Customer Reviews

The Baha'I Faith : The Emerging Global Religion

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have been a Baha'i for fourteen years and this is the absolute best book I have ever read in my entire life. It explains the Baha'i Faith in a clear and simple way that is interesting and makes you want to turn every page. You'll learn about The Bab, or Gate, who proclaimed the faith and the tortue and suffering he went through...this book is dedicated to those who gave up their life for the faith. Inside this book you'll see so many beatiful quotes. You'll also learn about Baha'u'llah, God's latest (not last) messanger. Here's a quote my friend told me that is about Baha'u'llah. This quote is by Abdul-Baha, Baha'u'llah's son:

"The blessings of Baha'u'llah are a shoreless sea, and even life everlasting is only a dewdrop therefrom. The waves of that sea are continually lapping against the hearts of the friends, and from those waves there come intimations of the spirit and ardent pulsings of the soul, until the heart giveth way, and willing or not, turneth humbly in prayer unto the Lord. Wherefore do all ye can to disengage your inner selves, that ye may at every moment reflect new speldours from the Sun of Truth."

If you want to learn more about this faith and want more quotes, email me at SKhalifaJeff@aol.com

This book, written by William S. Hatcher and J. Douglas Martin, offers an overview of the Baha'i faith and then focuses on it role as an emerging global religion. It has served as a core secondary source for a research paper I am writing and has been the most relevant to the thesis of my paper. It has been especially helpful because it spends several chapters talking about the world order of the Baha'i faith as well as the community it creates. This book has an extensive bibliography which provides sources on where the information for this book came from. William S. Hatcher and J. Douglas Martin are Baha'i believers who have published under the Baha'i Publishing Trust. The publishing institution lends credibility to the work and supports the strength of the authors' understanding as believers. Published in 2002, this book provides a recent perspective on the Baha'i faith that is aimed at intellectuals striving to understand the basics of the Baha'i faith. Although it is a scholarly work, it does provide a standard overview that can be understood by anyone trying to find out more about this faith. To better understand the book, you should know that it has ten chapters that span the historical background of the faith, the teachings and delve into an understanding of the Baha'i faith as a world order. A great addition to this book are the introduction, epilogue, and the index. The index is especially helpful during research! This book is a wonderful research tool and is also helpful to anyone trying to find out more about the Baha'i faith.

This book is an excellent book to use in comparative religions courses as an introduction to the Bahå'i Faith. When can we hope to see it back in print?

In just one hundred fifty years, the Baha'i faith has become the world's second largest independent religion. "The Baha'i Faith: The Emerging Global Religion" is an all-purpose guide to the religion, covering its history, beliefs, and community. Named by the Encyclopedia Britannica as a book of understanding and knowledge, and it covers all of the recent developments of the Baha'i faith and everything one would need or want to know about them. "The Baha'i Faith: The Emerging Global Religion" is highly recommended to all scholars or non-specialist general interest readers who seek a more complete understanding of the Baha'i faith and everything about it

This is a great introductory book for beginners or people interested in faith. It covers all the areas of spiritual and social aspects in a brief understandable way. Any one interested in contemporary yet globally encompassing religion will find it an easy read for quick review.

The Baha'i Faith is the newest religion on the block and like the others, has its own independant book and founder. The faith emerged out of Persian in the 19th century. Just as Jesus (Christ)was a Jew who founded Christianity, Siddartha (Buddha) a Hindu who founded Buddhism, Mirza Huysan Ali (Baha'u'llah) was a Muslin who found Baha'i. Whether you agree with the concept or not the Baha'i Faith has grown in just under 200 years into a worldwide community of 6 million believers beyond the borders of Persia. However, the faith is not without controvery since Baha'i still faith persecution in Iran.

I do believe that anyone who investigates the Baha'i Faith be very versed in the theology of their original faith whatever it is. Faith is complex and religion complicated. Theology is your spiritual foundation as is what is in your heart. In my life, once a Catholic always a Catholic, but a healthy respect for other religions is a positive thing when one considers the Christian virtues taught by Jesus. If you think the buck stops with Jesus it does not give you license to persecute those who follow other world soul teachers. It is between them and God.

When this book came out in '85, it so affected me I did something I've never done with any full-length book: I copied down in a notebook nearly the entire book in longhand--and I wouldn't write it down unless I agreed with EVERYTHING the authors said. Why I give it 4 stars is the circa 2% I left blanks in the notebook for yet to this day remain blank--I could agree with most of what they said at those points, but not everything. Yet these ~2% concern major, crucial areas no matter how few lines in the book they cover.

I found this book to be a strange blending of all major religions into Bahai, while it deftly eliminates all the points of these religions that clash with each other. It shows that Bahai has a mission, to unite all nations into one world, and it seems that the Bahai faith is the 'tool' for that union.

It is well written, has the poetic language of many Middle-Eastern religious writings, does not attack anyone, and it will be able to attract people who are not really familiar with the doctrines of their own faith. It is -in my opinion-the ultimate in manufactured religion.