The Bahá'í Contribution to Cosmopolitan International Relations Theory - Mooten,Nalinie N. (Online Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2007)
Bahá’í concepts of global governance, unity in diversity, and ethical reform as contributions to a cosmopolitan International Relations theory.
See another version of this paper, delivered as a lecture, and see the author's thesis on this topic. Originally posted at ojbs.org, archived at archive.org.
Keywords: Bahá'í International Community; Cosmopolitanism; Ethics; Globalization; International relations; Lesser Peace; Peace; United Nations; Unity; World citizenship; World order

The Bahá'í Covenant - Nakhjavani,Ali (Lights of Irfan, 2007)
The continuing importance of the Bahá'í concept of the Covenant and its implications to an understanding of Bahá'í history; misconceptions about the covenant; covenant-breakers; the passing of Shoghi Effendi without writing a will or testament.
Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/u/nakhjavani_covenant
Keywords: Alí Nakhjavání; Covenant; Irfán Colloquia

The Bahá'í Educational Project: Towards a Universal System of Education - Bookwalter,Wm. Keith (2000)
Interpretation of guidance in the Baha' writings to formulate a method of using Bahá'í deepening and training materials that utilize research-based learning, teaching, and curriculum theory, both deductive and inductive, beyond institute-style courses.
See also the Spanish translation El proyecto educacional Bahá'í, and see Social Responsibility and Community Development: Lessons from the Sistema de Aprendizaje Tutorial in Honduras (Honeyman, 2010).
Keywords: Curriculum; Education

The Baha'i Faith - Bach,Marcus (They Have Found a Faith, 1946)
An outsider's view of the Bahá'í community from a "faith-based" perspective.
Keywords: Introductory; Marcus Bach

The Bahá'í Faith 1957-1988: A Survey of Contemporary Developments - Smith,Peter; Momen,Moojan (Religion, 1989)
A general account of developments in the Bahá'í Faith during these three decades.
Also available in PDF format, mirrored from academia.edu.
Keywords: 1957; 1960s; 1970s; 1988; Bahá'í history; Expansion; Growth; Statistics

The Bahá'í Faith and Globalization 1900-1912 - Stockman,Robert (Baha'i and Globalisation, 2005)
Abdu’l-Baha’s thinking inspired much of the practice of Baha’i proselytising; overview of the practical activism of the early American Baha’is and the mutual bonds of assistance between the Baha’i communities of North America and Iran.
Mirrored from kamalacademy.org.
Keywords: 1900; 1900s; 1912; Canada; Globalization; Iran (documents); Teaching; United States (documents); `Abdu'l-Bahá

The Bahá'í Faith and Its Relationship to Islam, Christianity, and Judaism: A Brief History - Berry,Adam (International Social Science Review, 2004)
Bahá'í history in Iran and America; relationship with Christian missionaries in Iran and Christian converts in America; Jewish responses to the Faith.
Written as an undergraduate student of Middle Eastern Studies and Political Science at Emory University. PDF mirrored from nhbahais.com, HTML from highbeam.com.
Keywords: Christianity; Conversion; Interfaith dialogue; Iran (documents); Islam; Israel; Judaism; Opposition; Persecution, Iran; Prophecies; Sociology; Teaching; United States (documents); Zoroastrianism

The Bahá'í Faith and Peace Psychology: The Potential for Science and Religion to Collaborate - Diessner,Rhett (Peace Psychology Bulletin, 1994)
On the potential for Bahá’í peace initiatives, coupled with empirical peace psychology approaches, regarding: ethnicity and peace, feminism and peace, and peace and education.
Keywords: Education; Equality; Ethnicity; Gender; Peace; Psychology; Race; Unity; Unity in diversity; Women

The Baha'i Faith and the Environment - Landau,Richard (Encyclopedia of Global Environmental Change volume 5: Social and Economic Dimensions of Global Environmental Change, 2002)
Participation of the Bahá'í International Community in UN-sponsored development and environmental initiatives for resolving the difficult challenges before humanity.
Keywords: Environment; Nature; Sustainable development

The Bahá'í Faith and the Equality, Rights, and Advancement of Women: A Survey of Principles, Praxis, and Discourse - Momen,Wendi (Religions, 2023)
Equality of women and men; education, advancement, and rights of women and girls; their application within the Bahá’í community; Bahá'í individual and institutional efforts to influence the international discourse on women. Link to article (offsite).
Published in the Religions special issue "The Bahá'í Faith: Doctrinal and Historical Explorations," online at mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/4/491, where it is also available in HTML, XML, and epub formats.
Keywords: Abuse; Education; Equality; Gender; Human rights; Leadership; Statistics; Universal House of Justice, Membership on; Women

The Bahá'í Faith and the Market Economy - Rassekh,Farhad (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2001)
Bahá'í teachings relevant to the market system as described in classical economics and the roles of self-interest and morality in economic life; human beings are naturally endowed with a desire to better their lives.
Mirrored with permission from journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/article/view/119.
Keywords: Economics

The Bahá'í Faith and the Perennial Mystical Quest: A Western Perspective - Savi,Julio (Baha'i Studies Review, 2007)
Mysticism is an intrinsic aspect of the Bahá'í Faith and mystical experience as formulated by William Ralph Inge and as expounded in the Bahá'í writings, emphasizing its practical and logical aspects; criticisms of mysticism; a Bahá'í mystical path.
In March 2006 the NSA of the United Kingdom suspended the "Association for Bahá'í Studies (English-speaking Europe)" and replaced it with the "Association for Bahá'í Studies (United Kingdom)". At that time the Bahá'í Studies Review was given a new editorial board and a new publisher, Intellect, and housed at atypon-link.com where this article was provided as a free download. BSR has moved to yet a third website, ingentaconnect.com, which no longer offers this PDF online.
Keywords: Mysticism

The Bahá'í Faith and the Singapore Women's Movement: Challenges for the Next Millennium - Chew,Phyllis Ghim-Lian (Singapore Baha'i Studies Review, 1999)
On the relationship between religion and the fight for women's rights after the founding of the Singapore Council of Women; the interplay between gender, religion and the women's movement; challenges for the next millennium with regards to equality.
See the table of contents, editor's note, and biographical data in the complete issue, vol. 4.
Keywords: Equality; Gender; Singapore; Women

The Bahá'í Faith and Traditional Societies: Exploring Universes of Discourse - Momen,Moojan (dialogue magazine, 1987)
How misunderstandings can arise between pioneers and the cultures they've moved to; traditional vs. modern ways of communication, and the dynamics of conversion.
See also list of dialogue articles or image scans.
Keywords: Communication; Conversion; Cultural diversity; Pioneering

The Baha'í Faith and Wicca: A Comparison of Relevance in Two Emerging Religions - Osborn,Lil (Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies, 2009)
On the growth of the Baha’i Faith and Wicca in Britain, compared through the lens of the "Theory of Relevance" as the driving force in their further development.
Paper first presented at the 2008 International Conference, London, UK. Also available in Microsoft Word format.
Keywords: Esotericism; Occultism; Paganism; Wicca

The Baha'i Faith in Europe - Fazel,Seena (2020)
Overview of the history of the Faith in Europe; its beginnings in Paris, London, and Stuttgart; Abdu'l-Bahá's visits; notable European Bahá'ís; themes of European community life; membership statistics.
Written for publication in a handbook edited by R. Stockman (forthcoming). See also Fazel's 100 Years of the Bahá'í Faith in Europe (1998).
Keywords: Bahá'í history by country; Europe; Statistics

The Bahá'í Faith in Kansas 1897-1947 - Herrmann,Duane L. (Community Histories: Studies in the Bábí and Bahá'í Religions, 1992)
An introduction to the first half century of the Kansas Bahá'í community, with unique insight into their patterns of growth and inactivity.
Keywords: 1897; 1947; 20th century; Bahá'í history by country; Kansas, USA; United States (documents)

The Bahá'í Faith in the Arabic Speaking Middle East: Part 1 (1753-1863) - Zeine,Ramsey (Lights of Irfan, 2006)
Bábí and early Bahá'í links to the Arab world and the Arabic language; the identity of the Faith is a fusion of Persian and Arab origins.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #62, Centre for Bahá'í Studies, Acuto, Italy (July 8-12, 2005). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/62/zeine_arabic.
Keywords: 1863; 18th century; 19th century; Arabic language; Baghdad, Iraq; Bahá'u'lláh, Titles of; Báb, The; Báb, Writings of; Iraq; Irfán Colloquia; Middle East; Mullá ‘Alíy-i-Basṭámí; Mírzá Muhammad Mustafá Baghdádí; Names and titles; Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsá'i; Shaykh Muhammad-i-Shibl; Sheikh Jaafar Al-Tahhan; Surat Al-Arab (Surah of the Arabs); Youth (title); Zia Bagdadi

The Bahá'í Faith in the West: A Survey - Smith,Peter (Baha'is in the West: Studies in the Bábí and Bahá'í Religions, 2004)
General account of the development and expansion of the Faith in Europe and North America 1894-1994, including distribution and social composition of contemporary communities. Includes Foreword to the volume.
See more at the author's website, icpetermahidol.wordpress.com. Also available as uncorrected Word document: smith_faith_west_survey.doc [5MB].
Keywords: 1894; 1994; 20th century; Bahá'í history by country; Europe; Expansion; Growth; Sociology; United States (documents)

The Bahá'í Faith Seen through the Eyes of Major Encyclopedias - Fazel,Seena (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 1992)
Overview of some themes and organization/structure common to articles about Bahá'í topics published in encyclopedias; includes a list of references to the Bahá’í Faith in major encyclopedias (as of 1992).
See also journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/issue/archive.
Keywords: Bibliography; Encyclopedias

The Bahá'í Faith: Sect or Religion? - Schaefer,Udo (Baha'i Studies, 1988)
Lengthy study defining the distinguishing features of the Bahá'í Faith as contrasted with other contemporary religious movements.
Article also posted at the ABS monograph series page. (Permission to cross-post given by ABS editor in 1997 when I built the first bahai-studies.ca website. -J.W.) See also review by Roger Lapointe.
Keywords: Bahá'í Faith, Sect, NRM or World Religion; Introductory

The Bahá'í House of Worship: Localization and Universal Form - Hassall,Graham (Handbook of New Religions and Cultural Production, 2012)
On the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Bahá'í thought and practice; interplay between the universal specifications for this architectural form and its enculturation in regional settings: European, African, Oceanic, Asian, and American.
Mirrored with permission from academia.edu. See also brill.com/view/title/20960, and see more excerpts from this book at books.google.com.
Keywords: Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship)

The Bahá'í Movement, with Some Recollections of Meetings with Abdul Baha - Holbach,Maude M. (The Nineteenth Century and After, 1915)
Overview of Bábí and Bahá'í history, and an account of a multi-day visit with Abdu'l-Bahá.
Keywords: 1911; 1912; 1913; New York City, NY; Paris, France; Pilgrims notes; `Abdu'l-Bahá

The Bahá'í Philosophy of Human Nature - Kluge,Ian (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2017)
How the essential reality of the individual — the human soul and its powers of rational thought, willpower, memory, and reflection — translates these capacities into physical action through the intermediary of the brain.
Article mirrored with permission from journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/article/view/218. See also the complete issue [PDF].
Keywords: Animals; Character; Creation; Dualism; Free will; Human nature; Mind; Philosophy; Reason; Soul

The Bahá'í "Pupil of the Eye" Metaphor: Promoting Ideal Race Relations in Jim Crow America - Buck,Christopher (The Bahá'í Faith and African American History, 2018)
On the notable contribution to promoting ideal race relations in Jim Crow America by the Bahá'í Faith which, though small in number, was socially significant in its concerted efforts to foster and advance harmony between the races.
This PDF has been combined from three sources, resulting in different page sizes. See also Buck's chapter 3 in this book, Alain Locke on Race, Religion, and the Bahá'í Faith, and Introduction.
Keywords: Metaphors and allegories; Pupil of the eye; Race; Race amity; Race unity; Tablet of Emancipation; United States (documents)

The Baha'i Religion: Maqasid Syariah of Social Religious Frictions in Indonesia - Muzammil,Shofiyullah (Fikrah: Jurnal Ilmu Aqidah dan Studi Keagamaan, 2023)
Analyzing socio-religious tensions involving Bahá'ís in Indonesia, advocating for government accommodation and societal dialogue to promote coexistence and multicultural values.
Mirrored from journal.iainkudus.ac.id. For a historical perspective, see the following two sources: Persoon, G. (1987). Views Of Participating Outsiders: Two Civil Servants Leaving The Island Of Siberut (Mentawi Archipelago, Indonesia'). The Leiden Tradition in Structural Anthropology: Essays in Honour of P.E. De Josselin de Jong. R. D. Ridder and J. A. J. Karremans. Leiden, New York, Kobenhavn, Koln, E.J. Brill: pp. 141-160; Persoon, G. A. (2004). Religion and Ethnic Identity of the Mentawaians on Siberut (West Sumatra). Hinduism in Modern Indonesia: A Minority Religion between Local, National, and Global Interests. M. Ramstedt. London; New York, Routledge Curzon: pp. 144-159.
Keywords: Bahá'í history by country; Indonesia

The Bahá'í Religion: Papers Read at the Conference on some Living Religions within the British Empire, 1924 - Holley,Horace; Afnan,Ruhi (Papers Read at the Conference on Some Living Religions within the British Empire, 1925)
Text of two presentations at the Imperial Institute, South Kensington, in 1924, both titled "The Bahá'í Religion."

