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Sheppherd introduces us to the origins and history of the Baha'i religion since its foundation by Baha'u'llah in Persia at the beginning of the 19th-century. Elements of the Baha'i Faith presents a clear and succinct introduction to the origins, teachings and practices of the Baha'i faith as well as explains its relationship with other faiths. Line illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very informative book for seekers of the Baha'iFaith
This is the best book I have found to accurately explain the Baha'iFaith and it's beliefs. It is personable and basic enough for someone who has never heard of the Faith to understand the message of Baha'u'llah, yet canbe of interest to those who have been Baha'i for a long time. Thehistorical information helps the reader to understand the time period ofthe birth of this Faith. ... Read more

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As a young man, Edward Granville Browne, who was to become an eminent orientalist and Professor of Arabic at Cambridge University, encountered this rising Faith and was impelled to investigate its history and doctrine. Unfortunately, through various causes which Mr Balyuzi explores, Professor Browne did not rightly judge all that he observed. Mr Balyuzi confronts this problem directly and, with scholarship and first-hand knowledge, addresses himself to each of Browne's writings on the subject. The result is a book of enduring importance and interest, which is essential to all who seek authentic sources for the study of the Bahá'í Faith. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

I'm a Baha'i and I'm glad I read this book when I was learning about the Faith
I'll start by letting you know my bias (we all have them). I am a Baha'i. I first read this book when I was learning about the Faith, and I'm glad I read it. I've actually encouraged many others to read it, even though I think it is inaccurate in many ways.
Here's why.

I agree with the view that this book presents an inaccurate and obviously opposing view to the Baha'i Faith. But in the Baha'i scriptures we are told that through the clash of differing opinions the spark of truth emerges. I read this book when I was not yet a Baha'i, but I had already read many Baha'i books. For me, I wanted to see what the opponents of the Faith were saying. That way I could investigate further information that might have been hidden from me so I could decide fully. This book helped with that. The author was obviously fervently opposed to the Baha'i Faith. If anyone was going to dig up and flaunt terrible stuff, it would be him.

Miller describes some historical events, with his obvious bias to discredit the Faith. Because I had already read a lot, I wasn't actually surprised by the events described - I just knew he got a few critical details wrong. For example, there were some who were members of the Faith who broke away and became "covenant breakers". Miller treats them as if they were Baha'is, which is seriously misleading. (Would Christians want Christianity judged by the actions of Judas?) These individuals did terrible things - including murder. Their actions resulted in a small number of Baha'is (not the leaders) turning away from Baha'u'llah's explicit teachings, and doing some nasty things in return. Baha'u'llah said his enemies could not harm him, only his friends, and this is true. But if one evaluates the historical claims that Miller makes and actually compares to other sources, the more complete story that I concluded was that the horrible actions that Miller ascribed to Baha'is were done by the "covenant breakers" or by one or two Baha'is who disobeyed Baha'u'llah in anger. Hardly something to discredit a Faith over.

But you see, I was glad to find this. Then I could evaluate for myself. It also assured me that if Miller couldn't find anything else, then there really weren't any nasty secret stories I should be worried about. I got to evaluate them, compare to other sources, and see with my own eyes and judge for myself.

The rest of the book is used to try to discredit the teachings of Baha'u'llah. He certainly doesn't try to emphasize the central teachings of the Faith or explain as Baha'u'llah himself does why certain teachings are given. He tries to discredit them, often out of context. But I was glad for that. I wanted to find out what I might have missed in my reading. For example, he argued how silly the idea of a universal language was. Frankly, I could see the value of that. For every teaching he disagreed with, reading the Baha'i view and Miller's I sided on the Baha'is. But it built my confidence this Faith was true to see this was the strongest arguments an enemy of the Faith could muster.

We all have a tendency to read things that agree with our current biases, and ignore things that don't. Before I made as serious a decision as to become a member of a Faith, I wanted to make sure I challenged myself. In the same way, I would encourage those who oppose the Faith (and are happy to read Miller's book) to also read books written by Baha'u'llah or his followers.

