This is the first collection of scholarly essays on the history of the Bahá'í Faith to be published as a book. Included are the works of five scholars who have conducted original research on specific aspects of the Bábí and Bahá'í religions.Two essays are concerned with Bahá'í history in Iran. Denis MacEoin's provocative paper traces the first years of interaction and conflict between the Shaykhí School and the emerging Bábí Movement. Moojan Momen provides a fascinating account of the relations of Christian missionaries in Iran with Bábís and Bahá'ís. The three remaining essays discuss American Bahá'í history. Peter Smith's comprehensive survey of the American community from 1894 to 1917 adds substantially to our knowledge of that period. William Collins offers an in-depth study of the Bahá'ís of Kenosha, Wisconsin, where one of the first Bahá'í communities was established. Finally, Loni Bramson-Lerche examines the development of Bahá'í administrative procedures from 1922 to 1936.This is the first volume in the Studies Series and remains a classic work of Bahá'í history. It is a basic text for any study of the history of the Bahá'í Faith.Comments about the series include: "The series demonstrates both that a critical mass of young scholars interested in these movements have formed & that the Baha'i community in the U.S. can now support academic books on the religion."--(British Society for Middle Eastern Studies Bulletin). "...much more work needs to be done on Baha'i history in Iran...that process is now underway & this collection carries it further."--(Middle East Journal). "There is...a mass of information here that could be used in more comparative or theoretically-oriented studies ..."--(Iranian Studies). "... a fascinating volume which offers much new information on the development of a modern faith."--(Religious Studies Review). "This volume is well worth reading by anyone seriously interested in religion in modern Iran."--(British Society for Middle Eastern Studies Bulletin).

Growing out of the teachings of the B_b, who introduced the idea of the coming of a great prophet (the one promised in the scriptures of all the world's major religions), the Bah_'' Faith was founded by Bah_'u'll_h, when in 1866 he publicly declared that he was the One the B_b prophesized. The 2nd edition of the Historical Dictionary of the Bah_'' Faith presents a general historical overview of both B_b' and Bah_'' religions, as well as a theological overview of the Bah_'' Faith, from their inception in the mid 19th century to the middle of 2005. It presents biographical details of the Founders and Central Figures along with numerous leaders and pioneers, most of the basic principles and precepts, as well as aspects of its organization and administration. Through the use of photographs, a list of acronyms, a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on nearly every aspect of the religion, and appendixes listing the genealogy of the Founders, statistical information, and lists of apostles, disciples, Hands of the Cause, Knights of Bah_'u'll_h as well as of more than 930 believers who have contributed to its growth and development, this book is a fundamental tool for finding information on all things related to the Bah_'' Faith.

Globalisation has become a buzzword that typically refers to the intensifying integration of the world economy, especially as midwifed by technological advances. It also implies a growing political and cultural sense that all humanity is globally interdependent. There have always been individuals of course who have advocated such awareness, one of them being the founder of the Baha'i faith, who formulated a spiritual equivalent as the religion's central doctrine in the late 19th century: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Its emphasis on global unification made Baha'i an obvious candidate for a case study on new religions and globalisation. The chapters in this volume fall into two sections, diachronic and synchronic. The first part is organised chronologically, beginning with the emergence of the globalist tendency in the messianic vision of Babism, the precursor to Baha'i, and concluding with an analytic history of its leaders' changing attitudes to international politics. The second part considers a variety of global themes in contemporary Baha'i practice, including global thought in Baha'i writings, the impact of the internet, and the triumphalist and secular strains in Baha'i identity. Though five million members make it one of the world's most successful new religions, Baha'i has attracted little scholarly attention. Most of the academics concentrating on Baha'i have contributed to this volume, which will appeal not only to students of modern religious movements, but to anyone interested in the ways religions can adapt to - and embrace - the modern world.

In 1952, there were probably fewer than 200 Baha'is in all of Africa. Today the Baha'i community claims one million followers on the continent. Yet, the Baha'i presence in Africa has been all but ignored in academic studies up to now. This is the first monograph that addresses the establishment of this New Religious Movement in Africa. Discovering an African presence at the genesis of the religon in Iran, this study seeks to explain why the movement found an appeal in colonial Africa during the 1950s and early 1960. It also explores how the Baha'i faith was influenced and Africanized by its new converts. Finally, the book seeks to make sense of the diverse and contradictory American, Iranian, British, and African elements that established a new religion in Africa.

The religious movement known as Bābism profoundly affected Iranian society during the 1840s. After a lengthy hiatus, academic study of the sect has entered a new phase with the appearance of several important books, articles, and theses. The present work surveys Persian and Arabic manuscripts relating to the history and doctrines of the sect. Part one examines the writings of the Bāb and his followers. Part two analyses primary and secondary sources for Bābī history, with a discussion of the controversial Kitāb-i Nuqṭat al-kāf. Discussion of each title is followed by a comprehensive listing of known MS copies. An appendix contains an index of first lines and titles for works of the Bāb. This is the first study to examine the large corpus of Bābī writing and will help scholars identify texts and find manuscripts in Europe and the Middle East.

The Baha'i Faith in America sets out to accomplish two main goals. The first is to introduce to the American reading public a religion whose name may be commonly mentioned or heard, yet in terms of its unique history, world-view, beliefs, and laws, is virtually unknown. Such categories provide the essential material for Part I. The second objective, which is the uniting thread of Part II, is to trace the historical development of the American Baha'i community from its earliest beginnings at the end of the nineteenth century up until the present day. The chapters in this section not only peruse the major events and introduce the leading personalities associated with American Baha'i history, they also trace significant themes, motifs, and issues that have characterized the community over the decades. Examples include early Baha'i connections with both American millenialism and metaphysical esotericism, to more recent associations with the Civil Rights Movement and the 1960s youth counterculture. In addition, the book's final chapters take a close look at some of the more controversial issues that have characterized American Baha'i community life over the past few decades. Here issues ranging in content from disagreements over differing styles of propogation to the freedom of expression allowed to Baha'i scholars are examined. In the process, the work reveals a dynamic and highly idealistic faith that is attempting to offer a model of religious community that is compatible with the continuing process of globalization.