The Bahá'í Response to Racial Injustice and Pursuit of Racial Unity: Part 1 (1912-1996) - Thomas,Richard (Baha'i World, 2021)
The American Bahá’í community’s historical efforts to address racial injustice which has afflicted the United States since its founding.
Mirrored from bahaiworld.bahai.org (part of the collection History).
Keywords: 1912; 1996; Race; Race amity; Race unity; United States (documents); Unity; `Abdu'l-Bahá; `Abdu'l-Bahá, Travels of (documents)

The Bahá'í Revelation - Dodge,Arthur Pillsbury (The Open Court, 1905)
Article, with photographs, correcting and expanding on some of Open Court's previous articles on the Faith. Introduced by Paul Carus with a brief essay, "The Behaist Movement."
The article to which Dodge is responding is Babism: A New Religion.
Keywords: Bahá'í history; Criticism and apologetics

The Bahá'í System of Transliteration - Momen,Moojan (Baha'i Studies Bulletin, 1991)
Extensive collection of history and notes about transliteration in general and the unique Bahá'í system in particular, including sources such as Shoghi Effendi's notebooks, the Royal Asiatic Society, International Congress of Orientalists, and the UHJ.
Also available in Microsoft Word format, prepared by M. Thomas (2025). See also author's encyclopedia article.
Keywords: Transliteration and diacritics

The Bahá'í Tradition: The Return of Joseph and the Peaceable Imagination - Lawson,Todd (Fighting Words: Religion, Violence, and the Interpretation of Sacred Texts, 2012)
Overview of the status of violence in the Bahá'í tradition, and the historical/social conditions in which these doctrines were articulated.
Mirrored with permission from toddlawson.ca. Read more, and order a copy of the book from ucpress.edu.
Keywords: Bisharat (Glad Tidings); Clouds; Fragrance; Islam; Jihad (Holy war); Joseph (Prophet); Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude); Manifestations of God; Metaphors and allegories; Non-violence; Opposition; Peace; Principles; Prophecies; Qá'im; Return; Symbolism; Tablet of the True Seeker; War; Words and phrases

The Bahá'í Village Granary: Spiritual Underpinnings and Applications to North America - Calkins,Peter; Girard,Benoit (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 1998)
A village granary helps lay the systemic foundations of Bahá’u’lláh’s spiritualized new world economic order for both rural and urban society, the capstone of God’s progressive revelation of rural institutions for the sustainable use of natural resources.
See also journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/issue/view/39.
Keywords: Agriculture; Canada; Economics; Granaries; Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book); Lawh-i-Dunya (Tablet of the World); Rural development; Social action; Sustainable development; Villages; `Abdu'l-Bahá

The Bahá'í Worldview on Unity of Religions: Progressive Revelation: Principles and Insights from the History of Science - Khodadad,Jena Khadem (Lights of Irfan, 2009)
Examination of the Bahá’í belief in the unity of religions and the doctrine of "progressive revelation" through the lens of Thomas Kuhn's concept of scientific revolutions.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #86, Louhelen Bahá'í School, Michigan (October 9-12, 2008). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/86/khodadad_unity.
Keywords: Interfaith dialogue; Irfán Colloquia; Progressive revelation; Science; Unity of religion; Worldview

The Bahá'í Writings and Kant's "Perpetual Peace" - Kluge,Ian (Lights of Irfan, 2012)
Kant's Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch (1795) outlined practical steps necessary to end war through the establishment of a "league of peace" and a union of nations. This essay traces similarities between Kant's and Bahá'í proposals.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #102, Bosch Bahá'í School (May 2011). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/102/kluge_kant.
Keywords: Immanuel Kant; Peace; Philosophy; Unity

The Bahá'í Writings and the Buddhist Doctrine of Emptiness: An Initial Survey - Kluge,Ian (Lights of Irfan, 2019)
Agreements and convergence of the Buddhist concept of sunyata with the Bahá'í Writings.
This article was first posted to bahai-library.com in 2013, and then later reformatted for publication in Lights of Irfan in 2019. This article is an expansion of the section on emptiness in a previous paper, “Buddhism and the Bahá’í Writings: An Ontological Rapprochement” (2007), which showed that the Bahá’í Writings and key Buddhist teachings were either in agreement or on a convergent path in regards to key ontological issues. Mirrored with permission from http://irfancolloquia.org/u/kluge_emptiness.
Keywords: Buddhism; Emptiness; Illusion; Interfaith dialogue; Philosophy; Philosophy, Buddhist; World is an illusion or play

The Bahá'í Writings: A Meta-ethical Excursion - Kluge,Ian (Lights of Irfan, 2014)
Philosophical examination of the Writings' ethical teachings, how they relate to the major ethical systems proposed in the past, and how they deal with some of the difficulties inherent in past systems.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #116, Bosch (2013). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/116/kluge_ethics.
Keywords: Ethics; Philosophy; Sam Harris

The Bahá'ís - Blomfield,Lady Sarah Louisa (The Sufi Quarterly, 1928)
A "comprehensive account of the inspiration and ideals upon which Baha’ism is built up" — overview of the history and teachings of the Bahá'í Faith.
See also the following section of this volume, Unpublished Talks by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Scanned by Payam Afsharian, then proofread and formatted by Adib Masumian.
Keywords: Appreciations; Bernard Temple; E. G. Browne; George Curzon; Horace Holley; Inayat Khan; Lady Sarah Louisa Blomfield; London, England; Sufism; United Kingdom; Unity of humanity; Varqa, Valiyullah; `Abdu'l-Bahá in London (book); `Abdu'l-Bahá, Travels of (documents)

The Baha'is and the Constitutional Revolution: The Case of Sari, Mazandaran, 1906-1913 - Momen,Moojan (Iranian Studies, 2008)
Accounts of the Constitutional Revolution in Iran have tended to ignore the role of the Baha’is. They educated people about the reforms envisaged and about the modern world, for which they were persecuted.
Posted by author at academia.edu. Also available as the original Word document.
Keywords: 1906; 1913; Constitutional Movement (Iran); Constitutions (general); Iran (documents); Iran, General history; Iranian constitution; Persecution; Persecution, Iran; Politics; Reform; Sari, Iran

The Bahá'ís in Iran: Twenty Years of Repression - Kazemzadeh,Firuz (Social Research, 2000)
Overview of the modern persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran.
Mirrored from highbeam.com (formerly elibrary.com). Also found at www.scribd.com/doc/17569065/F-Kazemzadeh-On-Allegations-of-Origin-and-Relations.
Keywords: Iran (documents); Opposition; Persecution; Persecution, Iran; Persecution, Other

The Bahá'ís of Baltimore, 1898-1990 - Clark,Deborah (Community Histories: Studies in the Bábí and Bahá'í Religions, 1992)
The story of the Bahá'ís in the Baltimore area, who also hosted Abdul-Baha during his travels in America.
Keywords: 1898; 1990; 20th century; Bahá'í history by country; Baltimore, MD; Maryland, USA; United States (documents)

The Bahá'ís of the Caucasus - Balci,Bayram; Jafarov,Azer (Caucaz Europe News, 2007)
Three short articles: "Who are the Baha’is of the Caucasus?," "From Russian Tolerance to Soviet Repression," and "An Independent Azerbaijan."
Assembled from www.caucaz.com [defunct] archived at archive.org. Author notes: Bayram Balci: Director of the French Institute for Central Asian Studies IFEAC, Tashkent; Azer Jafarov: Baku.
Keywords: Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bahá'í history by country; Caucasus; Georgia; Persecution; Persecution, Russia; Russia; Soviet Union

The Bahá'ís of the United States - Stockman,Robert (Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America, 2006)
Overview of the history and teachings of the Bahá'í Faith, with reflections on it as a "New Religious Movement." Two versions of an article, one draft (undated) and one published.
See other excerpts from this book at bahai-library.com/gallagher_ashcraft_new_religions. See also the author's older United States of America: History of the Bahá'í Faith.
Keywords: Bahá'í history by country; Introductory; New religious movements (NRM); United States (documents)

The Bahai Movement: A paper read by Shoghi Effendi at Oxford - Shoghi Effendi (The Dawn, 1923)
Text of an address given to the Oxford University Asiatic Society, February 1921, before the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and before Shoghi Effendi was appointed the "Guardian."
This entire issue is online at afnanlibrary.org. The text was also published in Prelude To The Guardianship (R. Khadem, 2014); text below updated to fix minor errors and spellings (A. Bolhuis, 2021). Also online, with introductory notes, at senmcglinn.wordpress.com. The complete citation is: "The Bahai Movement: A paper read by Shoghi Effendi at Oxford," in The Dawn, A monthly Bahai Journal of Burma, Vol. 1, No. 1 (September 1923); No. 2 (October 1923); Nos. 3 and 4 (November & December 1923); No. 5 (January 1924); No. 6 (February 1924); No. 7 (March 1924); and No. 8 (April 1924).
Keywords: Balliol College, Oxford University; Chicago, IL; Dawn, The (newsletter); Funds; Introductory; Iran (documents); Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Dependencies of; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Wilmette; Oxford University; Oxford University Asiatic Society; Persecution, Iran; Prayer; Prophecies; Shoghi Effendi; Shoghi Effendi at Oxford; Shoghi Effendi, Writings of; Social action; Síyáh-Chál (Black Pit, Tehran); United Kingdom; United States (documents); Wilmette, IL; Ṭáhirih Qurratu'l-'Ayn

The Bábí-State Conflict at Shaykh Tabarsí - Zabihi-Moghaddam,Siyamak (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2004)
Analysis of first of four major clashes between the Bábís and the Qájár state from 1848-1853. The Bábís were not intent on revolt; factors include the increased public hostility toward the Bábís, their understanding of holy war, and political instability.
See also the lecture The Babi-State Conflicts of 1848-1853 (audio). See also a version of this article published in Iranian Studies (2002). Later published in The Báb and the Bábí Community of Iran, ed. Fereydun Vahman (2020).
Keywords: 1848; 1850s; 1853; Dawn-Breakers (book); Iran (documents); Persecution; Persecution, Iran; Shaykh Tabarsí siege

The Beauty of the Human Psyche: The Patterns of the Virtues - Diessner,Rhett (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2016)
Insights from science and the Bahá'í Writings combine to show how the human soul is a shining of divine attributes reflected into our mind, where they manifest as virtuous thoughts and spiritual emotions.
Mirrored from journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/article/view/214. See also the complete issue [PDF].
Keywords: Brain; Ethics; Psychology; Science; Soul; Virtues

The Bedrock of Bahá'í Belief: The Doctrine of Progressive Revelation - Lundberg,Zaid (Lights of Irfan, 2000)
The importance of doctrine and systematic theology in understanding the Baha' Faith, and the process of "doctrinalization" in Bahá'í history.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #22, London, England (August 27-29, 1999). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/22/lundberg_progressive.
Keywords: Irfán Colloquia; Progressive revelation

The Beginning That Hath No Beginning: Bahá'í Cosmogony - Brown,Vahid (Lights of Irfan, 2002)
The dimensions of myth in the Bahá'í Faith focussing on the religion's narratives of creation, religious history, and Administrative Order.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #38, Louhelen Bahá'í School (October, 2001). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/38/brown_cosmos.
Keywords: Active force and its recipient; Administrative Order; Be and it is (phrase); Cosmology; Creation; Elements; God; God, Will of; God, Word of; Hidden Treasure (Hadith); Interfaith dialogue; Irfán Colloquia; Islam; Lawh-i-Hikmat (Tablet of Wisdom); Manifestations of God; Mythology; Pen; Philosophy; Philosophy, Islamic; Quran; Relativism; Shaykhism; Words and phrases

The Benevolence of Chaos and Uncertainty - Todd,Billy D. (Australian Baha'i Studies, 2002)
Chaos and complexity are essential for self-organization and resilience in advanced systems. Human society, like natural systems, cannot avoid disorder but benefits from it; complexity allows for adaptability and error tolerance, necessary for evolution.
See also the rest of this issue.