I read this book before I was a Baha'i, and it was the most influential book for me becoming a Baha'i. So I respectfully disagree with some of my fellow believers, and am quite glad this book is available. And the nice thing about being a Baha'i is we are allowed to disagree. It is a lousy book to read as a first introduction, because it misrepresents many things. But I would definitely encourage a serious seeker to consider reading it as part of their quest.

T

Polemic disguised as objective investigation
When I was a university student, I stumbled upon a copy of Rev. Miller's book, and after perusing a few sections, the purely polemical nature of his work became obvious. It quickly became apparent that Miller completely ignored the primary sources of the Baha'i Faith -- its sacred texts -- and instead relied on Middle-Eastern anti-Baha'i polemical material for his information.From my memory of that perusal, Miller repeatedly and completely misrepresented Baha'i teachings and theology. In one particular case, he stated that Baha'is had no definite belief in or concept of God: if a Baha'i was a convert from a monotheistic background, he/she was a monotheist; if he/she was from a Buddhist or Hindu background, he/she was a polytheist.Aside from making a simplistic generalization about these latter two religions, Miller obviously either never read or completely ignored Baha'u'llah's most important texts, especially "The Kitab-i-Iqan: TheBook of Certitude," where Baha'u'llah clearly and unequivocally asserts the oneness and utter transcendence of God. Such a glaring "inconsistency" bespeaks either a shocking lack of understanding of scholarly principles and practices, or a willingness to go to any lengths to besmirch the character of a religion which he obviously regarded as inimical to his religious views.

I later learned that Miller had done mission work in Iran, and he and his fellow missionaries had at first regarded the Iranian Baha'is as likely converts to Christianity and as a subsequent inroad to spreading the Gospel to the rest of the Islamic world. They entertained such a view because the Baha'is would happily accept copies of the Bible from the missionaries and actually read them, and then proceed to dialogue with the missionaries. But over time the missionaries realized to their disappointment that the Baha'is were not only NOT converting to Christianity, they used their exploration of the Bible to cogently present Baha'i interpretations and teachings to their would-be converters. In later years, the disappointment of Miller and his fellow missionaries turned to alarm as they realized that the Baha'is were winning converts in Europe and North America. Hence, Miller and others proceeded to warn fellow Westerners about the dangers of this Iranian "cult" by writing and publishing their own openly anti-Baha'i polemical tracts. But when the fruitlessness of this approach became obvious, Miller and others turned to producing putatively impartial, scholarly texts ostensibly to explore whether the Baha'i Faith was deserving of being considered a world religion; their ultimate judgment was always in the negative

In short, Miller's putative history of the Baha'i Faith is, in fact, a thinly disguised piece of propaganda. There are far better sources, both Baha'i and non-Baha'i, that a person interested in the history and teachings of this religion could examine and profit from; reading Miller's polemics is of value only to those who seek to reaffirm their own preconceptions and prejudices.

Well researched and illuminating book
This book is a breath of fresh air. There are millions of adherents to the Bahai Faith. Mr. Miller provides insight and primary sources giving the reader information about the history of the Baha'i Faith. Where the official and authorized Baha'i histories are sanitized and revised.

Mr. Miller, who lived for years in Iran and fluent in Parsi, provides access to the westerner into events occurring during the early years of this world religion. The reader learns about the initial prophetic voices of the Bab and Baha'u'llah and the followers that founded the Bahai Faith after their deaths.

The author explains the transformational shifts and unbelievable history of the Baha'is. Why did the early writings appear to be create a "society" or "philosophy" and later suddenly the community was touted as a "world religion"?Why are there are 7 Baha'i sects?Each exodus occurring when internal power struggles resulted in a few achieving greater control. Why do Baha'is work so hard to control their memberships contacts and reading material? Why do Baha'is shun those who leave, considering anyone not fully supportive of the Baha'i religion "spiritual poison?" After reading this book it should be clear to the reader.

