The Bahá'í: The Religious Construction of a Global IdentityRutgers University Press, 2000 - 246 pages The Bahá'í Faith is one of the fastest growing, but least studied, of the world's religions. Adherents view themselves as united by a universal belief that transcends national boundaries. Michael McMullen examines how the Bahá'í develop and maintain this global identity. Taking the Bahá'í community in Atlanta, Georgia, as a case in point, his book is the first to comprehensively examine the tenets of this little-understood faith. McMullen notes that, to the Bahá'í, Buddha, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed are all divinely sent teachers of 'the Truth', whose messages conform to the needs of their individual cultures and historical periods. But religion--which draws from the teaching of Bahá'u'lláh, a nineteenth-century Persian--encourages its members to think of themselves as global citizens. It also seeks to establish unity among its members through adherence to a Bahá'í worldview. By examining the Atlanta Bahá'í community, McMullen shows how this global identity is interpreted locally. He discusses such topics as: the organizational structure and authority relations in the Bahá'í "Administrative Order"; Bahá'í evangelicalism; and the social boundaries between Bahá'ís and the wider culture. |
From inside the book
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... Bahá'í Dramaturgy During Thanksgiving week 1992 more than 27,000 Bahá'ís from 180 countries gathered in New York City to celebrate the Second Bahá'í ... writings . Many said that worshipping in the presence Introduction 3.
The Religious Construction of a Global Identity Michael McMullen. his writings . Many said that worshipping in the ... Bahá'í World Center in Haifa , Israel , the Universal House of Justice ( the elected authoritative body that governs the ...
... Bahá'í Faith . In the place of sermons by clergy dur- ing worship services , religious ritual involves lay members taking turns reading from Bahá'í scripture ( collectively known as " Bahá'í Writings , " or just the " Writ- ings " by ...
... Bahá'í scripture , referred to by Bahá'ís as the " Bahá'í Writings " or just the " Writings . " This is important for two reasons . One is to expose the reader to what Bahá'ís consider holy scrip- ture . Bahá'ís frequently remark among ...
... Bahá'í Writings . It was also rare at the numerous meetings , study classes , or social gath- erings I attended as part of my research that someone did not say , in effect , " Well , what do the Writings say about ... , " or " What does ...
Contents
Carriers and Converts | 15 |
The Bahaf Administrative Order | 34 |
Authority in the Administrative Order | 56 |
Personal Devotion and Organizational Participation | 76 |
Boundaries and Identity | 109 |
Teaching the Bahaf Faith | 126 |
Thinking Globally Acting Locally | 152 |
Conclusion | 175 |
Atlanta Bahaf Questionnaire | 185 |
Historical Overview | 193 |
The Bahai Calendar | 197 |
Notes | 199 |
229 | |
243 | |
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The Bahá'í: The Religious Construction of a Global Identity Michael McMullen No preview available - 2000 |