The World of the Baha'i Faith is an outstanding guide to the Baha'i Faith and its culture in all its geographical and historical diversity. Written by a distinguished team of international contributors, this volume explores the origin of this religion and contains substantial thematic articles on the living experience of the global Baha'i community. The volume is organised into six distinct sections: Leadership and Authoritative Texts Theology Humanity Society The Contemporary Baha'i Community History and Spread of the Baha'i Community These sections cover such themes as the afterlife, artistic expression, Baha'i institutions, devotional life, diversity, economics, education, the environment and sustainability, family life, gender, human nature, interfaith relations, international governance, law, marriage, peace, persecution, philosophy, race, science and religion, scripture, spirituality, and work. The development of the Baha'i Faith is outlined in ten regional articles. This volume provides an authoritative and accessible source of information on all topics important to the Baha'i Faith. The World of the Baha'i Faith will be essential reading to students and scholars studying world religions and comparative religion. It will also be of interest to those in related fields such as sociology, political science, anthropology, and ethics.

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.