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
Results 1-5 of 46
... discussed in chapter 1. Participant observa- tion events included as many Feasts , Holy Day celebrations , deepenings ( includ- ing weekly attendance at the Sunday morning Study Class held at the Atlanta Bahá'í Center ) , town hall ...
... discussed with some Bahá'í parents the challenges of raising Bahá'í children in American culture , I did not feel I could in this context adequately address the viewpoint of younger Bahá'ís . I also did not interview anyone who had with ...
... discussed throughout this text , will bring about the unification of the world's people and global peace through " unity in diversity " ( i.e. , the King- dom of God ) . See appendix B for a historical overview of the Bahá'í Faith . A ...
... discussed fully in chapter 3 ) . Since 1937 , when the first plans for expansion were developed , Bahá'ís have systematically dispersed throughout the world to establish functioning local Bahá'í communities ( enabling them to be ...
... ( discussed in chapters 3 to 5 ) , collective worship consists entirely of " lay members " reading from Bahá'í Writings . It was also rare at the numerous meetings , study classes , or social gath- erings I attended as part of my research ...
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 |