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Search for tag "Civilization"

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date event locations tags see also
1875 (In the year) At the request of Baha'u'lláh,`Abdu'l-Bahá wrote The Mysterious Forces of Civilization, a treatise on the establishment of a just, progressive and divinely-based government. [SDCv; Baha'u'llah on the Circumstances of the Composition of "The Secret of Divine Civilization" a provisional translation of a Tablet by Bahá'u'lláh by Adib Masumian]
  • It was lithographed in Bombay in 1882. It was first published in English under the title The Mysterious Forces of Civilization in London in 1910. [SDCv] It was re-issued in 1918 and later translated as The Secret of Divine Civilization by Marzieh Gail and published by the Bahá'í Publishing Trust in Wilmette in 1957.
  • See Marzieh Gail's Summon Up Remembrance pg46-47 for a description of Persia at the time. The nation was ostensibly ruled by a self-serving monarch who had little regard for the county or its people. The government administered the chessboard where Russia and England played out their competing imperialistic designs to increase their respective spheres of influence. Through bribery and intrigue, they contended to raise up ministers who would do their bidding. They thwarted the progress of the nation by manipulating the clergy to oppose any Western ideas, threatening that such would threaten Islam. If required these measures were supplemented with the bribery of the ulamas, accepted eagerly either for their personal gain or for contributions to their communities. Thus Iranians were kept divided, deprived, and ignorant; all the better to exploit them. [SUR62]
  • Shoghi Effendi called The Secret of Divine Civilization "`Abdu'l-Bahá's outstanding contribution to the future reorganization of the world". [WOB37]
  • See the English translation of the message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá'ís of Iran dated 26 November 2003 in which they make reference to this book.
  • See a comment about the book.
  • Akka; Mumbai (Bombay); India; Iran Secret of Divine Civilization (book); Publishing; Publications; First Publications; Corruption; Reform; Iran, General history; Abdul-Baha, Life of; Abdul-Baha, Writings and talks of; Abdul-Baha, Basic timeline; - Basic timeline, Expanded; Adib Masumian
    1945 24 Oct The United Nations was formally established. There were Bahá'í representatives in San Francisco in 1946 for the signing of the Charter. [BWNS1772]
  • For the relationship of the Bahá'í Faith to the United Nations see BW16:327–52.
  • See SDC64-65 for 'Abdu'l-Bahá's prophetic statement, written in 1875, "True civilization will unfurl its banner...".
  • The temporary headquarters for the United Nations was established in Lake Success, NY in a warehouse formerly occupied by the Sperry Gyroscope Company. (1946-1952).
  • See the United Nations Charter.
  • San Francisco; California; United States United Nations; Secret of Divine Civilization (book); Collective security; Prophecies; World War II; War (general); Peace; History (general); Baha'i International Community BWNS1772

    from the main catalogue

    1. 'Abdu'l Bahá's Tablet of the Two Calls: Civilizing Barbarity, by Manooher Mofidi, in Lights of Irfan, Volume 6 (2005). The relatioship between civilization and barbarity, and the capabilities of humanity. [about]
    2. `Abdu'l-Bahá and the Iranian Constitutional Revolution: Embracing Principles while Disapproving Methodologies, by Mina Yazdani, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 24:1-2 (2014). Abdu’l-Bahá’s orientation toward the Constitutional Revolution of 1906–1911: he embraced the principles of constitutionalism while disapproving of confrontation; real social change needs to start at the moral-ethical level. [about]
    3. `Abdu'l-Bahá's Blueprint for a Progressive and Prosperous Iran, by Adib Masumian (2016). 'Abduʼl-Bahá's contributions to Iranian thought and social discourse, as recorded in his seminal work The Secret of Divine Civilization. [about]
    4. 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Encounter with Modernity during His Western Travels, by Wendi Momen, in Lights of Irfan, 13 (2012). Abdu'l-Bahá's responses to the West's technology and innovations on the one hand, vs. its archaic racist and sexual philosophies on the other. [about]
    5. 'Abdu'l-Bahá on the World Stage, by Iraj Ghanooni (2022). A contrast of the spiritual purpose of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá's first visit to Paris with the secular aims of some famous Iranian contemporaries who went there around the same time; includes philosophical discussions and an analysis of two talks by ‘Abdu'l-Bahá. [about]