The Birth of a Monotheistic Religion in Modernity: On Jihad and Martyrdom in the Baha'i Faith - Dehghani,Sasha (Martyrdom in the Modern Middle East, 2014)
The Bahá'í Faith responds to major questions of modernity such as the claims of science, world peace, and women's rights. Elements of continuity between early Christianity and mystical Islam can be found in the abolishment of military jihad.
Mirrored from nomos-elibrary.de. Download complete issue, dehghani_martyrdom_middle_east.pdf.
Keywords: Islam; Jihad (Holy war); Martyrdom

The Birth of the Human Being: Beyond Religious Traditionalism and Materialist Modernity - Saiedi,Nader (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2011)
We have arrived at a turning point in human evolution: the moment of the birth of the human being. This paper examines the development of this idea in the Writings of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and its opposite concept, dehumanization.
See an audio presentation of this paper, Birth of Human Beings in the Writings of the Bab. Mirrored from journal.bahaistudies.ca.
Keywords: Animals; Báb, Declaration of; Báb, Martyrdom of; Consultation; Day of Resurrection (or Day of Judgment); Ethics; Evolution; Hasan M. Balyuzi Memorial Lectures; Heaven and hell; Human nature; Lawh-i-Hague (Tablet to The Hague); Maturity of humanity; Modernity; Monarchy (kingship); Philosophy; Science; Signs of the coming of age of humanity; Soul; Sphinx; Spiritualization; Symbolism; Unity; Worldview

The Book of Revelation Revealed in Glory: A Summary of Glorious Revelation - Ridgers,William (Lights of Irfan, 2000)
Bahá'í interpretation of St. John's Book of Revelation.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #24, Louhelen Bahá'í School, Michigan (October 8-12, 1999). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/24/ridgers_revelation.
Keywords: Armageddon; Bible; Book of Revelation (Bible); Christianity; Day-year principle; Interpretation; Irfán Colloquia; Islam; Judaism; Millennialism; Prophecies; Symbolism; Translation

The Brutal Slashing to Death of Dr Berjis - Mohajer,Nasser (Baha'i Studies Review, 2011)
English translation of an article in Persian about persecutions during the Pahlavi regime, and the death of a Bahá'í doctor in 1950.
Posted with permission of translator/editor, who explains that Mohajer is a researcher, writer, and human rights activist with no affiliation to the Bahá'í community.
Keywords: 1950; 1950s; Iran (documents); Persecution; Persecution, Deaths; Persecution, Iran

The Calligraphy of Mishkin-Qalam - Badiee,Julie; Badiee,Heshmatollah (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 1991)
The life and work of a one-time court artist for Nasiri'd-Din Shah, who was present for the nascent years of the Baha’i revelation and moved to Edirne to be near to Baha'u'lláh; examples of Islamic calligraphic traditions and his own compositions.
See also journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/issue/archive.
Keywords: Arts and crafts; Calligraphy; Mishkín-Qalam

The Canadian Bahá'ís 1938-2000: Construction of Oneness in Personal and Collective Identity - Echevarria-Howe,Lynn (Baha'i and Globalisation, 2005)
On how globalization includes greater consciousness of the whole world, and a sociological perspective on how this consciousness has been nurtured within the Canadian Bahá'í community.
Keywords: 1938; 2000; 20th century; Bahá'í history by country; Canada; Globalization; Unity; Unity of humanity

The Cause of Universal Peace: 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Enduring Impact - Hogenson,Kathryn Jewett (Baha'i World, 2021)
On Abdu'l-Bahá's interest in the Lake Mohonk Conferences on International Arbitration in New York, 1912, and the Quaker founders Albert and Alfred Smiley; Leroy Ioas and the World Unity Conferences; World Unity magazine (later World Order).
Mirrored from bahaiworld.bahai.org. See more about the Mohonk conferences at wikipedia, and also Who Will Bell the Cat? 'Abdu'l-Bahá at Lake Mohonk by Janet Ruhe-Schoen (academia.edu).
Keywords: 1912; Albert Smiley; Alfred Smiley; Bahá'í International Community; Biography; Ella Goodall Cooper; Florence Morton; Horace Holley; International peace conferences; Kathryn Frankland; Lake Mohonk Conference on International Arbitration; Lake Mohonk, NY; Leroy Ioas; Mary Rumsey Movius; New York, USA; Peace; Quakers; Rabbi Rudolph Coffee; San Francisco, CA; United Nations; United States (documents); World Order magazine; World Unity (magazine); World War I; `Abdu'l-Bahá; `Abdu'l-Bahá, Travels of (documents)

The Challenge of Change for the Chinese in Southeast Asia - Shuen,Yin Hong (Singapore Baha'i Studies Review, 2000)
Chinese Bahá'ís in some Asian countries are a microcosm of Chinese people in this region. An email survey asked what attracts Southeast Asians to the Faith, difficulties they face, and how adopting a world religion helps guide their future challenges.
See the table of contents, editor's note, and biographical data in the complete issue, vol. 5.
Keywords: China; Diaspora, Chinese; Migration; Sociology; Southeast Asia

The Choice of the West for Abdu'l-Bahá's Epoch-Making Trip - Ma'ani,Baharieh Rouhani (Lights of Irfan, 2012)
Reasons for Abdu'l-Bahá choosing Western nations for the climax of his ministry, and results he achieved in Europe and the United States.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #107, Louhelen Bahá'í Center (October 2011). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/107/ma'ani_west.
Keywords: Canada; China; Europe; India; Japan; United States (documents); `Abdu'l-Bahá, Travels of (documents)

The City of Love: Ishqábád and the Institution of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár - Whitmore,Bruce (Baha'i News, 1975)
History of the building of the temple in Turkmenistan, north of the Iranian province of Khurasan.
Reprinted in
Keywords: Ashgabat; Iran (documents); Khurásán, Iran; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Ishqabad; Turkmenistan

The Concept of 'Faithfulness' in the Bahá'í Texts in English Translation - Momen,Wendi (Lights of Irfan, 2016)
On faithfulness (being faithful as an individual; God being faithful to His people; believers being faithful to the Covenant; Bahá’u’lláh calling for fidelity to the new Manifestation) and behavior expected of the followers.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #132 (Italy, 2015). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/132/momen_faithfulness.
Keywords: Covenant; Ethics; Faithfulness

The Concept of Divine Law - Meshgin,Mehrdad K. (The Kitáb-i-Aqdas: Studies from the First National Conference on the Holy Book, vol. 1, 1996)
The changing impact of divine law on society; legal principles current in Europe are derived largely from the works on jurisprudence and the legal decision of Muslim theologians; Bahá'u'lláh's social teachings offer flexibility to address new concerns.
This document is no longer available at its original host; mirrored from archive.org.
Keywords: Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book); Laws

The Concept of Freedom of Belief and Its Boundaries in Egypt: The Jehovah's Witnesses and the Bahá'í Faith between Established Religions and an Authoritarian State - Pink,Johanna (Culture and Religion, 2005)
On how the Egyptian courts have dealt with the two most important non-Islamic faiths in Egypt, both of which have been officially dissolved and face strong opposition.

The Concept of Manifestation in the Bahá'í Writings - Cole,Juan (Baha'i Studies, 1982)
Lengthy overview of Bahá'í theology and prophetology and their Islamic roots.
Article also posted at the ABS monograph series page. (Permission to cross-post given by ABS editor in 1997 when I built the first bahai-studies.ca website. -J.W.)
Keywords: Cosmology; Emanation; God; Interfaith dialogue; Islam; Manifestations of God; Philosophy; Philosophy, Greek; Philosophy, Islamic; Prophets; Psychology; Soul; Sufism; Theology; Unity of existence (vaḥdatu’l-vujúd); Unity of religion

The Concept of Nature in Baha'i Philosophy - Lepain,Jean-Marc (Studies in Baha'i Philosophy, 2014)
Philosophies of nature and of science; holistic approach to reality; subjectivity; the theory of intelligibility; metaphysics; nature as the will of God; continuity and discontinuity in nature; origin of the universe; emanation and manifestation.
See also the complete issue [PDF].
Keywords: Nature; Philosophy

The Concept of Spirituality - Hatcher,William S. (Baha'i World, 1986)
Widely-read ABS monograph, re-published in the Bahá'í World. Includes chapters "The Nature of Man," "Process of Spiritual Growth," and "Collective Dimension of Spirituality."
This article is also online as a formatted PDF from the Bahá'í Studies monographs webpage, or by direct download from hatcher_concept_spirituality_bsn11.pdf.
Keywords: Arc of ascent and descent; Character; Criticism and apologetics; Education; Evil; Free will; God; Human nature; Interfaith dialogue; Journey (spiritual); Materialism; Philosophy; Purpose of life; Science; Soul; Spirituality

The Concept of the "Perfect Man" (Pole) in Sufism and the Bahá'í Notion of the Manifestation of God - Ioannesyan,Youli A. (Lights of Irfan, 2001)
While there is an obvious similarity between the Sufi concept of the "Perfect Man" and the Bahá'í concept of the "Manifestation of God," there are also striking differences; the theologies of at-Tirmidhí, Ibn al-'Arabí, Dáwud-al-Qaysarí, and Haydar Amulí.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #28, London School of Economics (July 14-6, 2000). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/28/ioannesyan_perfect.
Keywords: Irfán Colloquia; Manifestations of God; Perfect Man (Sufism); Qutb (Pole); Sufism

The Conflict Resolution Movement - Gonzales,Steven (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 1999)
What exactly is conflict resolution? Why do so many different disciplines lay claim to it? This article is an introduction to the field, a review of conflict resolution in history, and a survey of contemporary legislation worldwide.
Mirrored with permission from journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/article/view/278.
Keywords: Conflict resolution; Law

The Conservation and Restoration of Calligraphy by Mishkín Qalam - Ishikawa,Shingo; Ravines,Patrick (2004)
Three versions of a paper explaining the procedure for preserving manuscripts at the Bahá'í World Centre, using the example of calligraphy by Mishkín Qalam. Includes high-resolution sample of Qalam's artwork.
Keywords: Arabic language; Archives; Bahá'í World Centre; Bahá'í World Centre; Calligraphy; Haifa, Israel; International Bahá'í Archives; Mishkín-Qalam; Preservation and conservation (archives); Restoration and renovation

The Consolation of Theology: Absence of the Imam and Transition from Chiliasm to Law in Shi'ism - Arjomand,Said Amir (Journal of Religion, 1996)
Overview of the Shi'i doctrine of occultation, or the "Hidden Imam," and how this idea evolved into a principle of salvation: historical background; hidden God / sealed prophecy; theodicy and law; rationalization. Contains no mention of the Bahá'í Faith.
Purchase this paper online at journals.uchicago.edu/toc/jr/1996/76/4. Also later published in Sociology of Shi'ite Islam: collected essays (Brill, 2016). See also the author's Imam Absconditus and the Beginnings of a Theology of Occultation and Crisis of the Imamate and the Institution of Occultation in Twelver Shiism.
Keywords: Hidden Imam; Imams; Islam; Shia Islam (Shiism); Twelfth Imam

The Constitutional Movement and the Bahá'ís of Iran: The Creation of an 'Enemy Within' - Momen,Moojan (British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 2012)
Bahá'ís had a complex relationship with the Constitutionalist Movement, sometimes supporting it and sometimes abstaining from involvement, but the impact of the Bahá'ís on the reformers and on the Revolution has been underestimated.
Posted by author at academia.edu. See also original Word document. Volume 39, Issue 3, (2012), pages 328-346.
Keywords: Constitutional Movement (Iran); Iran (documents); Iranian constitution; Reform

The Constitutionality of Teaching Islam: The University of North Carolina Qur'an Controversy - Buck,Christopher (Observing the Observer: The State of Islamic Studies in American Universities, 2012)
Legal commentary on the lawsuit Yacovelli v. Moeser, filed in 2002 against UNC Chapel Hill over its academic orientation program requiring freshmen to read selected passages from the Qur’an. Includes review of Sell's Approaching the Qur'an.
Keywords: 2002; Chapel Hill, NC; Islam; North Carolina, USA; United States (documents)

The Constructive Imaginary - Karlberg,Michael (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2020)
In a 2007 letter on the closing of the BIHE, the Universal House of Justice introduced the concept of "constructive resilience"; on the relationship of this to other concepts in discourses on social change, and its relevance to the exigencies of the age.
Mirrored from journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/article/view/313. See also complete issue [PDF].
Keywords: Administrative Order; African Americans; Bahá'í Institute for Higher Education (BIHE); Indigenous people; Institute process; Justice; Native Americans; Non-violence; Oppression; Persecution; Persecution, Iran; Protest; Race; Resilience; Social change; Social justice

The Continuing Contest between Exclusivism and Pluralism: Thoughts on the 2002 Day of Prayer for Peace - Savi,Julio (World Order, 2002)
Origins and purpose of the Catholic "Day of Prayer in Assisi," and interfaith dialogue.
Mirrored with permission from juliosavi.it.
Keywords: Christianity; Exclusivism; Interfaith dialogue; Peace; Pluralism; Prayer

The Conversion of the Great-Uncle of the Báb - Rabbani,Ahang (World Order, 1999)
The history of Hájí Mírzá Sayyid Muhammad (1798-1876), maternal uncle of the Bab.
Keywords: 1876; 19th century; Bahá'u'lláh; Biography; Báb, Family of; Báb, The; Báb, Uncles of; Conversion; Dating of Writings; Hidden Imam; Hájí Mírzá Siyyid Muhammad; Imams; Islam; Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude); Prophecies; Questions and answers; Qá'im; Shia Islam (Shiism); Twelfth Imam; Uncles

The Conversive Turn in Bahá'í Scripture: An Intersubjective Communications Model for Bridging Global Diversity - de Ramirez,Susan Berry Brill (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2007)
Communications which manifest equality of participants bring diverse persons and elements of the world together. Bahá'í consultation exemplifies the capacity of language to transform the world through the unifying power of interpersonal connections.
Mirrored with permission from journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/article/view/138. See also Conversive Relationality in Bahá'í Scholarship: Centering the Sacred and Decentering the Self (Brill de Ramirez, 1995).
Keywords: Consultation; Cultural diversity; Diversity

The Cosmopolitan World of the Quran and Late Antique Humanism - Lawson,Todd (Religions, 2021)
On the Qur'an's use of the themes of epic and apocalypse to reveal its most cherished sacred truths: the Oneness of God, the Oneness of Religion, and the Oneness of Humanity. Contains no mention of the Bahá'í Faith.
Also online at mdpi.com where it is also available in epub format.
Keywords: Alast (Primordial Covenant); Apocalypse; Arabic language; Bible; Christianity; Constitutions (general); Covenant; Day of Resurrection (or Day of Judgment); Epics; God, Names of; Interfaith dialogue; Invocations; Islam; Joseph (Prophet); Judaism; Light; Light verse (Quran); Moses; Muhammad (Prophet); Northrop Frye; Opposites; Pairs of words; Prophets; Quran; Return; Revelation; Typology; Unity; Unity of humanity; Unity of religion; Words and phrases

