Baha Uliahand - The New Era

Baha'u'llah - THE NEW ERA Baha'u'llah and the New Era By J. E. Esslemont An Introduction to the Bahai Faith Since 1937 no revision has been made to the text of Dr. Esslemonts book, although in 1950 some minor corrections were introduced. On the other hand, the diffusion and development of the Bahai Faith since that time have been tremendous, and there has been added to Bahai bibliography a rich legacy of incomparable expositions, translations, and historical accounts from the pen of Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Faith and the appointed interpreter of its Sacred Writings. It has therefore been deemed necessary to bring the book up to date in order to maintain its usefulness for modern readers. This has been clone with a minimum of alteration to the text, and chiefly by the use of footnotes and of an epilogue giving the current statistics and new developments in the organic unfoldment of the Bahai Faith. Dr. Esslemonts book continues to be one of the most widely used introductory books on the Bahai Faith, as evidenced by the fact that since 1937 the number of its translations has increased from thirty to fiftyeight. Introduction In December 1914, through a conversation with friends who had met AbdulBaha, and the loan of a few pamphlets, I first became acquainted with the Bahai teachings. I was at once struck by their comprehensiveness, power, and beauty. They impressed me as meeting the great needs of the modern world more fully and satisfactorily than any other presentation of religion which I had come acrossan impression which subsequent study has only served to deepen and con firm. In seeking for fuller knowledge about the Movement I found considerable difficulty in obtaining the literature I wanted, and soon conceived the idea of putting together the gist of what I learned in the form of a book, so that it might be more easily available for others. When communication with Palestine was reopened after the war, I wrote to Abdul Baha and enclosed a copy of the first nine chapters of the book, which was then almost complete in rough draft. I received a very kind and encouraging reply, and a cordial invitation to visit Him in Haifa and bring the whole of my manuscript with me. The invitation was gladly accepted, and I had the great privilege of spending two and a half months as the guest of Abdu1Baha during the winter of 1919-1920. During this visit AbdulBaha discussed the book with me on various occasions. He gave several valuable suggestions for its improve ment and proposed that, when I had revised the manuscript, He would have the whole of it translated into Persian so that He could read it through and amend or correct it where nec essary. The revisal and translation were carried out as suggested, and Abdu1Baha found time, amid His busy life, to correct some three and a half chapters Chapters I, II, V, and part of III before He passed away. It is a matter of profound regret to me that AbdulBaha was not able to complete the correction of the manuscript, as the value of the book would thereby have been greatly enhanced. The whole of the manuscript has been carefully revised, however, by a committee of the National Bahai Assembly of England, and its publication approved by that Assembly. CONTENTS: Preface to 1971 Edition Introduction 1. The Glad Tidings. 2. The jBab: Forerunner . 3. Baha'u'llah: Hie Glory of God 4. AbdulBaha: The Servant of Batia 5. What Is a Bahai? 6. Prayer 7. Health and Healing 8. Religious Unity 9. True Civilization 10. The Way to Peace 11. Various Ordinances and Teachings 12. Religion and Science 13. Prophecies Fulfilled by the Bahai Movement 14. Prophecies of BahaVllah and AbdulBaha 15. Retrospect and Prospect. Epilogue Basic References on tide Bahai Faith Index.