The Bahāʾī Faith (original) (raw)

Bahá’í Faith: The Basics (Review by Jack McLean, Jan. 2021)

2021

Jack McLean, “Baha’i Faith: The Basics by Christopher Buck: Review (2020).” Published online (January 15, 2021). Excerpts: One outstanding feature of this book for either Bahá’ís or non-Bahá’ís is its contemporary relevance. Even well-informed readers could not possibly be fully aware of the overview presented by Buck of all the multifarious activities taking place in the Bahá’í world community. … Buck’s treatment of the material is throughout well-researched, and rich in the detail that an alert reader expects. In sum, despite its unpretentious title, this book is more than the Basics of the Bahá’í Faith. It not only covers well the religion’s early history, three central holy figures, spiritual and social teachings and organization, but also it presents a complete contemporary picture of the remarkably diverse economic, social, and spiritual activities that are being planned and executed by the Bahá’í community in all countries of the world.

“Baha’i: History, Beliefs, Practices” and “Baha’i: Theological Exchanges, Current Issues” (2014)

THE "BAHA'I FAITH": A "WORLD RELIGION"? — OR A "NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT"? A Case of Changing Classifications The Publication: Christopher Buck, “Baha’i: History, Beliefs, Practices” and “Baha’i: Theological Exchanges, Current Issues.” Handbook of Religion: A Christian Engagement with Traditions, Teachings, and Practices. Edited by Terry C. Muck, Harold A. Netland, and Gerald R. McDermott. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2014. Pp. 714–719; 720–724. The Controversy: As originally planned, the Baha'i Faith was supposed to be featured as the last of the "world religions" in “Part 2: World Religions,” as chapters 26 through 29. I was asked by the lead editor, Terry C. Muck, to contribute these four chapters, which I did. The working relationship between editor and author was collegial and productive. Shortly before this multi-author volume went to press, however, there was in-house opposition (i.e. in the "Baker Academic" publishing house, a Christian press) to including the Baha'i Faith as a "world religion." The excuse given was that the Baha'i Faith did not fit the following definition of a "world religion": "Today we commonly call the religions that emerged from the Axial Age world religions. World religions have three distinguishing characteristics. They are old, large, and cross-cultural.” (p. 44) So the chapters on the Baha’i Faith (which the editors insisted on referring to as simply "Baha'i") were reduced from four essays to two, and were shortened in length as well. Instead of appearing in the “World Religions” section as first intended, the two published essays were placed as the final two essays in “Part 4: New Religious Movements.” The two chapters uploaded here were created to correspond as faithfully as possible to the published version, by reproducing text, format, and pagination. This is seen as preferable to posting scans of the two essays themselves, as the author does not have an eBook version of this multi-author volume. Research Interests: Religion, New Religious Movements, Comparative Religion, History, Sociology, and 14 more https://www.academia.edu/36192935/\_Baha\_i\_History\_Beliefs\_Practices\_and\_Baha\_i\_Theological\_Exchanges\_Current\_Issues\_2014