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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 5589

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

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Keywords

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

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 275 KB  
Article
The Creation of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era: “Textbook” of the Bahá’í Faith
by Robert Weinberg
Religions 2025, 16(10), 1263; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101263 - 1 Oct 2025
Viewed by 405
Abstract
This article examines the creation of Dr. John E. Esslemont’s seminal work Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era (1923), the first comprehensive introductory book in English on the Bahá’í Faith. Drawing particularly on the extensive correspondence between Esslemont and Luṭfu’lláh Ḥakím, the article traces [...] Read more.
This article examines the creation of Dr. John E. Esslemont’s seminal work Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era (1923), the first comprehensive introductory book in English on the Bahá’í Faith. Drawing particularly on the extensive correspondence between Esslemont and Luṭfu’lláh Ḥakím, the article traces Esslemont’s journey from his initial encounter with the Bahá’í teachings in 1914 to the book’s publication and subsequent global impact. The unique involvement of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi in reviewing and correcting the manuscript is highlighted, along with Esslemont’s collaboration with prominent early Bahá’ís. Rather than specifically addressing the book’s content, this paper examines its preparation and publication, its rapid translation and worldwide dissemination in multiple languages. Finally, Esslemont’s legacy is considered, both through his book and his personal example as a pioneering Western adherent of the Bahá’í Faith. Esslemont’s original spelling of Bahá’í names and terminology in his correspondence has been maintained. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bahá’í Faith: Doctrinal and Historical Explorations—Part 2)
14 pages, 300 KB  
Article
“From ‘the Most Great Prison’ to the ‘Holy Land’: The Transformation of ‘Akká in Bahá’í Sacred Geography”
by Sivan Lerer
Religions 2025, 16(10), 1231; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101231 - 25 Sep 2025
Viewed by 375
Abstract
This study traces the profound transformation of the city of ‘Akká in Bahá’í perception, from its early depiction as “the Most Great Prison” and a place of desolation and exile to its reimagining as a holy city and spiritual center. Drawing on the [...] Read more.
This study traces the profound transformation of the city of ‘Akká in Bahá’í perception, from its early depiction as “the Most Great Prison” and a place of desolation and exile to its reimagining as a holy city and spiritual center. Drawing on the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi, the article examines how successive Bahá’í leaders reconceptualized ‘Akká through scriptural reinterpretation, theological discourse, and communal memory. Special attention is given to the appropriation of Islamic faḍáʾil traditions and the reapplication of biblical and Qur’ánic imagery to ‘Akká. By analyzing this symbolic and textual evolution, the article sheds light on the dynamic interplay between narrative, authority, and geography in the formation of Bahá’í sacred landscapes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bahá’í Faith: Doctrinal and Historical Explorations—Part 2)
22 pages, 396 KB  
Article
Invisible Hand-in-Glove? The Uneasy Intersections of Friedrich Hayek’s Neoliberalism and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Bahá’í Economics
by Matthew W. Hughey
Religions 2025, 16(9), 1203; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091203 - 19 Sep 2025
Viewed by 768
Abstract
The theological rendering of economics in the Bahá’í Faith—particularly from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—advocated progressive taxation, a strong welfare state, the abolition of trusts, and the redistribution of wealth. These orientations directly diverge from “neoliberal” economic theory, especially as articulated by Frederick Hayek: concerns that social [...] Read more.
The theological rendering of economics in the Bahá’í Faith—particularly from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—advocated progressive taxation, a strong welfare state, the abolition of trusts, and the redistribution of wealth. These orientations directly diverge from “neoliberal” economic theory, especially as articulated by Frederick Hayek: concerns that social justice exacerbates poverty and claims that progressive taxation is “discrimination.” Despite these seemingly antithetical orientations, there has been a slow and tentative, if not uneasy, meeting of Bahá’í and neoliberal ideals in global organizations and scholarship. Through a comparative analysis of the writings of both ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Friedrich Hayek, I first illuminate the fundamental disagreements on economy and society between Bahá’í theology and neoliberalism. Second, I cover recent scholarship on the moralization of markets and the sacralization of financial actors in order to contextualize the historical and contemporary unions of theology and economy. Third, I outline how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s theological vision and Hayek’s neoliberal theories accrete around four mutual worldviews, which can tempt hermeneutic deemphases of the fundamental divergences in Bahá’í and neoliberal logics: (1) the duality of human nature, (2) the limits of materialist reason, (3) the apotheosis of the market and self-love, and (4) sacrificial submission to transcendent authority. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bahá’í Faith: Doctrinal and Historical Explorations—Part 2)
24 pages, 366 KB  
Article
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablet to Amír Khán: Expanding the Scope of the Bahá’í Doctrine of Progressive Revelation to Include and Engage Indigenous Spiritual Traditions
by Christopher Buck and Michael A. Orona
Religions 2025, 16(9), 1193; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091193 - 17 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1053
Abstract
The Bahá’í doctrine of progressive revelation, while universal in principle, has been limited, in scope and application, by what has previously been described as “Arya-Semiticentrism”—with a paradigmatic focus on Semitic religions (the “Abrahamic Faiths” of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, along with the Bábí [...] Read more.
The Bahá’í doctrine of progressive revelation, while universal in principle, has been limited, in scope and application, by what has previously been described as “Arya-Semiticentrism”—with a paradigmatic focus on Semitic religions (the “Abrahamic Faiths” of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, along with the Bábí and Bahá’í Faiths), and the so-called “Aryan” religions (Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism) to the relative exclusion of Indigenous religions. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablet to Amír Khán may offer a solution and resolution, to wit: “Undoubtedly in those regions [the Americas] the Call of God must have been raised in ancient times, but it hath been forgotten now.” This paper provides an exegesis of the Tablet to Amír Khán—an authenticated, authoritative Bahá’í text, with an authorized translation. Our basic premise is that, just as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has “added” the Buddha and Krishna to the Bahá’í list of “Manifestations of God,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has also “added” the principle of Indigenous Messengers of God to the Americas—without naming principals (i.e., the names of individual Indigenous “Wise Ones”), thereby demonstrating that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablet to Amír Khán effectively expands the scope of the Bahá’í doctrine of progressive revelation to include and engage Indigenous spiritual traditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bahá’í Faith: Doctrinal and Historical Explorations—Part 2)
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 1053
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 1237
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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