Baha’i Books

Book SynopsisThe Baha''i faith is one of the world''s youngest and fastest growing religions, but remains a mystery to many. In The Baha''i Faith in America, William Garlington presents an engaging and accessible overview of the Baha''i beliefs, laws, and organizational structure from its 19th century beginnings to the present day. Garlington focuses on the historical development of the Baha''i faith in the United States, analyzing the growth of the church and the involvement of the Baha''i faith in critical moments in US history, such as the Civil Rights Movement. William Garlington also takes a close look at contemporary issues facing the community, including the role of women in leadership, attitudes towards homosexuality and abortion, and how the Baha''i faith responds to other religions in America. The Baha''i Faith in America reveals a dynamic and idealistic faith that is attempting to model a worldwide religious community that is compatible with the ongoing process of globalization.Trade ReviewA splendid introduction to Baha'i's place in the American religious landscape. Highly recommended. * CHOICE *A scholar of history and religion in the US and Australia, Garlington presents historical, doctrinal, and organizational information about the religion's presence in America. He begins by introducing Baha'i in general, its origins and history, beliefs and principles, community life, and administrative order. Then he traces its manifestation in America in three phases from 1892 to 2000, and discusses current priorities and issues and anti-Baha'i polemic and Baha'i responses to it. * Reference and Research Book News *Garlington, a former member of the Baha'i religious community and former history and religion teacher, accurately explains the progressive Baha'i theological and social teachings and helpfully analyzes anti-Baha'i polemic. * Library Journal *Table of ContentsChapter 1 Foreword by Jeffrey J. Kripal Chapter 2 Introduction Part 3 Introduction to the Baha'i Faith Chapter 4 Origins and Historical Development Chapter 5 Beliefs and Principles Chapter 6 Aspects of Baha'i Community Life Chapter 7 The Baha'i Administrative Order Part 8 The Baha'i Faith in America Chapter 9 Phase I (1892-1921) Chapter 10 Phase II (1922-1957) Chapter 11 Phase III (1958-2000) Chapter 12 Priorities and Issues in the Modern American Baha'i Community Chapter 13 Anti-Baha'i Polemic and Baha'i Responses Chapter 14 Conclusion Chapter 15 Bibliography

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Book SynopsisExplores contemporary controversies in bioethics from a Hindu perspective.S. Cromwell Crawford breaks new ground in this provocative study of Hindu bioethics in a Western setting. He provides a new moral and philosophical perspective on fascinating and controversial bioethical issues that are routinely in the news: cloning, genetic engineering, the human genome project, reproductive technologies, the end of life, and many more. This Hindu perspective is particularly noteworthy because of India''s own indigenous medical system, which is stronger than ever and drawing continued interest from the West. The Hindu bioethics presented in this book are philosophically pluralistic and ethically contextual, giving them that conceptual flexibility which is often missing in Western religions, but which is demanded by the twenty-first century''s complex moral problems. Comprehensive in scope and passionate in nature, Crawford''s study is an important resource for analyses of practical ethics, bioethics, and health care.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe bibliography is among the best of its kind, and the many appendixes help the reader with detailed information. The dictionary is readable and comprehensive to the general reader. As an introduction to the religion, it serves as a gathering place for the data. -- ARBA [for 1st Edition]For libraries with large theological or Bahá'í concentrations and those that own the first edition... * Library Journal *This work is a useful source of information about persons active in the Baha'i religion, the Persian terms it uses abundantly, and its basic ideas. -- THE QUEST [for 1st Edition]Adamson (business, South U., Georgia; Brewton Parker College, Georgia) served as the secretary general of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'i in the UK for 11 years and is a Baha'i of 35 years. His reference text provides a general historical overview of both Babi and Baha'i religions and a theological overview of the Baha'i Faith, from its beginnings to the present day. The text includes photographs, a list of acronyms, a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, hundreds of cross-referenced 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, and Knights of Baha'u'llah. The text has been revised throughout with new and updated entries. The bibliography includes new commentaries published since the 1998 edition and online sources. * Reference and Research Book News, May 2007 *Table of ContentsPart 1 Series Editor's Foreword Part 2 Preface Part 3 The Epochs of the Formative Age Part 4 Chronology Part 5 Introduction Part 6 THE DICTIONARY Part 7 Appendixes Part 8 Notes Part 9 Bibliography Part 10 About the Author

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Book SynopsisGrowing out of the teachings of the Báb, 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 Bahá''í Faith was founded by Bahá''u''lláh, when in 1866 he publicly declared that he was the One the Báb prophesized. The A to Z of the Bahá''í Faith presents a general historical overview of both Bábí and Bahá''í religions, as well as a theological overview of the Bahá''í 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 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 Bahá''u''lláh 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 Bahá''í Faith.

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Book SynopsisThis volume brings together a selection of essays from the Lecture Series in Bahá'í studies at the University of Haifa. Each chapter explores an aspect of the Bahá'í religion, including its history, community, culture and theoretical perspectives on contemporary issues. The authors discuss topics including the family and descendants of the Báb (founder of the religion from which the Bahá'í Faith emerged), the influential role of Bahá'í schools in the modernization of education in Iran, the process of introducing the law of monogamy into the Iranian Bahá'í community, early connections between Swiss citizens and Bahá'ís in the Middle East, the rich and varied landscape of Persian Bahá'í poetry, and the role of African Americans in the development of the US Bahá'í community, particularly with regard to race relations and the principle of the oneness of humanity. Also presented in this volume are Bahá'í perspectives on contemporary topics including changing conceptions of work and work valTrade Review“The University of Haifa Lectures in Bahá’í Studies are an interdisciplinary dive into a dynamic field rooted in history, literary, legal, and religious scholarship addressing topics ranging from the origins of the religion in the nineteenth century to its interpretations and lived reality in the contemporary era and situated in the geographies of the Middle East, Europe, the United States. Though the Bahá’í past and present have been characterized by persecution and marginalization, this collection also celebrates the innovation, resilience, and fortitude of a global community.”—Jasamin Rostam-Kolayi, Professor and Chair, Department of History, California State University, FullertonTable of ContentsElham Afnan: The Goodly Gifts: A Brief History of the Afnán Family – Soli Shahvar: The Bahá’í Schools and the Modernization of Education in Iran – Siyamak Zabihi- Moghaddam: The Introduction of Monogamy in the Iranian Bahá’í Community, 1873‒1936: A Study in the Progressive Application of Religious Law – John Paul Vader and Graham Hassall: Episodes from the Early History of the Bahá’í Faith in Switzerland, with Particular Reference to the Middle East – Richard W. Thomas: African American Bahá’ís, Race Relations and the Development of the Bahá’í Community in the United States – HeshmatMoayyad: Glimpses of Persian Bahá’í Poetry and Poets – Tiffani Betts Razavi: A Bahá’í Perspective on the Meaning of Work and Values – Nicola Towfigh: Apologetics and Interfaith Dialogue from a Bahá’í Perspective – Nazila Ghanea: A Bahá’í Perspective on ‘Defamation of Religions’ – Notes on Contributors – Index.

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