The Countenance of the Blessed Beauty in the Mirror of Mawlúd Tablets - Seddigh,Foad (Lights of Irfan, 2018)
Review of four tablets in compilation from the Universal House of Justice about the commemoration of the anniversary of the birth of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, and guidance from 2015 intended to harmonize their lunar and solar dates.
Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/u/seddigh_mawlud.
Keywords: Bahá'u'lláh, Birth of; Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of; Báb, Birth of; Days of Remembrance (book); God, Day of; Holy days; Idol worship; Lawh-i-Mawlud (Tablet of the Birth); Tree (metaphor); Words and phrases; Worship

The Creative Act and the Spirit - Wilder,Bonnie (The Creative Circle, 1989)
Essay on the connections between art and the Bahá'í teachings, from the perspective of personal artistic experience. (First 90% of article only, pages 17-34.)
From books.google.com. Pages 35-36 of this article were not included in the Google preview.
Keywords: Arts and crafts; Creativity; Education; Painting; Reflection; Visuals

The Crisis in Babi and Bahá'í Studies: Part of a Wider Crisis in Academic Freedom? - MacEoin,Denis (British Society for Middle Eastern Studies, 1990)
Response to Cole's review of MacEoin's "Hierarchy, Authority, and Eschatology in Early Bábí Thought" with comments on "outsider" scholarship versus faith-based approaches.
See related discussions in Debates between MacEoin et al., especially Cole's and MacEoin's follow-up essays, and see MacEoin's earlier Hierarchy Authority and Eschatology in Early Bábí Thought.
Keywords: Bahá'í studies; Bábísm; Criticism and apologetics; Scholarship

The Crisis of Identity - Sabet,Shahrzad (Baha'i World, 2023)
Exploring how the Bahá’í principle of the oneness of humanity can resolve the seemingly intractable tension between oneness and diversity.
Mirrored from bahaiworld.bahai.org, where it is available in a nicer HTML format.
Keywords: Community building; Cultural diversity; Freedom and liberty; Gender; Globalization; Identity; Independent investigation of truth; Love; Peace; Psychology; Race; Racism; Sociology; Soul; Transformation; Unity; Unity in diversity; Unity of humanity

The Crisis of the Imamate and the Institution of Occultation in Twelver Shiism: A Sociohistorical Perspective - Arjomand,Said Amir (International Journal of Middle East Studies, 1996)
Background of the history and theology of concepts like Qa'im, Mahdi, ghayba, and the hidden twelfth Imam. No mention of the Bahá'í Faith.
See more in the online book Occultation of the Twelfth Imam (A Historical Background).
Keywords: Hidden Imam; Imams; Islam; Mahdi (Mihdi); Occultation; Prophecies; Qá'im; Shia Islam (Shiism); Twelfth Imam

The Criteria of Knowledge: Beyond Inspiration - Savi,Julio (Studies in Baha'i Philosophy, 2014)
On the epistemology of inspiration and intuition; 4 criteria of human knowledge: sense perception, intellect, scriptural tradition, and inspiration. Abdu'l-Bahá adds a fifth: the inmost heart.
See also the complete issue [PDF].
Keywords: Knowledge; Philosophy

The Cyprus Exiles - Momen,Moojan (Baha'i Studies Bulletin, 1991)
History of Mirza Yahya's family and the four followers of Bahá'u'lláh exiled with them in Cyprus. Includes genealogies.
This copy has been scanned from the original and may contain errors. Mirrored with permission from momen.org. See also Microsoft Word version.
Keywords: 1868; 1870s; 19th century; Aqa Muhammad-Baqir (Qahvih-chiy-i Mahallati); Aqa `Abdu'l-Ghaffar; Bahá'í history by country; Biography; Cyprus; Cyprus exiles; Exile (banishment); First Bahá'ís by country or area; Islands; Mishkín-Qalam; Mírzá Aliy-i-Sayyah-i-Maraghihi (Mullá Ádí-Guzal); Mírzá Yaḥyá (Subh-i-Azal)

The Dangers of Reading: Inlibration Communion and Transference in the Qur'an Commentary of The Bab - Lawson,Todd (Scripture and Revelation, 1997)
Tafsír (traditional Qur'an commentary) and the writings of the Bab.
Keywords: Interpretation; Islam; Quran; Tafsir (exegesis)

The Death Penalty: Australian Legal Institutions vs the Bahá'í Faith? - Le Lievre,Roger (75 Years of the Bahá'í Faith in Australasia, 1996)
The Bahá'í teachings accept the application of the death penalty as a punishment for murder as an expression of retributive justice.
This document is no longer available at its original host; mirrored from archive.org.
Keywords: Australia; Capital punishment; Justice; Laws

The Deification of Jesus - McLean,Jack (World Order, 1980)
The apotheosis of Christ is a common factor to all branches of Christianity. This paper examines the historical development of this belief, from the writings of St. Paul, gnosticism, and the debates between Arius, Cyril, and Nestorius. Also in French.
Mirrored with permission from jack-mclean.com. See also original scan, and proofread Word version (prepared by Gengadran Arun, 2022).
Keywords: Christianity; Jesus Christ

The Development of Humankind - Savi,Julio (Lights of Irfan, 2000)
From a religious perspective, beyond their material and intellectual development, human beings can attain spirituality. Human life is like a school: the teacher is the spiritual Master, the text is the revealed book, the pupil is each human being.
Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/u/savi_humankind.
Keywords: Development; Irfán Colloquia

The Dialogue between Yin-Yang Concepts and the Bahá'í Faith - Chew,Phyllis Ghim-Lian (Singapore Baha'i Studies Review, 2001)
Yin-yang, a pivotal theory in Chinese thought influencing government, architecture, relationships, and ethics, has many similarities with the Bahá’í Faith, including the origin of matter, the nature of history, man-woman relationships, and health.
See the table of contents, editor's note, and biographical data in the complete issue, vol. 6.
Keywords: Balance; China; Equality; Gender; Health and healing; Philosophy; Philosophy, Chinese; Relativism; Taoism; Unity; Women; Yin Yang

The Duty of Kindness and Sympathy Towards Strangers - Savi,Julio (Lights of Irfan, 2011)
Integrating immigrants into the culture of their new country is becoming a focus in some Western states. In 2007 the Italian government issued a “Charter on the Values and Significance of Citizenship and Integration,” which reflects such Bahá'í ideals.
Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/97/savi_kindness.
Keywords: Cultural diversity; Ethics; Integration (migration); Migration

The Effect of Philosophical and Linguistic Gender Biases on the Degradation of Women's Status in Religion - Ma'ani,Baharieh Rouhani (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 1997)
Women’s rights have been undermined for centuries; philosophical and linguistic gender-related biases and their effect on the degradation of women’s status in religion; suggestions for eradicating the causes of inequality in order to hasten world unity.
Mirrored with permission from journal.bahaistudies.ca.
Keywords: Bias; Equality; Gender; Language; Philosophy; Women

The Effect of Revelation on Artistic Expression - Rogers,Otto Donald (Baha'i Studies, 1982)
The themes and processes of visual art are the same as those of constructive evolution: man as an instrument, desire for order and beauty, use of materials, element of light, principle of unity, balance of polarities, and mobility through faith.
Mirrored with permission from bahai-studies.ca/monographs. See also an earlier version of this article, "The Function of Revelation in Artistic Expression."
Keywords: Arts and crafts; Beauty; Light; Unity

The Effects of addiction/alcoholism, acculturation, physical, emotional and sexual violence on the education of aboriginal children - Goreng-Goreng,Tjanara (The Family: Our Hopes and Challenges, 1995)
The social problems facing many Australian aboriginal children; the need to involve indigenous peoples themselves in responding to these problems.
This document is no longer available at its original host; mirrored from archive.org. Author affiliation: Director, Aboriginal Education Unit Charles Sturt University
Keywords: Aboriginal people; Abuse; Alcohol; Australia; Drugs; Family; Health and healing; Indigenous people; Psychology; Sexual violence; Trauma

The Emergence and Organization of Chinese Religions - Chew,Phyllis Ghim-Lian (Lights of Irfan, 2014)
The nature of leadership and succession in Chinese religious organisations and society, home temples, village temples, and monasteries.
Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/u/chew_chinese.
Keywords: Buddhism; Chinese religion; Temples

The Emergence of the Bahá'í Faith in Singapore (1950-1972) - Chew,Phyllis Ghim-Lian (Singapore Baha'i Studies Review, 1996)
The first two decades of the Faith in Singapore, from the arrival of pioneers in 1950 to the formation of the NSA in 1972; the activities of the LSA of Singapore; strategies used to proclaim the existence of the Faith; features of the early community.
See the table of contents and editor's note in the complete issue, vol. 1.
Keywords: 1950; 1960s; 1972; Bahá'í history by country; Singapore

The Emergence of World Civilization: An Exposition on Excerpts from the Writings of Shoghi Effendi - Thomas,James B. (Lights of Irfan, 2007)
A study of the Guardian's "The Unfoldment of World Civilization" (1936); humanity's coming of age; the process of integration; pangs of death and birth during an age of transition; collapse of Islam; breakdown of political and economic structures.
First presented at the Irfan Colloquia session #67 (Bosch Bahá'í School, May 2006). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/67/thomas_civilization.
Keywords: Collective security; Integration and disintegration; Irfán Colloquia; Maturity of humanity; Peace; Unity; World Order of Bahá'u'lláh (book); World order

The End of the World: Whatever Happened?: Or Leftover Time to Kill - Woodman,Ross (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 1991)
If we contrast the eschatology of Bahá’u’lláh with that of Hegel and Nietzsche, we can locate and explore the spiritual origins of the planetary consciousness (the Divine Springtime) upon which the survival of humankind and the globe itself now depends.
Mirrored with permission from the Journal of Bahá'í Studies past issues archive.
Keywords: Eschatology; Friedrich Nietzsche; Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel; Philosophy; Resurrection; Return; Ross Woodman; Spring

The Epistolary Style of Shoghi Effendi - Boyles,Ann (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2022)
The purposes of this paper are to investigate the new style of the epistle and the roots of its development, and demonstrate that elements of the form have been modified to accommodate the vision of Shoghi Effendi, architect of Bahá'u'lláh's World Order.
Mirrored from journal.bahaistudies.ca. See also the complete issue "Human utterance is an essence which aspireth to exert its influence" [PDF]. First published in The Vision of Shoghi Effendi (1993).
Keywords: Administrative Order; Bible; Christianity; Edward Gibbon; English language; History (general); Paul (Apostle); Shoghi Effendi; Shoghi Effendi, Writings of; Style (Writings); Telegrams (cables); Thomas Carlyle; Universal House of Justice, Letters and messages

The Equality of Women: The Bahá'í Principle of Complementarity - Hatcher,John S. (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 1990)
The Bahá’í teachings simultaneously assert the equality of men and women whilst advocating in some cases distinct duties according to gender. This seems paradoxical, but there can be gender distinction without inequality in status or function.
Mirrored with permission from the Journal of Bahá'í Studies past issues archive.
Keywords: Equality; Gender; John Hatcher; Women

The Eschatology of Globalization: The Multiple Messiahship of Bahá'u'lláh Revisited - Buck,Christopher (Studies in Modern Religions, Religious Movements and the Babi-Baha'i Faiths, 2004)
This paper argues that Bahá'u'lláh's signal contribution to globalization was to ethicize and sacralize it.
First presented as a conference paper at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in December 2000.
Keywords: Eschatology; Ethics; Globalization; Prophecies

The Essence of Man: Towards a Bahá'í Understanding of Human Nature and Psychology - Klebel,Wolfgang A. (Lights of Irfan, 2011)
Commentary on a section from Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet to Mírzá Hádí, about "the essence of man." This paper attempts to provide an understanding of what is expressed in these Words and understand "Who is Man."
Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/95/klebel_essence.
Keywords: Human nature; Lawh-i-Hadi (Tablet to Mírzá Hadi); Philosophy; Psychology

'The Eternal enemy of Islam': Abdullah Cevdet and the Bahá'í religion - Alkan,Necati (Bulletin of SOAS, 2005)
Cevdet, a member of the Young Turk Committee of Union and Progress, in 1922 published an article on the Bahá'ís, for which he was politically attacked. (Offsite.)
This article is a modified form of part of the author's 2004 PhD dissertation, which itself was later modified into the book Dissent and Heterodoxy in the Late Ottoman Empire. Linked to article online at academia.edu.
Keywords: Turkey; Young Turks; `Abdu'lláh Cevdet

The Ethiopian King - Saiedi,Nader (Baha'i Studies Review, 2011)
This article brings to light a number of hitherto unknown passages from the writings of the Báb about Haji Mubarak, the Báb’s Ethiopian servant.
Mirrored from clearwaterbahais.org.
Keywords: Abased and the exalted, The; Báb, Declaration of; Ethiopia; Hájí Mubarak; Iran (documents); Kitab-i-Si Du'a (Book of 30 prayers); Names and titles; Servants; Slavery

