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The Bahá’í Faith: Doctrinal and Historical Explorations—Part 2
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The Bahá’í Faith: Doctrinal and Historical Explorations—Part 2

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 January 2025) | Viewed by 1837

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Robert H. Stockman

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Corinne True Center for Baha’’i History, Evanston, IL, USA
Interests: Baha’i history; American Baha’i history; Baha’i theology; history of religion in the United States; Islamic studies; early Christianity
Dr. Moojan Momen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Independent Researcher, Bedfordshire, UK
Interests: Baha'i history; Shi`i Islam; Qajar Iran; study of religion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Bahā’ī faith has been in existence for over 160 years and in that time has spread around the world such that there are now organized Bahā’ī communities in almost every country of the world and, according to the statistics compiled by the Association of Religion Data Archives, over 7 million Bahā’īs.(1) All such statistics can be problematized but what is beyond doubt is that the Bahā’ī Faith has not received from the academic community the level of attention and research that its size and rapid growth warrant. Until recently, there have been only a handful of scholars in North America and Europe, and almost none in the rest of the world, who have had this religion as the main focus of their research and very few papers and monographs have been published over the past one hundred years or so. This situation is improving, but only gradually.

The collection of papers in this Special Issue is a small effort towards correcting this deficit in the publications available to the academic world. The theme has been made deliberately broad so that the scholars who contribute can present the research they are currently engaged in.

(1) https://www.thearda.com/QL2010/QuickList_125.asp (accessed 26 May 2022) ©2001 World Christian Trends, William Carey Library, David Barrett & Todd Johnson.

Dr. Robert H. Stockman
Dr. Moojan Momen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Baha’i
  • Baha’i history
  • Baha’i textual studies
  • Baha'i doctrinal studies
  • Babi movement

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 326 KB  
Article
Principled Engagement: The Bahá’í Community of Iran’s Approach to Social Change
by Iqan Shahidi
Religions 2025, 16(9), 1149; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091149 - 4 Sep 2025
Viewed by 614
Abstract
This article examines the activities of the Bahá’í community in Iran after the Islamic Revolution, challenging the misconception that the community has remained disengaged from societal involvement which arises from a misinterpretation of its principle of non-involvement in partisan politics. Contrary to this [...] Read more.
This article examines the activities of the Bahá’í community in Iran after the Islamic Revolution, challenging the misconception that the community has remained disengaged from societal involvement which arises from a misinterpretation of its principle of non-involvement in partisan politics. Contrary to this belief, the Bahá’í community has been actively engaged in social change through a framework rooted in its principles, which emphasize constructive resilience and non-adversarial strategies. Informed by the Bahá’í teachings, the global Bahá’í experience, and contemporary theories of social change, the community has focused on translating its spiritual principles into practical actions, particularly in community building, social action, and participation in the prevalent discourse of society. These efforts, characterized by a commitment to unity and collaboration, differ from conventional adversarial activism and demonstrate the community’s significant yet often overlooked contribution to Iranian society. Despite severe persecution, the Bahá’í community has maintained a principled engagement with social change, challenging the narrative of disengagement and highlighting its ongoing involvement in the life of the nation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bahá’í Faith: Doctrinal and Historical Explorations—Part 2)
25 pages, 380 KB  
Article
Elements of a Culture of Peace: A Bahá’í Perspective
by Tiffani Betts Razavi
Religions 2025, 16(8), 1073; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16081073 - 19 Aug 2025
Viewed by 758
Abstract
The realization of universal peace is a central teaching of the Bahá’í Faith and permeates individual and collective Bahá’í practice. This article explores this teaching through the lens of culture as a constructive social process based on shared beliefs and values and their [...] Read more.
The realization of universal peace is a central teaching of the Bahá’í Faith and permeates individual and collective Bahá’í practice. This article explores this teaching through the lens of culture as a constructive social process based on shared beliefs and values and their expression. It begins by outlining a Bahá’í concept of peace and then turns to the question of how Bahá’í teachings foster a culture of peace. It focuses on three elements central to a Bahá’í approach to a culture of peace, outlined as follows: (i) the beliefs people hold of themselves and the world, (ii) the importance of a sense of moral purpose as the basis of individual and collective commitment, and (iii) a framework for shared agency through individual action and community building, as illustrated by Bahá’í educational activities, participation in social discourses, and community development initiatives. The article explores each of these elements from the perspective of Bahá’í principles and practices, at the individual and collective level, in the light of the academic literature on cultures of peace, paradigm shift, and normative change, and then addresses the contribution of a Bahá’í perspective to understanding cultures of peace. It concludes with a reflection on the mode of operation of the Bahá’í community, the role of individuals, communities, institutions, and emerging cultural patterns, challenges presented by this vision of peacebuilding, and questions for future research on a Bahá’í approach to a culture of peace. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bahá’í Faith: Doctrinal and Historical Explorations—Part 2)
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