    6. Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks, by Abdu'l-Bahá (2018/2023). 167 selections, updated August 2023. [about]
    7. Andalusí Theosophy: A Recontextualization, by Vahid Brown, in Lights of Irfan, Volume 7 (2006). The role of interconfessionalism in the emergence of Islamic and Jewish theosophical movements in 10th- to 13th-century Spain.  [about]
    8. As It Was in the Days of Noah: So Unfolds the Surprising Fulfilment of Biblical Foresights of the 'Return', by Don Dainty (2009). Booklet exploring the biblical and Bahá'í concept that rejection of the Manifestation results in calamities; prophecies from the Bible and their Bahá'í fulfilment; theology of the flood narrative. [about]
    9. Bahá'í Influence on the Reform Movements of the Islamic World in the 1860s and 1870s, by Moojan Momen, in Bahá'í Studies Bulletin, 2:2 (1983-09). Bahá'í influences on the Middle Eastern reform movement in the 1860s and 1870s. [about]
    10. Bahá'u'lláh's Teachings on Spiritual Reality (1996). The quest for spirituality, the spiritual life, material and spiritual reality, the progress of the soul and humanity’s spiritual education. [about]
    11. Cause of the Rise and Fall of Civilizations, The, by Ruhaniyyih Ruth Moffett (1954). A chart correlating the growth of maturity of humanity and the evolution of religions with major events in history. [about]
    12. Colonialism, Nationalism and Jewish Immigration to Palestine: Abdu'l-Baha's Viewpoints Regarding the Middle East, by Kamran Ekbal (2014). Abdu'l-Bahá was opposed to the cultural and political colonialism of foreign powers and their militaries. In spite of the Bahá'í principle of abstaining from politics, exceptions can be made in the face of tyranny and injustice. [about]
    13. Commentary on the Saying "Knowledge is Twenty-Seven Letters", A, by Mirza Abu'l-Fadl Gulpaygani, in Letters & Essays 1886-1913 (1985). An explanation of a saying of Imám Ja'far as Sádiq, which was quoted in the Kitáb-i-Iqán, about the Promised One bringing the remaining 25 letters of knowledge. [about]
    14. Comparison between the Commentary and Interpretation of an Islamic Tradition by 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Ayatu'llah Khomeini, A, by Moojan Momen, in Lights of Irfan, 18 (2017). On different interpretations of the hadith regarding taqlíd, "to follow (legal interpretations)," as given by Shi`i clerics like Ayatu’llah Khomeini vs. the interpretation of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. [about]
    15. Creation, by Lasse Thoresen, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 12:1-4 (2002). Contributing to the creation of a new civilization as a researcher or an artist means participating in the process of never-ending unfolding; the divine names are the eternal archetypes organizing the material world; dialogue between thinking and reality. [about]
    16. Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Nine Year Plan, by Universal House of Justice (2022-11-01). Matters relating to the Nine Year Plan (2022-2031), ethnic and cultural diversity, the human family's crisis of identity, prejudice, Africa, and economic injustice. [about]
    17. Disintegration of Society and the Development of a New Order, by Universal House of Justice (1996-05-13). On the disintegration of society and the development of a new order, and how the advancement of civilization and the development of human nature can continue. [about]
    18. Divine Revelation: The Basis of All Civilization, by Anton Haddad (1902). Commentary on the influence of the Prophets on human society. [about]
    19. Evolution of Reality, The, by George Land, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 3:1 (1990). Entropy maintains that all structures eventually decay. Humanity's challenge is to understand that nature's creative process changes systems, including organizations and civilization; this can lead to new connections, ideas, resources, and opportunities. [about]
    20. "Evolution of Reality," by George Land: Commentary, by Tony Michel, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 3:4 (1991). [about]
    21. Extracts from Notes Taken at Acca, by Aline Shane-Devin (1907-10). [needs abstract] [about]
    22. Fact and Fiction: Interrelationships between History and Imagination, by Bahiyyih Nakhjavani, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 10:3-4 (2000). On the tension between "fact" and "fiction," between objective history and our relative and subjective stories, between art as the representation of reality and faith based on the Word of God. We inherited a responsibility to resolve this tension. [about]