The Evolution of Reality - Land,George (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 1990)
Entropy maintains that all structures eventually decay. Humanity's challenge is to understand that nature's creative process changes systems, including organizations and civilization; this can lead to new connections, ideas, resources, and opportunities.
See also Commentary (Tony Michel, JBS 3:4).
Keywords: Civilization; Reality; Science; Unity

The Evolving Role of Bahá'í Scholarship - Rafati,Vahid (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2015)
Lecture on the evolution of Bahá’í scholarship; ulamás and the Faith; role of the ulamás in Islam; changes instituted by Bahá'u'lláh; abolition of clerical authority; historical legacy of some scholars; present challenges and future scholarship.
Mirrored from journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/article/view/171. See also original scan.
Keywords: Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl Gulpáygání; Mírzá Asadullah Fadil-i-Mazandarani; Priesthood; Scholarship; ʻAbdu'l-Hamíd Ishráq-Khávari

The Execution of the Jews of Banu Quraida and the Conquest of Persia: The Dilemma of Early Islam - Ekbal,Kamran (Iran Nameh, 2014)
Abdu'l-Bahá's views on the mass execution of the Banu Qurayza Jews in Medina in 627 A.D. [article in Persian].
Article submitted to Iran Nameh in 2014 March; I don't know if it was published. Title translation provided by Bahai Nafeza.
Keywords: Banu Qurayza; Iran (documents); Islam; Jews; Judaism; Medina, Saudi Arabia; Saudi Arabia; `Abdu'l-Bahá, Writings and talks of

The Failure of the Tommy Kabu Movement: A Reassessment of the Evidence - Hassall,Graham (Pacific Studies, 1991)
The rise and fall of Koivi-Aua, better known as Tom Kabu (1922?-1969), an influential local innovator and "proto-nationalist" leader in colonial Papua New Guinea and the first Papuan Bahá'í.
Keywords: 1969; 20th century; Biography; Papua New Guinea

The Faith of Science and the Method of Religion - Aull,Brian (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 1988)
A fundamental teaching of the Bahá’í Faith is that science and religion are harmonious and complementary: religious faith should be shaped by a process of critical inquiry and the limitations of science acknowledged.
Mirrored with permission from the Journal of Bahá'í Studies past issues archive.

The Family and Early Life of Tahirih Qurrat al-`Ayn - Momen,Moojan (Baha'i Studies Review, 2003)
Summary of information about the ancestry and background of Tahirih available in Persian and Arabic; tensions in her paternal family, which must have affected her as she grew up.
Posted by author at academia.edu.
Keywords: 19th century; Biography; Ṭáhirih Qurratu'l-'Ayn

The Firm Cord of Servitude - Cope,Theo A. (Lights of Irfan, 2001)
A call for a revisioning of mysticism's claims of "union with God" in light of the Bahá'í Teachings as well as Jungian psychology.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #28, London School of Economics (July 14-6, 2000). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/28/cope_cord.
Keywords: Carl Gustav Jung; God, Knowledge of; He who knoweth his self knoweth his Lord (Hadith); Irfán Colloquia; Mysticism; Philosophy; Philosophy, Islamic; Psychology; Relativism; Self-knowledge; Sufism; Unity of existence (vaḥdatu’l-vujúd)

The First Four Caliphs of Islam - Omidvaran,Betsy (Solas, 2001)
Many Bahá’ís know little about Islam, and most of what they do know is based on minority Shi’ism. This overview of the first four caliphs, the "Rightly Guided," will help introduce Sunni Islam.
See also a PDF of the complete issue of Solas 1. Mirrored from breacais.demon.co.uk/abs/solas.
Keywords: Caliphate; Caliphs; Interfaith dialogue; Islam; Sunni Islam (Sunnism)

The First Obligation: Lady Blomfield and the Save the Children Fund - Weinberg,Robert (1998)
Bio prepared for the UK Bahá'í Centenary (1998-99).
Bio of Blomfield, aka Sara Louisa, "Sitarih Khanum" (1859-1939). A version of this article was later posted at the Centenary of the Bahá'í Faith in the United Kingdom website. See also Blomfield's book, The Chosen Highway.
Keywords: 1911; 1913; 1939; Biography; Charity and relief work; Children; Human rights; Lady Sarah Louisa Blomfield; Save the Children Fund

The First Recorded Bahá'í Fireside - Buck,Christopher (Baha'i Studies Review, 2019)
An episode from Browne's A Year Amongst the Persians which can be regarded as a first "fireside" — a meeting with Bahá'ís in Shiraz in March 1888.
Mirrored with permission from academia.edu. Though the cover date of this publication shows 2015, it was not actually published until 2019.
Keywords: 1888; E. G. Browne; Firesides; Iran (documents); Shíráz, Iran; Teaching

The Four Levels of Detachment in Doris Lessing's Shikasta, - Perrakis,Phyllis Sternberg (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2004)
The concept of detachment in Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings and its application to Doris Lessing’s Sufi-inspired novel, Shikasta; the reciprocal relation between detachment and attachment and service to the new prophet.
Mirrored with permission from journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/article/view/124.
Keywords: Arts and crafts; Detachment; Doris Lessing; Lawh-i-Hikmat (Tablet of Wisdom); Literature; Literature, English; Science fiction; Sufism; Utopias and dystopias

The Fragility of Goodness: Hexis and Praxis in the Historical Figure of 'Abdu'l-Baha - Fatheazam,Shahbaz (Lights of Irfan, 2012)
How personal character and activity can survive negative pressures from the external world, and what can be learned from the example of Abdu'l-Bahá's social action.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #102, Bosch Bahá'í School (May 2011). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/102/fatheazam_goodness.
Keywords: Behavior; Character; Ethics; Psychology; Values; Virtues; `Abdu'l-Bahá; `Abdu'l-Bahá, Exemplar

The Framework for Action and the Legacy of the Civil Rights Movement - Smith,Derik (2025)
Explores parallels between the Bahá’í framework for action and the civil rights movement, emphasizing systematic organization, collective action, and sustainable social transformation over individual heroism.
Mirrored with permission from journal.bahaistudies.ca. See also the complete issue [PDF].
Keywords: 1950s; 1960s; Bayard Rustin; Capacity building; Civil rights movement (1954-1968); Events versus processes; Human rights; Institute process; Learning; Martin Luther King Jr; Planning; Prejudice; Race; Racism; Social action; Social change; Transformation

The Future of Confucianism - Hock,Yeo Yew (Singapore Baha'i Studies Review, 2000)
The history of Confucianism, its teachings, a critique of its place in the modern world, its future, and its survival into the 21st century.
See the table of contents, editor's note, and biographical data in the complete issue, vol. 5.
Keywords: China; Chinese religion; Confucianism; Interfaith dialogue; Philosophy; Philosophy, Chinese

The Future of Mankind and the Most Holy Book - Naghdy,Fazel (The Kitáb-i-Aqdas: Studies from the First National Conference on the Holy Book, vol. 1, 1996)
At present the world models depicted by the past religions and leaders of the materialistic ideologies have failed to solve the contemporary problems facing humanity. Bahá'u'lláh has revealed a new world model and provided the means of achieving it.
This document is no longer available at its original host; mirrored from archive.org.
Keywords: Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book); World order

The Globality of Suffering: Tokutomi Kenjirō Meets 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Palestine, 1919 - Ghadimi,Amin (Language and Culture Joint Research Project, 2024)
Exploring Japanese author Tokutomi Kenjirō's 1919 encounter with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, analyzing themes of suffering, globality, religion, and personal transformation within the context of modernity.
Mirrored with Open Access from ir.library.osaka-u.ac.jp.
Keywords: Japan; Kenjirō Tokutomi (Roka Tokutomi); Leo Tolstoy; Philosophy; Suffering; Tests and difficulties; `Abdu'l-Bahá

The Globalization of the Bahá'í Community: 1892-1921 - Momen,Moojan (Baha'i and Globalisation, 2005)
On the connection between Abdu’l-Baha’s thinking and his practical directives in the global expansion of the Baha’i religion, considered in light of Jan Aart Scholte's globalization categories: normative, psychological, economic, and institutional.
Early draft of the article later expanded for publication, online at scribd.com.
Keywords: 1890s; 1892; 1921; 19th century; 20th century; Bahá'í history; Globalization; Growth; `Abdu'l-Bahá

The God of Bahá'u'lláh - Momen,Moojan (Bahá'í Faith and the World's Religions, 2005)
A close look at the view of God presented in the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and analysis of the consequences of a number of His statements.
Mirrored from bahai.org. There is also a French translation of this article, published as a separate monograph: Au-delà du monothéisme: La Religion bahá'íe (tr. Pierre Spieckel), Paris: L'Harmattan, 2009.
Keywords: Bahá'u'lláh, Station of; Buddhism; Christianity; Contradictions; Cosmology; Dualism; God; God, Anthropomorphic descriptions of; God, Knowledge of; Hinduism; Interfaith dialogue; Islam; Judaism; Manifestations of God; Monism; Philosophy; Religion (general); Theology

The Good of the World and the Happiness of the Nations: A Study of Modern Utopian and Dystopian Literature - Afnan,Elham (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 1989)
The Bahá'í Writings, with their new understanding of human destiny, can bridge the gap between utopian visions of progress from 19th-century literature and dystopian visions of 20th-century fiction, disillusioned by war and social and economic disasters.
See also commentary by Ross Woodman.
Keywords: 19th century; 20th century; Administrative Order; Age of transition; Arts and crafts; Betterment of the world; Forces of light and darkness; Freedom and liberty; Future; Happiness; History (general); Hope; Human nature; Idealism; Integration and disintegration; Justice; Literature; Literature, English; Maturity of humanity; Peace; Progressive revelation; Promise of World Peace (statement); Transformation; Unity; Unity in diversity; Utopias and dystopias; War; World order

The Great Safari of Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khánum - Nakhjavani,Violette (Baha'i News, 1970)
A diary of Ruhiyyih Khanum's travels through Africa. Serialized in Bahá'í News in 26 issues, from 1970 through 1973.
This document was also published as a book. See a review of it from the Bahá'í Journal of the UK (2002-06), and see some discussion of this book in Three Talks in Africa.
Keywords: 1967; 1969; 1970s; Africa; Amatul-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum, Journeys of; Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum; Biography; Great African Safari

The Great Tao - Chew,Phyllis Ghim-Lian (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 1991)
On a philosophy of the ancient Chinese people, a Tao whose eternal spirit has seeped into the very heart of Chinese tradition, culture, and way of life for centuries; similarities with other religions and the Bahá'í Faith.
Also posted by author at academia.edu. See also journal.bahaistudies.ca.
Keywords: China; Chinese religion; Interfaith dialogue; Philosophy; Philosophy, Chinese; Taoism

The Greatest Holy Leaf's Unparalleled Role in Religious History and the Significance of the Arc, the Site of Her Resting Place - Ma'ani,Baharieh Rouhani (Lights of Irfan, 2014)
Biography of Abdu'l-Bahá's sister, who acted as his "deputy, His representative and vicegerent, with none to equal her." Her burial place on Mount Carmel determined the location of the Arc and the later buildings of the World Centre.
Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/121/ma'ani_leaf.
Keywords: 1846; 1982; Arc (World Centre); Bahiyyih Khanum (Greatest Holy Leaf); Bahá'í World Centre; Bahá'í World Centre buildings, monuments and gardens; Biography; Mount Carmel

The Growth of the Cause in the British Isles - National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the British Isles (The Centenary of a World Faith: The History of the Bahá'í Faith and Its Development in the British Isles, 1944)
Historical overview, starting with E. G. Browne and Comte de Gobineau, to pilgrims in the time of Abdu'l-Bahá, up to the late 1930s.
Keywords: 1930s; 19th century; Bahá'í history by country; United Kingdom

The Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice - Semple,Ian C. (Lights of Irfan, 2008)
Reflections on the Guardianship and Universal House of Justice by a former House member. Includes an interesting Q&A on topics including women on the House, Shoghi Effendi's personality, infallibility, Bahá'í scholarship, fundamentalism, etc.
Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/u/semple_guardianship2.
Keywords: Covenant; Guardianship; Irfán Colloquia; Universal House of Justice

The Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh - Banani,Amin (Religious Texts in Iranian Languages, 2007)
The Persian verses of The Hidden Words contain, in compressed form, the seeds of Bahá'u'lláh's principles for regeneration of the individual and society, and the mystical vision of the human soul attaining its ultimate goal of transcendence.
From the proceedings of a symposium held at Copenhagen University, May 2002. Posted by publisher; full book is online at royalacademy.dk/Publications. Also online at aminbanani.com [archive.org].
Keywords: Amin Banani; Kalimat-i-Maknunih (Hidden Words)

The Hijaz-Palestine Railway and the Development of Haifa - Mansour,Johnny (Jerusalem Quarterly, 2006)
A history of Haifa and Akka during the period of Bahá'í immigration. Contains no mention of the Faith.
Online in HTML and PDF formats at jerusalemquarterly.org/ViewArticle.aspx?id=78.

