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Search for tag "Unity of religion"

from the chronology

date event locations tags see also
1913 18 Jan `Abdu'l-Bahá received guests from the Muslim Community of Britain and was asked to speak at the Shah Jehan Mosque at Woking, one of the two mosques in England at the time and the first built in England and perhaps Western Europe. He spoke on the subject of the Unity of Religions and translation was done by Mírzá Ahmad Sohrab. [CH152, AB370, BW3p278-279, BW4p377]
  • Note ABTM303 reports that this event took place on the 17th of January.
  • Dr. Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner (1840–1899) was the builder of the Oriental Institute, founded to train Asians living in Europe for the learned professions, to the study of linguistics and culture, and for the teaching of languages to Europeans who wished to travel to the East. To cater for the spiritual needs of students of all major faiths and to provide for any who lived within reach, Dr. Leitner intended to build a synagogue, a church, a temple and a mosque. Only the Shah Jehan Mosque was completed. (Oct-Nov 1889). The Institute relied too heavily upon Dr. Leitner’s personal enthusiasm and wealth and it did not survive his early death in March of 1899. The Mosque was closed and practically empty between 1899 and 1912. Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din, a prominent Kashmiri lawyer and founder of the Woking Muslim Mission, worked to repair and re-open the Mosque in 1913. It was the first formal place of Islamic worship in England and became a centre of Islam in the UK. [Dr. Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner]
  • For a photo of the gathering see BW3p280 or BWNS818.
  • Woking; Surrey; United Kingdom Abdul-Baha, Travels of; Abdul-Baha, Second Western tour; Mosques; Unity of religion; Interfaith dialogue; BWNS
    2002 Ridván The Universal House of Justice issued a letter addressed to the world’s religious leaders warning of “the danger posed by "the rising fires of religious prejudice" and called for decisive action against fanaticism and intolerance”. [One Country Vol.14 Issue 1]
  • For the text of the letter see To the World's Religious Leaders.
  • Also see One Country Vol.14 Issue 1 for an abridged version.
  • See also BWNS200; BWNS168, BWNS200; BW'02-‘03pg79-98.
  • The essential message was that God is one and all religions are from that same God and that recognition of these truths is a prerequisite that must be at the heart of all religious discourse. Bahá'i institutions throughout the world delivered thousands of copies of this message to influential figures and the major faith communities. Although some were dismissed out of hand, in general the message was warmly welcomed. [One Common Faith p.ii]
  • BWC Letter to the Worlds Religious leaders; Religious leaders; Universal House of Justice; Universal House of Justice, Letters and messages; Universal House of Justice, Basic timeline; BWNS; - Basic timeline, Condensed; - Basic timeline, Expanded; Interfaith dialogue; Unity of religion
    2005 (In the year) The publication of One Common Faith by the Universal House of Justice.
  • "The statement ‘One Common Faith’, prepared under the supervision of the Universal House of Justice, addresses the following fundamental question of the modern world: On one hand the facts of history show clearly that revealed (prophetic) religion has been the primary driving force of the rise of human civilization. On the other hand, the current forms of the respective communities derived from these same religions have now become one of the most divisive and destructive forces of the twenty-first century. How could such a thing have occurred?" [Précis Commentary on ‘One Common Faith’ by William S. Hatcher]
  • Unlike the pamphlet written by George Townshend to all Christians under the title “The Old Churches and the New World Faith” in 1949 or the letter to the clergy in 2002, this statement is for "the thoughtful study of the friends". [One Common Faith p.iii-iv]
  • BWC One Common Faith (commentary); Interfaith dialogue; Universal House of Justice, Letters and messages; Unity of religion

    from the main catalogue

    1. 'Abdu'l-Bahá on Christ and Christianity: An interview with Pasteur Monnier on the relationship between the Bahá'í Faith and Christianity, Paris, by Abdu'l-Bahá, in Bahá'í Studies Review, 3:1 (1993-12). Revised translation of an interview with Pasteur Monnier, from chapter 5 of 'Abdu'l-Bahá on Divine Philosophy. [about]