    23. For the Betterment of the World: The Worldwide Bahá'í Community's Approach to Social and Economic Development, by Office of Social and Economic Development (2003/2008/2018/2023). Essays, photographs, and overviews of local projects around the world, illustrating how Bahá'í principles are being carried out in practice, prepared by the Office of Social and Economic Development of the Bahá'í International Community. [about]
    24. Generation of Knowledge and the Advancement of Civilization, by Haleh Arbab (2007-08-16). [about]
    25. Heart of the Gospel: The Bible and the Bahá'í Faith, by George Townshend (1939). Using only the text of the Bible, Townshend provides a new reading of Scripture as a guidebook for those who seek a universal view of religion and the contemporary world. [about]
    26. History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, by John William Draper (1864). A selection of excerpts from the book. Contains no mention of the Bahá'í Faith, but is of interest partly because Abdu'l-Bahá referred to this book in Secret of Divine Civilization. [about]
    27. Human Knowledge and the Advancement of Society, by Hoda Mahmoudi, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 22:1-4 (2012). Knowledge is the means toward realizing a global civilization. The current Five Year Plan focuses the Bahá'í community’s consultation, reflection, and global growth, and the individual’s applying spiritual and secular knowledge to help this process. [about]
    28. Introduction to Abdu'l-Baha's The Secret of Divine Civilization, An, by Nader Saiedi, in Converging Realities, 1:1 (2000). 'Abdu'l-Bahá's The Secret of Divine Civilization in the context of the Iranian social and political situation of the day, and comments on its contribution to ongoing debates on certain religious, social, and political debates. [about]
    29. Islamic Contributions to Civilization, by Stanwood Cobb (1963). Overview of the many inventions and sciences which were developed by or transmitted by Islamic people and nations. [about]
    30. Knowledge and Civilization: Implications for the Community and the Individual, by Farzam Arbab, in Bahá'í World, Vol. 26 (1997-1998) (1999). Exploration of the relationship between science and religion as two great systems of knowledge that have a vital social role to play in the building of a world civilization. [about]
    31. La Cultura Hispano Árabe en Latino América, by Boris Handal, in Polis, 3:9 (2004). The influence of the Hispano-Arab culture in Latin American history, from a linguistic point of view, and through the development of the humanities and sciences such as mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. [about]
    32. Les Paradigmes cachés de l'histoire: Comparaison de l'histoire des premiers siècles du christianisme et de la foi bahà'ie, by Jean-Marc Lepain, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 6:2 (1994). Exploration of some lessons from history relevant to our era and our near future, from the perspective of philosophy of history; paradigms of Christian history which illuminate Bahá'í history; the rise and decline of civilizations; role of the Zeitgeist. [about]
    33. Letters and Essays, 1886-1913, by Mirza Abu'l-Fadl Gulpaygani (1985). Treatises of "the greatest and most learned of all Bahá'í scholars" about Alexander Tumansky; on meeting Abdu'l-Bahá; and on the meaning of angels, resurrection, civilization, tests, angels, holy spirit, and the saying "Knowledge is twenty-seven letters." [about]
    34. Logos and Civilization: Spirit, History, and Order in the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, by Nader Saiedi: Review, by Seena Fazel and Dominic Parvis Brookshaw, in Bahá'í Studies Review, 10 (2001). [about]
    35. Logos and Civilization: Spirit, History, and Order in the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, by Nader Saiedi: Review, by Christopher Buck, in H-Bahá'í, H-Net Reviews (2004-03). [about]
    36. Medieval Islam: The Influence of Islam on Judaism and Christianity, by Anjam Khursheed, in Singapore Bahá'í Studies Review, vol. 2 (1997). Prior to the Renaissance, Islam inspired revivals in the cultural traditions of Christianity and Judaism, indicating a harmony between the three religions. The reforms inspired by Islam were a prelude to the modern scientific revolution. [about]