The Hindu Concept of God: Unity in Diversity - Khursheed,Anjam (Singapore Baha'i Studies Review, 1997)
The fundamental unity behind Hindu concepts of God and those found in the Semitic traditions, and the principle of unity in diversity, allow Hindu and Bahá'í beliefs to come together and further their common goal of uniting the world's religions.
See the table of contents and editor's note in the complete issue, vol. 2.
Keywords: Atman; Avatars; Bhagavad Gita; Demons; Diversity; Dualism; Epics; God; God, Anthropomorphic descriptions of; God, Gender of; Gods and Goddesses; Heart; Hinduism; Holy Spirit; Idol worship; Illusion; India; Interfaith dialogue; Krishna; Mahabharata; Manifestations of God; Mirrors; Monism; Monotheism; Moses; Mythology; Pharaoh (Bible); Philosophy; Philosophy, Hindu; Polytheism; Progressive revelation; Ramakrishna; Ramayana; Silence; Symbolism; Unity; Upanishads; Vedanta; Vedas; Vivekananda; Worship

The History and Provenance of an Early Manuscript of the Nuqtat al-kaf dated 1268 (1851-52) - McCants,William F.; Milani,Kavian Sadeghzade (Iranian Studies, 2004)
Much controversy has surrounded the early Bábí MSS, the Nuqtat al-kaf. Some of these are resolved by study of a copy discovered in Princeton’s collection of Bábí works, which confirms its value as an important source for understanding early Bábí history.
Found at scribd.com/doc/18949926/The-History-and-Provenance-of-an-Early-Manuscript-of-the-Nuqtat-AlKaf.
Keywords: Azali Bábís; Kitáb-i-Nuqtatul-Kaf; Mírzá Yaḥyá (Subh-i-Azal)

The History of EBBF: Twenty-Five Years of Contributing to the Discourse of Ethics in Business - Couillard,François (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2015)
The European Bahá’í Business Forum, a small network of individuals dedicated to promoting ethical behavior and other Bahá’í values in the workplace, has had significant influence at the local, national, and international levels.
Mirrored from journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/article/view/173.
Keywords: Business; Ethical Business Building the Future (EBBF); Ethics; Europe; European Bahá'í Business Forum (EBBF); Work

The Holy Grail of Objectivity: Some Considerations for Balancing Sacred and Secular in Bahá'í Scholarship - Harmsen,Rick (Deepen, 1995)
Discussion of an apologetic nature about an interpretive or hermeneutic principle relating to Bahá'í scholarship articulated by Shoghi Effendi.
Keywords: Interpretation; Scholarship

The House of Bahá'u'lláh and the Struggle for Religious Visibility in Mandatory Iraq - Cooper-Davies,Christopher (International Journal of Middle East Studies, 2025)
On the 1920s–1930s legal and political struggles over the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad, highlighting colonial modernity’s role in shaping anti-Bahá'í persecution in Iraq.
Mirrored with CC license from cambridge.org.
Keywords: 1920s; 1930s; Baghdad, Iraq; Colonialism and imperialism; House of Bahá'u'lláh (Baghdad); Iraq; League of Nations; Persecution; Persecution, Court cases; Persecution, Iraq; Restoration and renovation; United Kingdom; Visuals

The Human Intellect: A Bahá'í-Inspired Perspective - Davis,Adrian John (Lights of Irfan, 2001)
A study of some of the analogies and differences between the Sufi concept of the "Perfect Man" and the Bahá'í notion of the Manifestation of God; theologies of at-Tirmidhí, Ibn al-'Arabí, Dáwud-al-Qaysarí, Haydar Amulí, et al.; the "Muhammadan Essence."
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #28, London School of Economics (July 14-6, 2000). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/28/davis_intellect.
Keywords: Intellect; Irfán Colloquia; Knowledge; Manifestations of God; Mediation; Perfect Man (Sufism); Philosophy; Philosophy, Islamic; Qutb (Pole); Rationality; Reason; Sufism

The Human Soul and its Immortality - Furutan,Ali-Akbar (Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1970)
On the three kinds of spirit — human, animal, vegetable; 9 proofs for the existence of the soul; 13 proofs for the immortality of souls; miscellaneous matters relating to the human soul.
Keywords: Life after death (afterlife); Philosophy; Proofs; Soul; `Alí-Akbar Furútan

The Human Spirit in Moral Education - Hsing,Kuek Yi (Singapore Baha'i Studies Review, 1999)
Historical perspectives that have led to the immanence of secular models of moral education in Europe and the U.S., how Singapore has taught moral education, secular models from the U.S. and their inadequacies, and what the Bahá'í Faith can offer.
See the table of contents, editor's note, and biographical data in the complete issue, vol. 4.
Keywords: Education; Moral education; Singapore; United States (documents)

The Identity of the Sabi'un: An Historical Quest - Buck,Christopher (The Moslem World, 1984)
This article solves two problems that have long puzzled Islamicists: (1) How can the conflicting identifications of Sabians be explained? and (2) What was the Qur'an's original identification of the Sabians?
Page 174, note 61 mentions Bahá'u'lláh's identification of the Sabians as followers of John the Baptist. Alternate spellings (keywords): Sábi'ún, Sábi'úns, Sabiuns, Sabi'uns, Sabaean, Sabaeans,
Keywords: Islam; Quran; Sabaeans

The Image of the Mystic Flower: Exploring the Lotus Symbolism in the Bahá'í House of Worship - Badiee,Julie (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2000)
The design of the temple in India creates the visual effect of a large, white lotus blossom emerging from the pools of water around it. Besides many other deep and old cultural meanings, flower imagery symbolizes the appearance of the new Manifestation.
See also journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/article/view/447.
Keywords: Buddhism; Flowers; Hinduism; India; Islam; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, New Delhi; Metaphors and allegories; Mughal empire and architecture; New Delhi, India; Symbolism

The Images of Christ in the writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá - Afshar,Maryam (Lights of Irfan, 2004)
'Abdu'l-Bahá addressed Christian subjects in his talks with Bahá'ís of Christian background and his public talks in the West. He elucidated the meaning of Christian texts and doctrines, and referred to Christ's role and nature.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #46, Bosch Bahá'í School, California (May 1-4, 2003). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/46/afshar_images.
Keywords: Baptism; Bible; Bread; Christianity; Interfaith dialogue; Irfán Colloquia; Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ, Crucifixion of; Jesus Christ, Resurrection of; Jesus Christ, Virgin birth of; Return; Sin; Symbolism; Trinity; Wine (metaphor)

The Impact of Fear and Authority on Islamic and Bahá'í Modernisms in the Late Modern Age: A Liberal Perspective - Nash,Geoffrey (Religions, 2015)
Anthony Giddens and Charles Taylor’s conceptualisation of the self in the secular age; rationality, independent inquiry, and theophanic transformation; suggestions for a progressive religious approach in late modernity. Link to article (offsite).
Link to PDF posted at mdpi.com/2077-1444/6/3/1125, where it is also available in HTML and epub formats.

The Indispensability of Consultation for Ordering Human Affairs - Semple,Ian C. (Lights of Irfan, 2010)
Consultation is not just another word for discussion. It is not just a technique to be learned, but requires a development of the character of the individuals who are involved in it.
A talk given on December 20 1985 and again on January 3 1986 at seminars held in the multipurpose room of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice. Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/u/semple_indispensibility. Later republished in Lights of Irfan vol. 12.
Keywords: Consultation; Irfán Colloquia

The Inebriation of His Enrapturing Call (mast-and bulbulán) - Savi,Julio (Lights of Irfan, 2014)
Translation of the early mystical Tablet "Nightingales Are Inebriated" and an analysis of its themes of ecstasy, Mount Sinai, eschatology, dhikr, sama, and fana`.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #111, Acuto, Italy (2012). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/111/savi_call.
Keywords: Baghdad, Iraq; Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of; Dance; Day of Resurrection (or Day of Judgment); Dervish poems (Bahá'u'lláh); Flowers; Fountains; Fragrance; Haft Vádí (Seven Valleys); Houris (huris); Iraq; Love; Lover and the Beloved; Metaphors and allegories; Mount Sinai, Egypt; Musk; Mysticism; Nightingales; Persian language; Poetry; Roses and thorns; Sufism; Sulaymaniyyih, Iraq; Symbolism; Water (metaphor); Words and phrases

The Influence of Bábí Teachings on Ling Ming Tang and Nineteenth-century China - Wang,Jianping (Lights of Irfan, 2002)
A possible historical linkage between the followers of Bábí and Bahá'i Movements in Iran and the believers of a Qadiriyya Order (the Ling Ming Tang) in China.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #36, London School of Economics (July 13-15, 2001). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/36/wang_tang.
Keywords: 19th century; Bábísm; China; Irfán Colloquia; Ling Ming Tang; Mysticism; Sufism

The Institution of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár - Universal House of Justice; Holley,Horace; Sahba,Fariborz; Nooreyezdan,Sheriar (Baha'i World, 1986)
Five documents from Bahá'í World 18 part four section 5: Institution of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, its spiritual significance, the temple on the Indian sub-continent, the Lotus of Bahapur, and the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of the Pacific Islands.
See Bahá'í World volume 18 table of contents.
Keywords: Architecture; Buddhism; Fariborz Sahba; Funds; Hinduism; Horace Holley; Hossein Amanat; India; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Apia, Samoa; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Ishqabad; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, New Delhi; New Delhi, India; Samoa; Symbolism; Taj Mahal

The Institutionalization of Religion: A Sociological Analysis of Religion and Conflict - Mahmoudi,Jalil (World Order, 1967)
The life cycle of a religion can be classified into different phases or stages, such as "cult, sect, denomination, church." Does the Bahá'í Faith fit this schema?

The Intellectual Life of the Bahá'í Community - Arbab,Farzam (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2016)
The 34th Hasan M. Balyuzi Memorial Lecture at the ABS conference in Montreal, on the need for us to have intellectual courage, a lack of elitism, and the harmony of science and religion. Includes video, published version, and an outline of the talk.
Mirrored from journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/article/view/212. See also the complete issue [PDF].
Keywords: Farzam Arbab; Hasan M. Balyuzi Memorial Lectures; Knowledge; Scholarship; Science

The Interdependence of Bahá'í Communities: Services of North American Bahá'í Women to Iran - Ma'ani,Baharieh Rouhani (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 1991)
Some early American Bahá’í women’s contribution to the development of the Iranian Bahá’í community.
Mirrored with permission from the Journal of Bahá'í Studies past issues archive.
Keywords: Adelaide Sharp; Bahá'í history by country; Bahá'í schools; Elizabeth Stewart; Equality; Gender; Genevieve Coy; Interdependence and interconnectedness; Iran (documents); Keith Ransom-Kehler; Lillian Kappes; Lua Getsinger; Martha Root; Sarah Clock; Social and economic development; Susan Moody; Tarbiyat School, Tihran; United States (documents); Women

The Interracial "Bahá'í Movement" and the Black Intelligentsia: The Case of W. E. B. Du Bois - Buck,Christopher (Journal of Religious History, 2012)
Du Bois’s encounters with the Baha’i religion from 1910 to 1953, his connection to the New York Baha’i community, and discussion of segregated Baha’i meetings in Tennessee in 1937.
Mirrored with permission from christopherbuck.com/journals.
Keywords: 1910; 1937; 1953; African Americans; Bahá'í history by country; New York, USA; Race; Tennessee, USA; United States (documents); W. E. B. Du Bois

The Journey Motif in the Bahá'í Faith: From Doubt to Certitude - Danesh,Roshan (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2012)
The process of individual spiritual growth lies at the heart of human purpose. Bahá’u’lláh speaks about the collective spiritualization of humanity — creating new patterns of community and social relations — as the "journey" of the human body politic.
Mirrored from journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/article/view/155.
Keywords: Africa; Akka, Israel; Baghdad, Iraq; Bahá'u'lláh; Bahá'u'lláh, Banishment of; Báb, Pilgrimage of; Báb, The; Canada; Edirne, Turkey; Europe; Iran (documents); Iraq; Israel; Istanbul, Turkey; Journey (spiritual); Mecca, Saudi Arabia; Medina, Saudi Arabia; Pilgrimage; Saudi Arabia; Shoghi Effendi; Shoghi Effendi, Travels of; Spirituality; Turkey; United States (documents); `Abdu'l-Bahá; `Abdu'l-Bahá, Travels of (documents)

The Kitáb-i Aqdas of Mírzá Husain `Alí Núrí, Bahá'u'lláh: Redating its Beginnings - Ekbal,Kamran (Proceedings of the Third European Conference of Iranian Studies, Part 2: Mediaeval and Modern Persian Studies, 1999)
The exact date when the Aqdas was written is unclear. It may have been composed over a period of about five years and in different locations.
Also available in Microsoft Word format.
Keywords: Dating of Writings; Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book)

The Kitáb-i-Aqdas and the Process of Transformation - Davidson,John A. (The Kitáb-i-Aqdas: Studies from the First National Conference on the Holy Book, vol. 1, 1996)
The Kitáb-i-Aqdas is the source and inspiration for the process of transformation initiated by the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh. It defines the goals and provides the means. Its various dimensions (social, mystical, ethical, cultural).
This document is no longer available at its original host; mirrored from archive.org.
Keywords: Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book); Transformation

The Kitáb-i-Aqdas as a Lens with which to Examine some of the Dilemmas of Modernity - Omidvaran,Betsy (Solas, 2002)
Contrast between the Aqdas - the source of laws of future society - and issues of the modern world as it had evolved up to the 19th century. Discussion of Houses of Worship, universal language, financial principles, justice, the Covenant, and unity.
See also a PDF of the complete issue of Solas 2. Mirrored from breacais.demon.co.uk/abs/solas.
Keywords: Covenant; Economics; International auxiliary language; Justice; Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book); Laws; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); Modernity; Unity

