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'ís— and I do not think any analysis is completely objective - I do believe that the study I present here is evenhanded . I have not tried to " prove the Bahá'ís right " ; I have presented their beliefs and practices in their own ...
... faith - Persian - born religious leader Bahá'u'lláh ( whose name means " the Glory of God " in Arabic ) . Bahá'ís believe that Bahá'u'lláh's teach- ings , to be discussed throughout this text , will bring about the unification of the ...
... Bahá'í Faith : We [ Bahá'ís ] believe in a oneness of the heart , a recognition that racial prejudice , national prejudice , religious prejudice must be swept away .... What is the source that will bring people around the world to an ...
The Religious Construction of a Global Identity Michael McMullen. cal concept for Bahá'ís : “ progressive revelation ... believe that religious knowledge as recorded in the world's holy scriptures is revealed incrementally throughout ...
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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 | |
Other editions - View all
The Bahá'í: The Religious Construction of a Global Identity Michael McMullen No preview available - 2000 |