    37. Message to the Indian and Eskimo Bahá'ís of the Western Hemisphere, by Ruhiyyih (Mary Maxwell) Khanum (1969). Letter to Native American and Inuit believers, about the assurance given in the Bahá'í Writings that their future is very great, and that they themselves best help to fulfill these promises by taking the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh to their own people. [about]
    38. Muhammad as Educator, Islam as Enlightenment, and the Quran as Sacred Epic, by Todd Lawson, in Knowledge and Education in Classical Islam, ed. Sebastian Gunther (2020). To Islam, civilization in prosperity and harmony is sacred; education is pivotal in the journey from ignorance to enlightenment; overview of the "heroic" theme and "epic" structure of the Qur'an. Contains no mention of the Bahá'í Faith. [about]
    39. Muhammad the Educator, by Robert L. Gulick (1953). On the life of Muhammad from the standpoint of influence on world culture. What methods did he use to attain success, where other well-meaning and more influential persons had failed? [about]
    40. Mysterious Forces of Civilization (Secret of Divine Civilization), by Abdu'l-Bahá (1918). Three texts side-by-side: Dawud's 1918 translation, the 1957 Gail translation, and the original Persian text. [about]
    41. One Common Faith, by Universal House of Justice (2005). Review of relevant passages from both the writings of Bahá'u'lláh and the scriptures of other faiths against the background of contemporary crises. [about]
    42. Path to God, The: 1937, by Dorothy Baker (1937). Essay published as a pamphlet about the goal of life, revelation and access to heaven, self-improvement while on earth, prayer and spiritual surrender, loving the Messenger and following his teachings. [about]
    43. Permanence of Change, The: Contemporary Sociological and Bahá'í Perspectives, by Hoda Mahmoudi, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 18:1-4 (2008). Sociohistorical changes of the Axial Age and the Renaissance, sociological views on modernity and its contemporary challenges, and key features of modernity as identified in the Bahá’í writings as "the universal awakening of historical consciousness." [about]
    44. Pursuit of Social Justice, The, by Michael Karlberg, in Bahá'í World (2022-08-03). An interdisciplinary examination of prevailing conceptions of human nature, power, social organization, and social change, and their implications for the pursuit of peace and justice. [about]
    45. Qualities and Attributes of the Spiritually Learned: Excerpts from The Secret of Divine Civilization, by Thomas R. Wilson (1987). [about]
    46. Qur'anic Kerygma: Epic, Apocalypse, and Typological Figuration, by Todd Lawson, in Routledge Companion to the Qur'an, chapter 17 (2022). Article contains no mention of the Bábí or Bahá'í Faiths, but includes themes of relevance to Bahá'í teachings on the typologies of proclamation and apocalypse. [about]
    47. Reflections on the Concept of Law in the Bahá'í Faith, Some, by Roshan Danesh, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 24:1-2 (2014). The concept of law in the Bahá’í Faith; its early Islamic context; the nature of legal language and discourse in Bahá’u’lláh’s writings. Religious law, rooted in conscious knowledge and the dynamics of love, rejects rigid and legalistic rules. [about]
    48. Reflections on the First Century of the Formative Age, by Universal House of Justice (2023-11-28). Overview of the Faith's developments and activities during the previous century, including the Guardianship, global expansion, community building and development, participation in societal discourse, and construction of the Bahá'í World Centre. [about]
    49. Reis naar het Hart van de Qur'án: Het Heilige Boek van de islam voor hen die nadenken (door een niet-moslim), by David Russell Garcia (2022). Een overzicht van de Koran en zijn thema's: islam versus het christendom; wetten, geestelijke en sociale principes; heilige oorlog en vechten; redenen achter de reputatie van de islam als een oorlogsreligie; apocalypse. [about]
    50. Religion in an Ever-Advancing Civilization, by Bahá'í International Community, in The Bahá'ís (2017). On the unity of humanity and the decline and renewal of religion. [about]
    51. Revelation and Social Reality: Learning to Translate What Is Written into Reality, by Paul Lample (2009). The nature of change in social reality, Bahá’í understanding and practice, learning and growth, participating in the advancement of society, and problems of knowledge and power. [about]
    52. Revelation, Interpretation, and Elucidation in the Baha'i Writings, by Robert Stockman, in Scripture and Revelation, ed. Moojan Momen (1997). The complexities of the Bahá'í concepts of revelation, interpretation, infallibility, and elucidation [about]