The Kitab-i-Aqdas: Bahá'í Law, Legitimacy, and World Order - Schweitz,Martha L. (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 1994)
On the Kitáb-i-Aqdas from the perspective of contemporary secular national and international law; its institution-building provisions as a Charter for future world civilization; relationship between law and principle; transformation of international law.
Mirrored with permission from the Journal of Bahá'í Studies past issues archive.
Keywords: Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book); Laws; World order

The Kitáb-i-Iqán: Revolutionizing the Concepts of Religion, Eschatology and Theology - Kourosh,Sohrab (Lights of Irfan, 2018)
The Kitáb-i-Íqán resolves and removes eschatological barriers and establishes the fundamentals of a universal religion and a universal theology, that integrates and harmonizes other contending ideologies.
Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/u/kourosh_iqan.
Keywords: Bible; Christianity; Eschatology; Hidden Imam; Interfaith dialogue; Islam; Jabulqa and Jabulsa; Judaism; Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude); Outlines and summaries; Philosophy; Prophecies; Quran; Qá'im; Theology; Twelfth Imam

The Knowledge of God: An Essay on Bahá'í Epistemology - McLean,Jack (World Order, 1978)
Knowledge of the divine is the beginning of all things. This can come through the investigative faculty, the path of reason, or through intuition and mysticism, the path of the heart.
Mirrored with permission from jack-mclean.com.
Keywords: Epistemology; Heart; Intuition; Knowledge; Mysticism; Philosophy; Reason

The Language of the Heart: From Dream Language towards Understanding the Language of the Heart - Klebel,Wolfgang A. (Lights of Irfan, 2016)
On the form and style of the language of the heart; ways this language differs from our normal language and thinking as it is developed in the human brain; the language and logic of dreams; effects of heart transplants.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #130 (Bosch, 2015). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/130/klebel_heart.
Keywords: Brain; Dreams and visions; Health and healing; Heart; Mind; Post-traumatic Stress; Psychology; Science

The Language of the Heart: Parallels between Chinese and Bahá'í Approaches to the Spiritual Self - Hong,Sim Tze (Singapore Baha'i Studies Review, 1999)
Parallels between Chinese and Confucian thought vs. Bahá'í teachings about the spiritual self, the nature of the heart, the pathway to perfection, the knowledge of oneself, and symbolism in language like "open heart" and "use heart."
See the table of contents, editor's note, and biographical data in the complete issue, vol. 4.
Keywords: China; Chinese religion; Confucianism; Heart; Knowledge; Philosophy; Philosophy, Chinese

The Late Ottoman Sunni Missionary Project - Alkan,Necati (Missions and Preaching: Connected and Decompartmentalised Perspectives from the Middle East and North Africa, 2022)
Excerpts from the author's book Non-Sunni Muslims in the Late Ottoman Empire: State and Missionary Perceptions of the Alawis. Contains only passing mentions of the Bahá'í Faith.
Mirrored with permission from academia.edu.

The Lawh-i-Tibb (Tablet to the Physician): Beyond Health Maxims - Ziaei,Misagh (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2019)
On the tablet's historical context, as well as some of its guidance regarding the study and practice of medicine, including attributes its practitioners must acquire and maintain.
Article mirrored from journal.bahaistudies.ca. See also the complete issue [PDF]. Also available as an updated, corrected Microsoft Word document (prepared by M. Thomas, 2022). See also Tablet to a Physician (Lawh-i-Tibb) (Secretariat of the Universal House of Justice, 2000] and The Tablet of Medicine (Lawh-i Ṭibb) provisional translation by K. Fananapazir and S. Lambden (1992), offsite.
Keywords: Ethics; Food; Health and healing; Lawh-i-Tibb (Tablet to a Physician); Lifestyle; Science

The Lesser and the Most Great Peace - Latimer,George Orr (Bahá'ı́ Publishing Committee, 1944)
A discussion of the evolution of world peace from political to spiritual civilization; the need for world control; more than human power is required to help overcome these problems.
Keywords: Lesser Peace; Most Great Peace; Peace

The Lesser Peace and the Most Great Peace - Nakhjavani,Ali (Lights of Irfan, 2008)
The writings of Shoghi Effendi in English give us a comprehensive description and an all-embracing analysis of the state of the world today and an understanding of the various developments which have taken place.
Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/u/nakhjavani_peace. See also the author's Some Thoughts on the Lesser Peace.
Keywords: Alí Nakhjavání; Irfán Colloquia; Lesser Peace; Most Great Peace; Peace; World peace

The Life and Times of August Forel - Banani,Sheila (Lights of Irfan, 2005)
A review of Forel's scientific accomplishments, philosophical/religious perplexities, and social concerns which led him to embrace the Bahá'i teachings as he understood them during the last decade of his life.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #53, Bosch Bahá'í School, California (May 27-30, 2004). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/53/banani_forel.
Keywords: 1848; 1910s; 1920s; 1931; 19th century; Auguste Forel; Biography; Irfán Colloquia; Philosophy; Science; Sheila Banani

The Life of Shoghi Effendi - Danesh,Helen; Danesh,John; Danesh,Amelia (Studying the Writings of Shoghi Effendi, 1991)
Chapter length biography, and overview of the Guardian's life's work.
Also available as proofread ASCII-formatted text.
Keywords: 1897; 1957; Biography; Shoghi Effendi; Shoghi Effendi, Translations by; Shoghi Effendi, Works of; Shoghi Effendi, Writings of

The Light in the Lantern - Stevens,E. S. (Everybody's Magazine, 1911)
Sympathetic outsider's overview of Bahá'í history and its spread through the Western world. Includes the author's impressions of Abdu'l-Bahá, whom she calls "The Effendi." Text and page scans, illustrated.
This document is online at hathitrust.org.
Keywords: 1900s; Akka, Israel; E. S. Stevens; Haifa, Israel; `Abdu'l-Bahá

The Light Was in the Darkness: Reflections on the Growth that Hides in the Pain of Suffering - Penn,Michael L. (Baha'i World, 2020)
Existential stress and its relationship to individual growth and development, drawing on the rich spiritual and philosophical heritage of humanity.
Mirrored from
Keywords: Compassion; Depression; Detachment; Drugs; Empowerment; Encouragement; Ethics; Family; Happiness; Health and healing; Meditation; Native Americans; Philosophy; Prayer texts; Psychology; Purpose of life; Self-knowledge; Stories; Stress; Suffering; Suicide; Tests and difficulties; Youth

The Literature of Interpretation: Notes on the English Writings of Shoghi Effendi - Mitchell,Glenford (World Order, 1972)
The influence of the writings of Shoghi Effendi on the Bahá'í Faith is analogous to that of St. Augustine on Christianity, but infinitely more so. Includes discussion of the nature of exegesis, the Guardianship, and the scope of history.
Also available as a Microsoft Word document.
Keywords: Christianity; Interpretation; Literature; Shoghi Effendi, Writings of; St. Augustine

The Long, Withdrawing Roar: The Crisis of Faith and Nineteenth-Century English Poetry - McCloughan,Edwin (Solas, 2002)
A Bahá'í response to the argument that the crisis of faith in the late 19th century was conditioned by historical circumstances and has therefore little relevance for a contemporary reader.
See also a PDF of the complete issue of Solas 2. Mirrored from breacais.demon.co.uk/abs/solas.
Keywords: 19th century; Arts and crafts; Literature; Literature, English; Poetry

The Maid of Heaven, the Image of Sophia, and the Logos: Personification of the Spirit of God in Scripture and Sacred Literature - Sours,Michael W. (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 1991)
The Logos in Christianity and the Maiden for Bahá'u'lláh can be equated as one and the same eternal reality; the divine image of wisdom in Proverbs; Sophia and Logos are combined in the feminine personification of the Most Great Spirit.
See also Immanence and Transcendence in Theophanic Symbolism (Sours, 1992).
Keywords: Angels; Apocrypha (Bible); Bible; Bride (metaphor); Buddhism; Christianity; Ethics; Fatimah (daughter of Muhammad); Gender; God, Word of; Hinduism; Holy Spirit; Houris (huris); Islam; Jesus Christ; Laws; Logos; Maid of Heaven; Metaphors and allegories; Most Great Spirit; Quran; Shia Islam (Shiism); Solomon (Solayman); Sophia (wisdom); Symbolism; Síyáh-Chál (Black Pit, Tehran); Trustworthiness; Zoroastrianism

The Making of Central America: Intervention, Dictatorship, and Revolution - Berryman,Phillip (dialogue magazine, 1986)
History of Western and Christian involvement in Latin America. (No mention of the Bahá'í Faith.)
See also "Ita and the Sandinista Revolution," and "Exile from El Salvador: A Conversation with Antonio." See also list of dialogue articles or image scans.
Keywords: Central America; History (general)

The Manifestation of God in the View of Process Theology - Faber,Roland (Lights of Irfan, 2019)
On how God can be all-present in the world and at the same time be manifest in the form of human figures, such as Christ or the Hindu Avatars. The philosophy of Whitehead can translate the concept of Manifestation to a multireligious context.
Mirrored with permission from http://irfancolloquia.org/u/faber_manifestation.
Keywords: Manifestations of God; Philosophy; Process philosophy; Theology

The Manifestations of God and Their Function in Human History - Tinto,Iscander Micael (Lights of Irfan, 2004)
The terminology, purpose and mission, sufferings, functions, and the threefold reality of the Manifestations of God.
Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/u/tinto_manifestations.
Keywords: Irfán Colloquia; Manifestations of God

The Master Humorist - Ballenger,Robert (dialogue magazine, 1988)
Examples of the humor of Abdu'l-Bahá, jokes he told, and how this aspect of the Master's personality has been downplayed in biographies and portrayals of him which cast him in a more serious light.
See also a Compilation on Humor and Laughter, and for example Mahmud's Diary, p.313 (Open Forum, San Francisco, Thursday, October 10, 1912) and Annemarie Honnold, Vignettes from the Life of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, pp. 149-157. List of dialogue articles or image scans.
Keywords: Humor; Laughter; `Abdu'l-Bahá

The Mathnaví by Rúhu'lláh Varqá, the Martyr: A Few Notes on Its Historical Context and Poetical Content - Savi,Julio; Mardani,Faezeh (Lights of Irfan, 2018)
On the motifs of the cup-bearer and the cup, springtime, and love. Includes translation of "The Mathnaví of Rúhu'lláh, the Martyr."
Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/146/savi_mathnavi.
Keywords: Literature, Persian; Mathnavi; Poetry; Rúhu’lláh Varqá

The Meaning of Life - Cobb,Stanwood (Life Guidance Society, 1932)
The sole purpose of life, so far as the individual is concerned, is growth through struggle. Not to be active is to stagnate and atrophy; movement and change is the sign of life.
Mirrored from bahai.works/The_Meaning_of_Life.
Keywords: Purpose of life

The Messianic Roots of Babi-Bahá'í Globalism - Lambden,Stephen (Baha'i and Globalisation, 2005)
Contrast of the continuity between the globalism of the Bab’s Qayyum al-asma’ and Baha’u’llah’s globalism, verses breaks between the two, e.g. the abandoning of jihad as a means of promoting a globalisation process.
Mirrored from hurqalya.ucmerced.edu. This article is also online as a free sample, in clean digital format, at questia.com.
Keywords: Bible; Christianity; Eschatology; Globalization; Hadith; Hidden Imam; Imam Ali; Imams; Islam; Jihad (Holy war); Judaism; Messianism; Peace; Prophecies; Qayyumul-Asma (book); Quran; Qá'im; Shia Islam (Shiism); Suriy-i-Muluk (Surih to the Kings); Tablets to kings and rulers; Twelfth Imam; Unity

The Meta-Narrative of Peasant Religious Conversion: A Case Study of the Baha'i Community In Thailand - Nurish,Amanah (En Arche: Indonesian Journal of Inter-Religious Studies, 2015)
A study of why the peasant peoples of Yasothon, Thailand have turned to the Bahá'í Faith instead of the more common Buddhism; how local political movements and resistance develop among the poor working-class in agricultural areas.
En Arche is a journal published by the Student Council of Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies. Mirrored from academia.edu.
Keywords: Buddhism; Conversion; Thailand

The Mi'ráj in Select Shaykhí, Bábí, and Bahá'í Texts - Quinn,Sholeh A. (Religions, 2023)
The ascension of the Prophet Muhammad to heaven, and commentary on its meanings by religious leaders associated with the the Shaykhí, Bábí, and Bahá'í movements. Link to article (offsite).
Published in the Religions special issue "The Bahá'í Faith: Doctrinal and Historical Explorations," online at mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/3/397, where it is also available in HTML, XML, and epub formats.
Keywords: Alchemy; Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem; Concealment; Hájí Mulla Muhammad Karim Khan Kirmani; Illusions; Islam; Isra and Miraj; Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude); Knowledge; Magic; Manifestations of God, Gradual disclosure of; Metaphysics; Muhammad (Prophet); Opposition; Physics; Polymaths; Quran; Science; Shaykhism; Tablet of the True Seeker; Taqiyyah (dissimulation); Theophany; Time