    2. ['Abdu'l-Bahá] Declares Zionists Must Work with Other Races: From the Globe and Commercial Advertiser (New York, July 17, 1919), by Marion Weinstein, in Star of the West, 10:10 (1919-09-08). An interview with 'Abdu'l-Bahá on the League of Nations, Bahá'í ideas for peace, and the Holy Land. [Note: at this time in history, years before the Second World War, the terms "Zionist" and "Palestine" had somewhat different meanings.] [about]
    3. '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]
    4. Ameen Rihani and the Unity of Religion: The Politics of Time and the Politics of Eternity, by Suheil Badi Bushrui, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 24:3-4 (2014). Overview of the life and thought of a Lebanese-American writer, intellectual, and political activist, who believed in the oneness of religions and the brotherhood of nations and devoted his life to promoting East-West understanding. [about]
    5. "And universal peace — in what Book is this written?": How and Why 'Abdu'l-Bahá Identified "New" and Distinctive Bahá'í Principles, by Christopher Buck (2022-09). Reflections on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's answer to the question "What has Bahá’u’lláh brought that we have not heard before?" [about]
    6. Bahá'í Cosmological Symbolism and the Ecofeminist Critique, by Michael W. Sours, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 7:1 (1995). Constituents of Bahá'í cosmological symbolism; introduction to the main feminist/environmentalist arguments; eschatological character of Bahá'í cosmological symbolism; Bahá'í eschatology provides answers to many feminist and ecological objections. [about]
    7. Baha'i Faith and Syncretism, The, by Robert Stockman, in Resource Guide for the Scholarly Study of the Bahá'í Faith (1997). Addresses the common misunderstanding that the Bahá'í Faith is syncretistic. [about]
    8. Baha'i Principle of Religious Unity and the Challenge of Radical Pluralism, by Dann J. May, in Revisioning the Sacred: New Perspectives on a Bahá'í Theology, Studies in the Bábí and Bahá'í Religions vol. 8 (1993/1997). A shorter version of this thesis is published as "The Bahá'í Principle of Religious Unity: A Dynamic Perspectivism." [about]
    9. Bahá'í Worldview on Unity of Religions: Progressive Revelation, The: Principles and Insights from the History of Science, by Jena Khadem Khodadad, in Lights of Irfan, Volume 10 (2009). Examination of the Bahá’í belief in the unity of religions and the doctrine of "progressive revelation" through the lens of Thomas Kuhn's concept of scientific revolutions. [about]
    10. Bahá'ísm: Some Uncertainties about its Role as a Globalizing Religion, by Denis MacEoin, in Bahá'í and Globalisation, ed. Margit Warburg (2005). On Bahá'í self-understanding as the religion to unite all faiths in the culmination of globalisation, vs. the challenges which secular values present to a religion that, rooted in Islamic thinking, aims to fuse the spheres of religion and society. [about]
    11. Baha'u'llah and the Reconciliation of Religions, by Peter Terry (2014). The reconciliation of religions is one of the principal themes of Bahá'u'lláh's writings, yet one rarely discussed in introductions to the Bahá'í Faith and often ignored in surveys of Bahá'í teachings. [about]
    12. Bahá'u'lláh as fulfilment of the theophanic promise in the Sermons of Imam 'Alí ibn Abí Ṭálib: Translation of al Tutunjiyya, Iftikhár and Ma'rifat bin-Nurániyyat, by Khazeh Fananapazir, in Online Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 1 (2007). Translations of Tutunjiyya "Sermon of the Gulf," Iftikhár "Sermon of Iftikhár," and Ma'rifat bin-Nurániyyat "Sermon of Ma'rifat bin-Nurániyyat." [about]
    13. Baha'u'llah's Prophetology: Archetypal patterns in the lives of the founders of the world religions, by Moojan Momen, in Bahá'í Studies Review, 5.1 (1995). Explores the theory that the lives of the prophet-founders of the world religions have in some ways re-capitulated each other. [about]
    14. Baha'u'llah's Unity Paradigm: A Contribution to Interfaith Dialogue on a Global Ethic?, by Udo Schaefer, in Dialogue and Universalism, 6:11-12 (1996). The mystic unity of religions and the concept of progressive revelation. [about]
