'World-history at its core and in its essence, ' wrote George Townshend, 'is the story of the spiritual evolution of mankind . . . The Bible makes the tracing of this evolution its own special subject.' The Heart of the Gospel unfolds this vast perspective. It is the fruit of the author's long study of comparative religion. Using only the text of the Bible, the author provides a new reading Scripture which is compelling and timely. The Heart of the Gospel is a guidebook for those who seek a universal view of religion and the contemporary world

Essay and talks selected from the work, during half a century, of one of the most distinguished members of the the Baha'i Faith, the most recent of the world relgions.

In this collection of essays, poems and meditations the reader will encounter wisdom, aspirations and the initmate and affecting thoughts of one who was appointed a Hand of the Cuase by the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith.

A brilliant administrator and public speaker, William Henry ("Harry") Randall was a man who responded with strength, humility, and an ever-deepening faith to the many challenges and tests that he encountered; a man of whom 'Abdu'l-Baha expected much, and who gave selflessly and unstintingly in return. Born into late nineteenth- century comfort and affluence, his life was transformed into one of extraordinary service and selfless devotion to the Baha'i Faith. This compelling account of the life of the man described by 'Abdu'l- Baha as "my spiritual associate...my participator and co-sharer!" draws on the previously unpublished daily diaries of two early pilgrimages ( 1919 and 1922). This fascinating book provides unique glimpses into the life of the Holy Family, and offers an intimate portrait of this history of the Faith in America and the difficulties and challenges that faced the early Western believers.

A major account of the life of the Bab, the nineteenth-century Iranian prophet, including fascinating information not available in other sources, based on a lifetime of research by the author.

In this book, Julia Berger examines internal meaning-making structures and processes driving NGO behavior, identifying constructs from within a religious tradition that forge new ways of pursuing social change. She evaluates the operation of a distinct rationality, arguing that action is guided not simply by beliefs and values, but also by a combination of elements so intrinsic as to constitute an "organizational DNA." These hidden structures and rationalities manifest themselves in new modes of engagement and agency; they help us to see the pivotal role of religion in shaping notions of peace, progress, and modernity. To demonstrate the operation and salience of such a rationality, Berger draws on the example of the worldwide Baha'i community. Emerging in 19th century Iran, the community's theological engagement with questions of justice, the unity of humankind, and the emerging global order, constitute one of the most distinct and compelling, yet least-researched examples of religious engagement with the pressing questions of our time. Analyzing events spanning a 75-year period from 1945-2020, this book provides a unique historical and contemporary perspective on the evolving role of religion and civil society in the modern world.

This book examines the intersection of African American history with that of the Baha'i Faith in the United States. Since the turn of the twentieth century, Baha'is in America have actively worked to establish interracial harmony within its own ranks and to contribute to social justice in the wider community, becoming in the process one of the country's most diverse religious bodies. Spanning from the start of the twentieth century to the early twenty-first, the essays in this volume examine aspects of the phenomenon of this religion confronting America's original sin of racism and the significant roles African Americans came to play in the development of the Baha'i Faith's culture, identity, administrative structures, and aspirations.