    53. Rumi: Quotations from the Mathnáví of Rúmí in the Bahá'í Writings, by Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá (2001/2015). Rúmí’s Mathnáví is quoted in many places in the Bahá'í Writings, as noted in the footnotes to the Writings. [about]
    54. Secret of Divine Civilization, by Abdu'l-Bahá (1957). Originally issued anonymously in 1875, this was ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's program for the developmental reform of society within an Iranian context. [about]
    55. Secret of Divine Civilization: Expanded outline, by Roger Coe (1999). Summary of contents, in outline format. [about]
    56. Secret of Divine Civilization (Risaliy-i-Madiniyyih), by Sen McGlinn, in Encyclopaedia Iranica (2009). Brief excerpt, with link to article offsite. [about]
    57. Secret of Divine Civilization Translation, Capital Punishment, and Other Questions, by Universal House of Justice (1991-06-20). On the capitalization of pronouns, reference to "we Muslims," works of Abdu'l-Bahá revealed during the time of Bahá'u'lláh, the first person to recognize Bahá'u'lláh, and designer of the temple in Ishqabad. Includes a compilation on capital punishment. [about]
    58. Secret of Divine Civilization, The, by Fariba Moghadam (2021-05). Overview of the history Abdu'l-Bahá's treatise, and its themes presented through a compilation of quotations. Prepared for the Wilmette Institute. [about]
    59. Secret of Divine Civilization, by 'Abdu'l-Baha: The Education of Nations: A Review, by Barbara Casterline, in Bahá'í News (1972-09). [about]
    60. Secret of Divine Civilization Study questions, by Habib Riazati (2001-01). 130 questions to guide and deepen understanding of this book. [about]
    61. Security for a Failing World, by Stanwood Cobb (1934). An overview of the influence of religion on the world and its relation to modern problems. Bahá'í precepts are included in the text without the work being a strictly introductory work on the Bahá'í Faith. [about]
    62. The Role of Public Institutions in Ensuring Social Well-Being, by Alex Vedovi, in Bahá'í World (2020-05). Questions around government’s role in social welfare and the welfare state; Bahá'í perspectives on the government's role in supporting well-being; taxation, wealth, and poverty; [about]
    63. Themes of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Tablets of The Divine Plan Illustrated by Scriptural References to the Bible and the Qur'án, by Lameh Fananapazir, in Lights of Irfan, 18 (2017). The Tablets of the Divine Plan, as well as Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament and the Tablet of Carmel, are three “Charters” for promotion of the Cause of God, which can also heal the problems facing humanity in its crisis of faith. [about]
    64. Theses on Modernity and the Bahá'í Faith, by Mikhail Sergeev, in Studies in Bahá'í Philosophy, vol. 4 (2015). On how new religious movements respond to modernity; cycles of religion; project of modernity; culture vs. civilization; the Bahá'í extension of modernity; Bahá'í departure from modernity; separation of religion and state. [about]
    65. Translation List: Provisional Translations of Baháʼí Literature (2009-2023). Index to talks, letters, and other items translated from Persian and Arabic to English by Adib Masumian; listed here for the sake of search engines and tagging. [about]
    66. Verge of the New, The: A Series of Talks, by Steven Phelps (2017-09-18). Introducing a way of looking at the past and future of religion in the context of the scientific revolution and the Enlightenment. Includes compilation of Writings on spiritual dislocation, science, language, spiritual evolution, nature, and revelation. [about]
    67. Voyage to the Heart of the Koran: The Holy Book of Islám for Thinking Minds (By a Non-Muslim), by David Russell Garcia (2003-10). A lengthy overview of the Qur'án and its themes for a Bahá'í audience; holy war and fighting; reasons behind Islám's reputation as a war-like religion; theology of Islám vs. Christianity; laws and admonitions; spiritual and social principles; apocalypse. [about]
    68. نظری اجمالی بر تعدادی از آموزه های اقتصادی رساله مدنیه - اثر حضرت عبدالبهاء (Naẓarí Ijmálí bar Ti'dádí az Ámúzih-háy-i-Iqtiṣádíy-i-Risáliy-i-Madaníyyih, Athar-i-Ḥaḍrat-i-'Abdu'l-Bahá): "Selected Economic Doctrines of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in The Secret of Divine Civilisation", by Hooshmand Badee (2023). [about]
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