Due to the historical accuracy of the book's facts and the author's position as a Protestant Missionary to an Islamic country, not all readers will be satisfied. Some will be offended those most likely the adherents who don't want the truth to come to light. Some will be offended because the author was a Protestant Missionary. Nevertheless, any serious student of world religions will be grateful to have his contributions on record to the history of the Baha'is.

INTERESTING TO SAY THE LEAST!
As a Christian myself, I originally got this book to further understand the false foundations of the Baha'i faith since I had a friend who was such. Thus, I echo the sentiments of others about Miller and the time he devoted in the Middle East. As with any piece of literature, please keep an open mind while reading this book and do your own research to understand and prepare for those of other religions who agree and disagree with your faith.

History as history
This is obviously a controversial book, but as a history book it should be examined as such. It is not enough to point out that the Author was not himself a Bahai, is his account true? That is the genetic fallacy. It is not enough to say that his sources were not Bahai, are their accounts true? That too is the genetic fallacy. It is not enough to say that this book disagrees with much of contemporary Bahai thought, is it true? That is the majority fallacy.

Over the question of "What is truth?" many will back up and become quite agnostic pretending that history is just a retelling of "he said, she said" perspectives. But Miller has taken steps to show that he is presenting a faithful history regardless of who he agrees with or how much/little the contemporary Bahai faith accepts it. Miller reveals, from Babi sources, incriminating evidence that shows the Babi's and the Baha'i's were more violent than some histories admit. Such an admission would be what is called "proof from embarassment." Why would Babis admit the embarassing information that they committed aggressive acts of violence attempting to forcefully advance a Babi state and that they made attempts at the Baha'u'llah's life IF they only acted in Self-defense as is asserted of them by contemporary Baha'is? The later Baha'i account of the Babis is more favorable than even the early Babi account where there were first-hand and eye-witnesses reporting those events. Moreover, Miller has cited extensively from early sources showing that he rightly favors early accounts not just because they are early (that would be the historical fallacy) but because they represent perspectives closer to the events themselves. In view of the Baha'i doctrine of progressive revelation, it is valid to seek a view from the prior dispensation since a new religious epoch might not have the fullest appreciation of the limitations of a previous dispensation. Furthermore, the sheer magnitude of his referencing shows a genuine concern with factuality. Perhaps Miller knew that his History would be contentiously challenged and would need extensive referencing if its unpopular claims were going to be considered at all.

To reiterate, it is logically fallacious to disregard this book simply because the author and his sources are "biased." Baised does not mean false. To argue from bias is invalid for that would equally disqualify the plaintiff since, if this book was right, historians who favor the later Babi faith or the Baha'i faith could not be trusted to faithfully report the early Babi history and the "true" succession of leadership from the Bab to Subh-i-Azal. Some of the best histories today of the Holocaust of WWII are written by biased persons, Jews, who experienced the horrors of work camps. To be "bias" does not necessarily mean to be "false."

Miller may be challenged on theological grounds, which is perfectly legitimate since this book certainly has theological implications if its historical assertions are true. But in terms of presenting a faithful history, those who speak against it have a stiff challenge to answer since Miller has done so much to present a scholarly (not just an agreeable, popular, or regurgitated) history. ... Read more

Product Description
The God of Bahá u lláh
Moojan Momen

Seeing Double: The Covenant and the Tablet of Ahmad
Todd Lawson

The Sufi Stages of the Soul in Bahá u lláh s The Seven Valleys and The Four Valleys
Julio Savi

The Bahá í Faith and Higher Biblical Criticism
Robert Stockman

African Traditional Religion A Bahá í View
Akwasi O. Osei

African Traditional Religion and the Bahá í Faith
Enoch Tanyi

Monotheistic Religion in Africa: The Example of the Swazi People
Margaret and Crispin Pemberton-Pigott

The Bahá í Approach to Other Religions: The Example of Buddhism
Moojan Momen

Common Teachings in Chinese Culture and the Bahá í Faith From Material Civilization to Spiritual Civilization
Albert K. Cheung

