Both violence and non-violence are important themes in the Baha'i Faith, but their relationship is not simple. The Baha'i sacred writings see violence in the world - not just against Baha'is, but physical and structural violence against everyone - as being a consequence of the immature state of human civilization. The Baha'i community itself has been nonviolent since its founding by Baha'u'llah in the mid nineteenth century and has developed various strategies for responding to persecution nonviolently. This Element explores how their scriptures provide a blueprint for building a new, more mature, culture and civilization on this planet where violence will be rare and nonviolence prevalent.

Technology, tourism, politics, and law have connected human beings around the world more closely than ever before, but this closeness has, paradoxically, given rise to fear, distrust, and misunderstanding between nation-states and religions. In light of the tensions and conflicts that arise from these complex relationships, many search for ways to find peace and understanding through a ""global public sphere."" There citizens can deliberate on issues of worldwide concern. Their voices can be heard by institutions able to translate public opinion into public policy that embraces more than simply the interests and ideas of the wealthy and the empowered. Contributors to this volume address various aspects of this challenge within the context of Baha'i thought and practice, whose goal is to lay the foundations for a new world civilization that harmonizes the spiritual and material aspects of human existence. Baha'i teachings view religion as a source of enduring insight that can enable humanity to repair and transcend patterns of disunity, to foster justice within the structures of society, and to advance the cause of peace. Accordingly, religion can and ought to play a role in the broader project of creating a pattern of public discourse capable of supporting humanity's transition to the next stage in its collective development. The essays in this book make novel contributions to the growing literature on post-secularism and on religion and the public sphere. The authors additionally present new areas of inquiry for future research on the Baha'i faith.

In an age where so many are preoccupied with global issues of freedom, human rights, peace and religious intolerance, the Baha'i Faith and its teachings are more relevant than ever before. This volume combines comprehensive coverage of the Faith's teachings, texts, practices, community life and organization, with images reflecting its rich architectural heritage and the international diversity of its members. Paul Slaughter spent three years travelling around the world to capture the photographs for The Baha'i Faith in Words and Images, from remote tribes in Papua New Guinea to villages in the mountains of Peru, taking in every continent. Breathtaking photography and intelligent accompanying text are combined to produce a beautiful coffee-table book, and accessible introduction to one of the fastest-growing religions of today.

Written by a well-known author in the field of Baha'i studies, this is a comprehensive and accessible encyclopedia to the youngest of the world religions. Regarded as the second most widespread faith after Christianity, with adherents in almost every country around the globe, the Baha'i faith is nevertheless unfamiliar to many. here Dr Smith traces the origins and development of the religion from 19th century Iran to the modern day, introducing its central figures and major historical events. combining breadth with a readable yet concise style, he provides a balanced overview of Baha'i scriptures, doctrines and practices, social teachings and organization. This reference work presents a clear and knowledgeable view of a fascinating new religion.

One of a series of positive guides to personal development, this book emphasizes the opportunities and advantages open to those in mature uears. Blumethal, himself a septuagenarian, addresses the need for combating social prejudices against age. He explains the importance of developing our spiritual powers when physical energies are past their peak

"Modernity and the Millennium" is the first book to chart responses in the Muslim Middle East to modernity through an examination of the evolution of the Baha'i faith--a millenarian movement led by the nineteenth-century Iranian prophet Baha'u'llah ("the Glory of God"). This volume illuminates the complexity and ambiguity that characterized the changing relationship of Baha'u'llah and his followers to modernity, considered as a transnational and fluid political and cultural field of contestation. The insights presented here into these responses to modernity illuminate not only the genesis of a new world-religion but also important facets of Middle Eastern-particularly Iranian-social and cultural shifts in the nineteenth century.

Drawing on the work of Habermas, Giddens, Touraine and Bryan Turner, among others, Juan R. I. Cole considers some of the ways in which Middle Eastern society was affected by five developments central to modernity: the lessening entanglement of the state with religion, the move from absolutism to democracy, the rise of sovereign nation-states, the advent of nationalism, and the women's movement. He explores the Baha'is' positive response to religious toleration, democracy, and greater rights for women and their "utopian realist" critique of nationalism, militant Jacobin secularization, industrialized warfare, and genocide, oppression of the poor and working classes, and xenophobia.

This lovely book is an illustrated interpretation of the Book of Revelation based on Baha'i sources revealing the Apocalypse as the story of seven Faiths and Empires whose materialism and militarism have caused the mess the world is in, specifically the apocalyptic war now waging between the Muslim Militarism of the Middle East and the Malignant Materialism of the Christian West. Its strikingly lively translation sticks to the intention of the Greek original. The original, rationally consistent, remarkably holistic, and comprehensively profound interpretation bridges religious faiths, transcends religious dogma, and explains nineteen centuries of troubled events in Christianity and Islam with clear insight. It supplies a template of understanding and global peace that will influence many future works. This book is must reading for anybody striving to penetrate the hidden secrets of the Apocalypse. Its readers will never look at the Apocalypse the same again.

"Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship." Baha'u'llah "Joseph Smith . . . was a religious teacher sensitive to the spiritual currents flowing in the early 19th century directly from the appearance of the Bab and Baha'u'llah and the Revelation of Their messages of hope and divine Guidance." The Universal House of Justice How can Baha'is engage in meaningful dialogue with Mormons? By highlighting the many principles Mormons and Baha'is have in common, and providing an in-depth look at core Mormon beliefs and scriptures, this book aims to increase understanding and enable Baha'is to look beyond outward differences and reach out to the members of this fast-growing community in a spirit of true friendship.

In an age where so many are preoccupied with global issues of freedom, human rights, peace and religious intolerance, the Baha'i Faith and its teachings are more relevant than ever before. This volume combines comprehensive coverage of the Faith's teachings, texts, practices, community life and organization, with images reflecting its rich architectural heritage and the international diversity of its members. Paul Slaughter spent three years travelling around the world to capture the photographs for The Baha'i Faith in Words and Images, from remote tribes in Papua New Guinea to villages in the mountains of Peru, taking in every continent. Breathtaking photography and intelligent accompanying text are combined to produce a beautiful coffee-table book, and accessible introduction to one of the fastest-growing religions of today.