in a vision, became a staunch believer, a courageous teacher and finally a martyr. Another, Mullah Sadiq, was so advanced in age that he knew he could not survive the thousand lashes administered for embracing the Faith but although he found the first seven strokes severely painful, he was filled with joy. Suffering, pain and persecution are only unbearable to those who have no purpose in life and no hope for the future. For the love of God pain becomes a pleasure and suffering a means of being closer to God. The Bab traveled to Mecca, but none would listen to his message because they were indifferent, antagonistic or afraid. The governor sent a mounted guard to bring the Bab in chains to Shiraz, believing this would dampen people's enthusiasm for the cause. Meeting the Bab en route, the commander was surprised when the Bab said, "Deliver me into the hands of your master". The commander ordered his escort to permit the Bab to ride ahead as though they were a guard of honor and the people of Shiraz marveled that the escort commanded to bring the Bab in chains, had returned treating him as royalty.

The Bab's gentle manners, refined courtesy and politeness made the governor furious, especially when the Bab reminded him that his duty was to determine the truth about affairs in his region and not make unjust decisions without first investigating personally. Abdul Karim, a man with such a thirst for knowledge that he was elevated to the station of teacher while still a student, was just one of many great figures who visited the Bab and stories of conversions infuriated the governor who was unable to stop the Bab's rising popularity. Meanwhile the disciples spread throughout the country proclaiming the regenerating power of the newborn Revelation. As the authorities became alarmed at the enthusiasm with which the people accepted His message, church and state unleashed a wave of hate and the sands of Persia were stained red. The governor arranged public debates at which the Bab spoke with simplicity, gentleness, charm and extraordinary eloquence. In addition he exposed vices and corruption and pointed out the infidelity of the leaders to their own beliefs; he defeated all with their own Holy Book in His hand. Even orthodox Muhammadans agreed that his eloquence was of an incomparable kind such that no one could imagine without being an eyewitness.

The King and Prime Minister sent Vahid, the most learned, eloquent and influential of all the king's people, with instructions: "Go at once to Shiraz. Interview the Bab. Find out if these tales of wonder we hear are true. Then report to us personally and in all detail what you discover." At the end of the first interview Vahid reported: "Quietly the Bab began to speak. He gave brief but persuasive answers to each of my questions. The conciseness and clarity of his replies excited my admiration and wonder. My feeling of personal superiority vanished. I was embarrassed by my own presumptuousness and pride. I felt so abased that I hurriedly asked permission to retire. I told him: 'If it please God, I shall in my next interview submit the rest of my questions and conclude my inquiry.'" At the second interview Vahid was impressed by the Bab's ability to answer questions not yet asked and at the final interview Vahid decided to ask for a commentary on a very difficult piece of Holy Scripture. Noting that Vahid was powerless to speak, the Bab asked: "Were I to reveal to you the commentary on the Surih of Kawther, would you acknowledge that My words are born of the Spirit of God? Would you recognize that My utterance can in no wise be associated with sorcery or magic?" and with bewildering rapidity and in words of matchless beauty and profound meaning he wrote 2000 verses of commentary. Vahid wrote a full report to the king but did not return to the capital, preferring to travel to all parts of Persia summoning the people with great fervor to accept the new Messenger of God.

Such were the first few months at the beginning of the true six-year story of the establishment of the Bahai Faith that is recognized by the United Nations as an official religion. For anyone who would like to learn more why there are now more than five million Bahais and a presence in every country in the world, there is no better place to start than by reading this book.

My Favorite Book
This book was wonderful!I could not put it down, and was amazed with all the trials and tribulations that the Babi's went through.This truly is an inspirational book and I reccomend it to everyone, regardless of age or religion.It is a great book and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Release the Sun
I am re-reading this book and find it even more fascinating than I did the first time.It delves into the history of the beginnings of the Bahai faith from a very human point of view. It is easy to get caught up in thestories of the persons and their personalities that were aware of thecoming of a new age and what it would entail for their people.It tellsthe stories of the men chosen to bring a new faith to mankind; and alsotells the stories of the disciples, both men and women, and faithful in theearly days of the faith. I find myself rivited to page after page of thebook and reading late into the night and agian early in the morning. If thehistory of the beginnings of the Bahai faith, the 1800's and religionsinterests you at all this is a must read book. Enjoy it, please ... Read more

Product Description
The Bahá'í Faith is a recognized independent world religion attracting increasing attention--and followers--in the U.S. and around the globe as people from all walks of life search for practical spiritual direction and meaning in these deeply troubled times. Founded nearly 160 years ago, the Bahá'í Faith is today among the fastest-growing of world religions. With more than six million followers in 236 countries and territories, it has already become the second-most widespread faith, surpassing every religion but Christianity in its geographic reach.

The history and teachings of the Bahá'í Faith center around the inspiring person of its Founder, Bahá’u’lláh (1817-1892). The character traits He displayed throughout the course of a long and turbulent life, His voluminous and comprehensive body of written works, and impact He has already had in the world undeniably qualify Him as a major figure in world religious history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Very interesting read, hard to put down!
This book is great for everyone interested in not just religion but history as well.It's very easy to read and tells a great story of belief, faith and never giving up.It's not just for those of the Baha'i faith but for anyone who wants to learn more about religious history or different faiths as well as for those who need a motivational story.