The New Age Phenomenon and the Bahá í Faith
Zaid Lundberg

The Báb s Epistle on the Spiritual Journey towards God
Todd Lawson ... Read more

Product Description
As the title indicates, Divine Journey: Exploring the Baha'i Faith, takes one on a guided tour of the Baha'i Faith and its teachings. While not intended to proselytize (Baha'is are strictly forbidden to do so) it seeks to gently share with those who are interested in learning about the Baha'i Faith what it means to be a Baha'i and to live a Baha'i life via an exploration of some of the central teachings of that religion on love, peace, world unity, the purpose of life, life after death, and race unity and the elimination of prejudice. The book explores the implications and applications of the teachings of the Baha'i Faith and how they relate to the individual on a personal level and to society and the world on a global level, while examining the reciprocal relationship between them.Permeating the book is the cardinal teaching of the Baha'i Faith, that being the essential oneness of humanity and our spiritual transformation as lovers of the diversity that beautifies our human family. It is the ultimate aim of the book to illustrate that, to be true, this spiritual transformation must manifest itself in loving fellowship and service to humanity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Hensen's Divine Journey
Hensen has written an topical account of the Baha'i Faith by devoting a chapter each to such major concepts such as peace, love, morality, and the afterlife.It is well done -- and notable for its excellent appendices, particularly the comprehensive bibliography of Baha'i literature. ... Read more

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This startling and original interpretation of Bible prophecy argues persuasively that three divine calls have been made since the advent of Christall clearly foretold in the promises found in the Christian Holy Books. The readers attention is brought again and again to repeated references to the number three in the New Testament, referring to the warnings and judgments of God. The Revelations of Muhammad, the Bab, and Bahaullah give meaning to these words.

The author quotes extensively from the Bible and from the Bahai Sacred Texts. This is a serious and scholarly book, a must read for any student of Bible prophecy. ... Read more

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Auguste Forel's acceptance of the Baha'i Faith
An interesting short account of the life of this eminent, world-renowned psychiatrist, entomologist, anatomist, social reformer and peace-reformer, Auguste Forel, born in 1848 on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland.

This account of Forel's life was first written on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Forel's passing (1981).

Throughout his life Forel tried to understand religion, free from dogma and superstition, for he considered that true religion should be for the social good of all mankind.He deplored the fact that there was so much superstition in organized religion.All his life he had believed in the things that Baha'u'llah, founder of the Baha'i Faith, had taught, without realising the source.It was in the last 10 years of his life that he first came across the Baha'i Faith and from then on he wholeheartedly supported it for he recognized it as being the "church of tomorrow".He considered the Baha'i Faith to be the true religion of human social good without dogmas or priests, uniting all men on this small terrestrial globe.In a codicil to his will in 1921 he wrote: "I have become a Baha'i.May this religion live and prosper for the good of mankind;this is my most ardent wish."

On first hearing of the Baha'i Faith Forel corresponded with Abdu'l-Baha, the son of Baha'u'llah, and in reply 'Abdu'l-Baha wrote to him one of the most weighty letters ever written on the subject of philosophy.If ever there was any doubt in academic circles that Auguste Forel was a Baha'i, this study confirms the fact. ... Read more

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I BEHELD A MAIDEN . . . :The Bahá'í Faith and the Life of the Spirit

By Terry Culhane

A fresh, new look at the Bahá'í Faith!      Bahá'u'lláh tells us that the first words of the Revelation were spoken to him by a woman: "Turning My face, I beheld a Maiden--the embodiment of the remembrance of the name of My Lord . . ."  This Maiden rejoiced his soul and informed him of his Mission.      And so, Terry Culhane goes in search of the Divine Feminine in the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh. He finds that the whole body of Writings can be read as a conversation between a Lover (Bahá'u'lláh) and his Beloved (the Maiden). This love and mystery must stand at the heart of Bahá'í identity and Bahá'í community life. Sharing his own spiritual journey, Culhane offers an insightful and fascinating reconsideration of the most basic Bahá'í teachings seen in light of the mystical core at the center of all religion. His discoveries are startling and exciting! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Questions from Chriistians
Simply one of the best books I have ever opened. A must read for everyone who is seeking for God in this day and age. ... Read more