The Missing Dimension in the Built Environment: A Challenge for the 21st Century - Zrudlo,Leo R. (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 1990)
There is a missing dimension in the built environment -- architecture is unable to satisfy the emotional and aesthetic needs of people. But architects disagree about how to rectify the situation. A spiritual aspect is needed.
Mirrored with permission from the Journal of Bahá'í Studies past issues archive.
Keywords: 21st century; Architecture; Built environment and urban planning; Cities

The Missing Moral Dimension - Sahadevan,Suresh (Singapore Baha'i Studies Review, 1999)
Today's social and economic policies are materially efficient and technically sound, but something vital is missing: graciousness within and between individuals. It may not directly result in revenue or productivity, but is crucial in the long run.
See the table of contents, editor's note, and biographical data in the complete issue, vol. 4.
Keywords: Business; Economics; Ethics; Graciousness; Morality

The Mission of the Báb: Retrospective 1844-1994 - Martin,Douglas (Baha'i World, 1996)
The revelation of the Báb in the context of its impact on the Western writers of the period and its subsequent influence.
Mirrored from bahaiworld.bahai.org (includes illustrations), where this article is also available as HTML.
Keywords: 1844; 1994; Appreciations; Báb, Station of; Báb, Teachings of; Báb, The; Báb, Writings of; Douglas Martin; Introductory; Iran (documents); Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book); Laws

The Mizán of Affect in Material v. Metaphysical Models of Human Consciousness - Hatcher,John S. (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2023)
Though Bahá'í teachings hold that the soul progresses after the body ceases to exist, the physical brain is essential to our development; emotional processing requires a healthy brain; the brain-as-transceiver model can help treat affective disorders.
Mirrored from journal.bahaistudies.ca. See also the complete issue [PDF].
Keywords: Alcohol; Balance; Brain; Death; Depression; Drugs; Emotions; Ethics; Gambling; God; God, Knowledge of; He who knoweth his self knoweth his Lord (Hadith); Health and healing; Knowledge; Life after death (afterlife); Mental health; Mind; Morality; Mythology; Philosophy; Prayer; Psychology; Purpose of life; Radiant acquiescence; Science; Self; Self-knowledge; Soul; Tests and difficulties

The Modes and Intentions of Biography - Hassall,Graham (Baha'i Studies Review, 2008)
A look at the individual in the context of the community, through the different lenses of documentary, hagiological, and critical modes of biography.
Mirrored with permission from academia.edu.

The Mystery of Consciousness: Learning from Neuroscience and Insights from Bahá'í Sacred Writings - Khodadad,Jena Khadem (Lights of Irfan, 2019)
On the neural basis of consciousness; the concepts of mind and soul as presented in the Bahá’í writings; whether consciousness may continue after the death of the brain; and if explanations lie in quantum mechanics.
Mirrored with permission from http://irfancolloquia.org/u/khodadad_consciousness.
Keywords: Consciousness; Life after death (afterlife); Mind; Philosophy; Soul

The Mystery of Divinity: A Comparison of Traditional Views of Divinity to Those in Some Answered Questions - Thomas,James B. (Lights of Irfan, 2011)
A new paradigm of spiritual evolution, and a possible platform for philosophical dissertation regarding religious influence on secular matters in the modern world.
Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/95/thomas_divinity.
Keywords: Divinity; Philosophy; Some Answered Questions (book)

The Mystic Cup: Essential Mystical Nature of the Bahá'í Faith - Jones,LeRoy (Lights of Irfan, 2001)
Although the Bahá’í Faith is fundamentally mystic in character, American Bahá’ís often do not even understand what  mysticism is. Heart-centered mystic oneness is crucial in individual, societal, and adminstrative spiritual transformation.
See also Jones' related pilgrim's notes. Presented as a homework assignment for the Wilmette Institute's "Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh" Course, year one, 03/1998. Later delivered to the Irfan Colloquia and then published in Lights of Irfan 2. Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #32, Bosch Bahá'í School California (November 23-6, 2000). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/32/jones_mystic.
Keywords: Heart; Irfán Colloquia; Mysticism; Spiritualization; Transformation; Unity

The Mystic Journey of the Soul - Zaman,Gul Afroz (Singapore Baha'i Studies Review, 1998)
On the journey a soul must make to attain union with the Eternal from the confines of material life on earth; Christian and Sufi esoteric traditions vs. Bahá'í mysticism; the central theme of attaining a "Heavenly Homeland" and closeness with the Creator.
See the table of contents, editor's note, and biographical data in the complete issue, vol. 3.
Keywords: Christianity; Dualism; God; Haft Vádí (Seven Valleys); Interfaith dialogue; Monism; Mysticism; Soul; Sufism

The Mystical Dimensions of the Bahá'í Administrative Order - Milani,Kavian Sadeghzade (Lights of Irfan, 2002)
The Bahá'i Administrative Order can be seen as a mystical entity, and there are some parallels between it and Sufism. For Bahá'is the encounter with the Administrative Order is critical to the mystical path.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #36, London (July 13-15, 2001). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/36/milani_mystical.
Keywords: Administrative Order; Appointed arm; Irfán Colloquia; Laws; Mysticism; Nineteen Day Feast; Pen; Rulers and learned; Theosophy

The Navajo Tradition: Transition to the Bahá'í Faith - Covey,Linda S. (Images, imaginations, and beyond: proceedings of the 8th Native American Symposium, November 2009, 2010)
Examines three reasons behind the conversion of some Navajo to Bahá'í in the early 1960s: fulfillment of prophecy, cultural empowerment and autonomy, and protection of traditional practices.
This document is online at se.edu/nas/publications.
Keywords: 1960s; Conversion; Cultural diversity; Indigenous people; Native Americans; Navajo people; Prophecies

The Need for an Integrative Conceptual Framework for Addressing Mental Health Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Jalalizadeh,Bayan (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2022)
Overview of the state of mental health and illness in the world during the Covid pandemic, summary of the prevailing frameworks and practices, and a potential framework which could guide a response to current mental health challenges.
Issue date 2021, published 2022 January. Mirrored from journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/article/view/297. See also the complete issue "Walking the Mystic Path with Practical Feet". [PDF]
Keywords: Covid-19 (Corona virus); Health and healing; Mental health; Psychology

The New morality: An outline - Schaefer,Udo (Baha'i Studies Review, 1995)
Proposal that Bahá'u'lláh's ethical teachings rest on metaphysical premises about God and humankind, specifically the teleological and the deontological.
Keywords: Ethics; God; Philosophy; Udo Schaefer; Virtues

"The Newly born babe of that Day": Mysticism in the Age of the Maturity of Humankind - Savi,Julio (Lights of Irfan, 2006)
The dynamic historical processes impacting mysticism. As the Bahá'í Revelation is the revelation of the maturity of humankind, it is free from certain flaws that in the past implied an early development of certain spiritually unacceptable behaviors.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #62, Centre for Bahá'í Studies, Acuto, Italy (July 8-12, 2005). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/62/savi_mysticism.
Keywords: Irfán Colloquia; Maturity of humanity; Mysticism; Philosophy

The Next Stage - Martin,Douglas (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2013)
Bahá'í scholars find themselves at a stage in the Faith’s development where they must construct a discourse that is free of "haughty intellectualism." The Association for Bahá’í Studies can help promote the Bahá'í cause to institutions of higher learning.
Mirrored from journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/article/view/392. See also original scan.
Keywords: Bahá'í Faith, Evolutionary nature of; Bahá'í Studies, Associations for; Bahá'í studies; Culture, Western; Decline and renewal of religion; Equality; Ethics; Growth; Human rights; Independent investigation of truth; Institute process; Integration and disintegration; Intellectualism; Manifestations of God; Materialism; Morality; Persecution; Persecution, Iran; Prejudice; Priesthood; Progressive revelation; Public discourse (discourses of society); Scholarship; Science; Social change; Statistics; Transformation; United Nations; Unity; Unity in diversity; Universities; Women

The Old Churches and the New World-Faith - Townshend,George (National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í of the British Isles, 1949)
Pamphlet publication of Townshend's letter of renunciation of the Anglican Church and proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh.
In 1947, at the age of 70, Townshend renounced his orders to the Anglican Church and wrote a pamphlet to all Christians under the title "The Old Churches and the New World Faith" that was sent out to 10,000 so-called "responsible people" in the British Isles on the occasion of this resignation. (Bahá'í World, Vol. XIII, p. 841) The PDF below is generated from an updated Microsoft Word document, prepared by Mike Thomas (2022; transcription errors corrected, quotes properly spaced, translations updated, footnotes added to quotes, and bibliography added). See also scan of original (without footnotes).
Keywords: Christianity; Decline and renewal of religion; George Townshend; Integration and disintegration; Interfaith dialogue; Ireland; Proclamation; Prophecies; Return; Secularism; Tablets to kings and rulers; United Kingdom

The Opening of the Academic Mind: The Challenges Facing a Culture in Crisis - Bushrui,Suheil Badi (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2004)
Perspective on the state of the academy: reforms essential to the progress and development of society: the central place of teaching in the curriculum; humility in place of intellectual arrogance; abrogating the practice of "publish or perish."

The Paradox of Protest in a Culture of Contest - Karlberg,Michael (Peace and Change, 2003)
In our culture, political and legal institutions are structured as contests and reform is characterized as protest. This leads to injustice and unsustainability. Bahá'í models of elections and decision-making offer a practical alternative.
Mirrored with permission from author's website, myweb.wwu.edu [archive.org]
Keywords: Administration; Change; Consultation; Contest; Culture, Western; Elections; Environment; Injustice; Justice; Laws; Materialism; Philosophy; Politics; Protest; Reform; Transformation

The Paranoid Style in Iranian Politics - Abrahamian,Ervand (Khomeinism: Essays on the Islamic Republic, 1993)
A seminal essay which mentions contemporary Iranian attitudes toward the Bahá'ís. Includes three other mentions of the Bahá'í Faith elsewhere in the book in which this essay was first published.
The essay was originally written as a single chapter in a book published in 1993, and reprinted as a stand-alone article, with permission of author, at www.pbs.org in 2009. The other excerpts were scanned separately.
Keywords: Iran (documents); Iran, General history; Opposition; Persecution; Persecution, Iran; Persecution, Other

The Path of Beauty: The Literary Life of Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum - Hutchison,Sandra Lynn (World Order, 1999)
An extensive review of the varied literary works of Ruhiyyih Khanum – poems, plays, ethical guidance, practical guidelines for Baha’i pioneering and teaching, inspirational essays, literary and scriptural commentary, biography, and even a film script.
An article on Ruhiyyih Khanum's literary work, based on an interview. It appeared in the memorial issue of World Order devoted to her after her passing. Also online at bahai.works.
Keywords: Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum; Arts and crafts; Biography; Custodians; Death; Drama; Indigenous people; Interviews; Meditation; Native Americans; Poetry; Prayer; Shoghi Effendi; Shoghi Effendi, Passing of; Teaching; Writing

The Path of God - Klebel,Wolfgang A. (Lights of Irfan, 2010)
A comparison of the 'Global Ethic' (Hans Küng) with the Bahá'í Faith. The core ethical principles found in all religions are the most likely first step towards the unification of all religions: an inspiration for Unity in Diversity.
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #88, Bosch Bahá'í School, California (May 28-31, 2009). Mirrored with permission from irfancolloquia.org/88/klebel_path.
Keywords: Ethics; Hans Kung; Interfaith dialogue; Irfán Colloquia; Parliament of the World's Religions; Remover of Difficulties (invocation); Unity; Unity of religion

The Permanence of Change: Contemporary Sociological and Bahá'í Perspectives - Mahmoudi,Hoda (Journal of Baha'i Studies, 2008)
Sociohistorical changes of the Axial Age and the Renaissance, sociological views on modernity and its contemporary challenges, and key features of modernity as identified in the Bahá’í writings as "the universal awakening of historical consciousness."
Mirrored with permission from journal.bahaistudies.ca.
Keywords: Advancement of civilization; Axial Age; Buddhism; Century of Light (book); Change; Christianity; Civilization; Confucianism; Enlightenment, Age of; Hinduism; Historical consciousness; History (general); Jainism; Judaism; Manichaeism; Materialism; Modernity; One Common Faith (commentary); Philosophy; Reform; Reformation (Christianity); Renaissance; Secret of Divine Civilization (book); Sociology; Zoroastrianism

The Persian Bayan and the Shaping of the Babi Renewal - Amanat,Abbas (Religious Texts in Iranian Languages, 2007)
On the Bábí Faith as a product of the religious environment of Shi'i Iran, including its esoteric culture and apocalyptic vision; the Bayán as a form of discourse; and how the Bayán marked a break with Islam.
From the proceedings of a symposium held at Copenhagen University, May 2002. Posted by publisher; full book is online at royalacademy.dk. PDF below created from a Microsoft Word version prepared by M. Thomas (2022).
Keywords: Bayan-i-Farsi (Persian Bayan); Bábí history; Iran (documents); Islam

The Persian Rival to Jesus, and His American Disciples - Richardson,Robert P. (The Open Court, 1915)
History and teachings of the Bábi and Bahá'í religions and contemporary American disagreements, from an unsympathetic outsider's perspective. Followed by three letters-to-the-editor from three subsequent issues.
Many of this author's erroneous statements about the Bahá'í Faith were first corrected ten years earlier in this same journal by Arthur Pillsbury Dodge, and in a subsequent issue by I.G. Kheiralla. Followed by three letters to Open Court, at end. This document is also online in a variety of formats at archive.org.
Keywords: Criticism and apologetics; Opposition; United States (documents)