Outstanding Intro to Bahai Faith
What an incredibly readable and informative introduction to the Bahai faith. I had very little knowledge of the faith before purchasing this book and feel that, after reading it, I have a comprehensive knowledge of the faith. Full of history and intricate details of the beginning and growth of the faith as well as of its progenitors, its text nevertheless catches one's attention and I found it hard to put down. I HIGHLY recommend this book to the inquisitive of any level.

Exciting News
A very good overview of the 165 year old Revelation from God, Universal Mind, Unknowable Essence, etc. known as the Baha'i Faith,Not as historically detailed as ""GOD PASSES BY" by Shoghi Effendi,this book includes many quotations from the Baha'i Writings and makes this modern day Message from God highly understandable.

Baha'i Faith
I searched for the truth. Found it in compassionate socialism and the Baha'i faith. I am fulfilled...

THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD HAS RETURNED FOR THIS DAY.....
What an incredible book and what a history , as a world religion built on the foundation of all the great religions, this new faith has ...... After reading this marvelous book , i looked and read further and have foundanswers to my questions about the questions we all have today and about every subject ....and reasons for the answers..... No cult here ....and it is truly what the kingdom of God on the face of the Earth will be ......You absolutely must read this book .....It is great !!!! ..... I am sure there are people who will make bad comments about this new faith, but there are no so blind as those who will not see ....... Read it before you make a judgement i would say....We all worship the same God. ... Read more

Product Description
The development of the Baha'i Faith from the messianic Babi movement in nineteenth-century Iran to become an independent religion established in many countries and commanding the devotion of people from many different cultures provides a vivid example of religious change in the modern world. The process is more fully documented than that by which any other religion emerged and Peter Smith is able to trace in detail the development of the major beliefs and values in their social and historical contexts. Beginning with the rise of the dissident Babi sect within Shi'i Islam, the book examines the origin of the Baha'i Faith and its dominant religious concerns in Qajar Iran, its initial establishment and subsequent growth in the United States, the development of its administration, and its present global expansion. A conclusion outlines possible future developments. Chronologies of the main events, a glossary and a bibliographical guide add to the usefulness of the book for both students and general readers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great overview of the Baha'i Faith
This is a wonderful book for new Baha'i or for someone who wants a better understanding of the faith.It is well written and covers everything from history to key precepts.I usually keep an extra copy on hand to give away when I meet a "seeker".Even if someone is just interested in getting general information, they can easily study by topic or chapter, without reading the entire book.I highly recommend it for every Baha'i Library.

A thoughtful introduction
Author and Baha'i faithful Frank Stetzer presents Religion on the Healing Edge: What Baha'is Believe, a thoughtful introduction to the Baha'i faith and its practices. Chapters discuss the Baha'i covenant, the Baha'i concept of self-governance (clergy and ritual are not considered necessary), the principle of being loyal to one's government yet not involved in politics (a concept that is not complete withdrawal - Baha'i are permitted to vote, talk to elected representatives, or run for political office, as long as they do not identify with a political party), the Baha'i condemnation of gossip and slander, and much more. A readily accessible primer to Baha'i tenets enthusiastically recommended to anyone seeking to learn more about the faith, whether for personal or scholarly reasons.

What is a Bahai? .
A great book for everyone.

Especially for those people who know a Bahá'i or have a Bahá'i family member but don't really "get" what Bahá'i is. This book is an expertly written explanation of many things Bahá'i. It uses intelligent language and sacred texts to explain everything from a basic history of The Bahá'i Faith, The Covenant of Baha'u'llah, and Bahá'i laws and responsibilities. It will truly give the reader a foundation for understanding The Bahá'i Faith and its believers. ... Read more

Product Description
In a novel approach that the author terms "symbolic paradigm analysis," Paradise and Paradigm offers a "theoretically modular" systematic comparison of two "Persian" religions: early Syriac Christianity as the foundation of the East Syrian "Church of the East" (the Nestorian Church of Persia) and the Baha'i Faith, a new world religion. The author compares the hymns of the greatest poet of early Christianity, Saint Ephrem the Syrian, and the richly imagistic writings of the founder of the Baha'i religion, Bahaullah. The book employs an original analytic technique in the creation of "symbolic profiles" constructed on Ninian Smart's dimensional model of religion. As Buck skillfully demonstrates, formal similarities between any two religions are best comprehended in terms of paradigmatic differences, which nuance all parallels through a process of symbolic transformation. Buck also shows the communal reflexivity of paradise imagery in representing the ideal faith-community in both traditions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Published Reviews of Paradise and Paradigm
Paradise and Paradigm is the first academic comparison of the Bahá'í Faith and Christianity. Dr. Buck, a Pittsburgh attorney and former professor at Michigan State University (2000-2004), Quincy University (1999-2000), Millikin University (1997-1999), and Carleton University (1994-1996), compares the "key symbols" and "root metaphors" found in the sacred writings of Bahá'u'lláh with their counterparts in the hymns of St. Ephrem the Syrian (the greatest Christian poet of Late Antiquity) and other writings of early Persian Christianity. The approach is original and the results are fascinating.

*Highlights of published reviews*:

*If the Baha'i Faith has a specialist in comparative religion, it is Christopher Buck. ... This volume is certainly ... the best comparative work on the Bahá'í Faith and another religious tradition that has yet appeared, and may serve as a model for future such studies.
-- William Collins, Bahá'í Studies Review (2002).

*As a piece of Baha'i scholarship it remains unparalleled. In terms of academic comparative efforts involving the Baha'i Faith, Buck's book is a pioneering work."
-- Daniel Grolin, H-Net Reviews in the Humanities and Social Sciences (July 2000).

*This is a provocative and ground-breaking work. Its careful attention to methodology and its attempt to work through the project with the attitude of experimentation will provide a significant impulse to the study of religion."
-- Andrew Rippin, University of Toronto Quarterly (2002).

*Paradise and Paradigm is a goldmine of information about two relatively little studied but fascinating developments in Middle Eastern religious history.
-- John Renard, Middle East Studies Association Bulletin (2000).

*It opens new possibilities for comparison and suggests new methodological approaches.
-- Kathleen McVey, International Journal of Middle East Studies (2003).

*This book is a model of comparison, an eye-opener ... and quite a useful and revealing account of the Báhá'í [religion]."
-- William Paden, University of Vermont.

*It is a must for university libraries and for faculty/graduate student readers of the Christian, Islamic and Baha'i traditions. It is a model for careful comparative analysis between religions.
-- Harold Coward, University of Victoria.

Paradise and Paradigm now available!

PARADISE AND PARADIGM Key Symbols in Persian Christianity and the Baha'i Faith Christopher Buck.

Comparing paradise imagery in two Persian religions, early Syriac Christianity and the Baha'i Faith, this work contributes to religious studies methodology by introducing "symbolic paradigm analysis."

"This is an extremely powerful contribution to an important part of comparative religions, and will establish its author as a major academic scholar. Its purpose is to compare the symbologies of early pre-Muslim Persian (Sasanian) Christianity, especially in the work of Ephrem the Syrian, with the late nineteenth century Persian religion of the Baha'is, post-Islamic, as centered in the writings of Baha'u'llah. The symbolic center of the comparison is the family of symbols having to do with paradise. Both in its methodology and its scholarly treatments of Persian Christianity and Baha'i Faith, the book is insightful. It gives its subjects allure." -- Robert Cummings Neville, author of The Truth of Broken Symbols

In a novel approach that the author terms "symbolic paradigm analysis," Paradise and Paradigm offers a "theoretically modular" systematic comparison foundation of the East Syrian "Church of the East" (the Nestorian Church of Persia) and the Baha'i Faith, a new world religion. The author compares the hymns of the greatest poet of early Christianity, Saint Ephrem the Syrian, and the richly imagistic writings of the founder of the Baha'i religion, Baha'u'llah. The book employs an original analytic technique in the creation of "symbolic profiles" constructed on Ninian Smart's dimensional model of religion. As Buck skillfully demonstrates, formal similarities between any two religions are best comprehended in terms of paradigmatic differences, which nuance all parallels through a process of symbolic transformation. Buck also shows the communal reflexivity of paradise imagery in representing the ideal faith-community in both traditions.

"This work is a model of comparison, an eye-opener regarding the interesting Syriac Christian traditions, and quite a useful and revealing account of the Baha'i." -- William Paden, University of Vermont

Christopher Buck is Assistant Professor in the Department of Qur'an Commentary in Baha'u'llah's Kitab-i Iqan, the 1996 Baha'i Book of the Year. Buck is also a two-time recipient of the Award for Excellence in Baha'i Studies, presented by the Association for Baha'i Studies.

402 pages April 1999 paperback ISBN 0-7914-4062-1 hardcover ISBN 0-7914-4061-3

State University of New York Press State University Plaza Albany, NY 12246-000

Fascinating and Comprehensive...if you're up to it.
Paradise and Paradigm, by Dr. Christopher Buck, is possibly one of the most comprehensive and well documented academic works on religion available today.Dr. Buck's nearly exhaustive research on the subject, coupled withnew insights and fascinating new ideas combine to present a must read forany serious student of religion.Even if your interests and studies don'tinvolve Persian Christianity or the Baha'i Faith, Dr. Buck presents newParadigms that provide conceptual tools that no academic student ofreligions can do without.

The only thing that keeps this work fromearning five stars is that it is truly for the Academic.Lay readers willstruggle through terms and ideas that will be unfamiliar to those notversed in the lexicon of academic studies of religion. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume offers a short introduction to the history of the Baha'i faith, from its roots in 19th-century Iran to its present position as one of the world's fastest-growing religions. The book traces the development of this faith through to its emergence as an independent religion, with adherents from many diffferent cultures and established communities all over the globe. ... Read more