    15. Beyond Pluralism, by Moojan Momen (1995-04). Brief thoughts on the Bahá'í Faith as a "metareligion." [about]
    16. Beyond the Clash of Religions: The Emergence of a New Paradigm, by Udo Schaefer (1998). Religious pluralism and associated issues: diversity and unity of religions, absoluteness, relativity of truth, New Age thought, and interfaith dialogue [about]
    17. Buddhism and the Bahá'í Faith, by Daniel Conner, in World Order, 6:2 (1971-72 Winter). Brief summary of the history and thought of Buddhism; commonalities with Western concepts; different emphases placed on ethics vs. metaphysics; aspects of social control. [about]
    18. 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]
    19. Communal Harmony: India's Greatest Challenge, by National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India (1993(?)/2015). A formal statement from the NSA of the Bahá'ís of India on the need to overcome religious, linguistic and caste-based tensions. [about]
    20. Comparative Lives of the Founders of the World Religions, by Moojan Momen, in Bahá'í Studies Review, 5.1 (1995). Table comparing the lives of the Founders of the world's religions. [about]
    21. Cosmopolitan World of the Quran and Late Antique Humanism, The, by Todd Lawson, in Religions, 12:8 (2021). On the Qur'an's use of the themes of epic and apocalypse to reveal its most cherished sacred truths: the Oneness of God, the Oneness of Religion, and the Oneness of Humanity. Contains no mention of the Bahá'í Faith. [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. Fifty Bahá'í Principles of Unity: A Paradigm of Social Salvation, by Christopher Buck, in Bahá'í Studies Review, 18 (2014). World religions are systems of salvation, liberation, or harmony, in direct response to the perceived human predicament. To Baha’is, this predicament is profound estrangement and the solution is world unity, from family to international relations. [about]
    24. Fourth Candle, The: The Unity of Religion and Interfaith Dialogue, by Christopher Buck, in dialogue magazine, 1:2 (1986). What does "Unity in Religion" mean, and how does it apply for Bahá'ís' interactions with other religious communities? An essay inspired by Abdu'l-Bahá's Tablet "Seven Candles of Unity," utopia, Hans Kung, and the Lesser Peace. [about]
    25. From Adam to Bahá'u'lláh: The Idea of a Chain of Prophecy, by Zaid Lundberg, in Lights of Irfan, Book 3 (2002). Whilst the modern period has seen a series of scientific paradigm shifts which have radically altered the scientific understanding of man and nature, no theory of religion has had similar success; the potential of the Bahá’í perspective. [about]
    26. 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]
    27. I am all the Prophets": The Poetics of Pluralism in Bahá'í Texts, by Juan Cole, in Poetics Today, 14:3 (1993 Fall). Literary analysis of a passage from Tablet of Blood (Súriy-i-Damm) in which Bahá'u'lláh identifies Himself with all the past Prophets and their sufferings, depicting himself mortally wounded on the field of battle, like Imám Husayn. [about]
    28. Immanence and Transcendence in Theophanic Symbolism, by Michael W. Sours, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 5:2 (1992). Bahá'u'lláh uses symbols to depict theophanies — the appearance of God and the divine in the realm of creation — such as "angel," "fire," and the prophets' claims to be incarnating the "face" or "voice" of God; these convey the transcendence of God. [about]
    29. Key Passages from the Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude) in Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, by Bahá'u'lláh (2022). Cross-reference compilation of 40 passages from the Kitáb-i-Íqán selected by Shoghi Effendi for inclusion in Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, adapted from Hooper Dunbar's Companion to the Study of the Kitáb-i-Íqán. [about]
    30. L'histoire de Salut et Changement de Paradigme: Deux Contributions à la Théologie Bahá'íe, by Udo Schaefer (1993). French translation of Beyond the Clash of Religions: The Emergence of a New Paradigm. [about]
    31. Letter to the World's Religious Leaders, by Universal House of Justice (2002-04). On historic challenges that leaders of religion must respond to, if spiritual leadership is to have meaning in the new global society. [about]
    32. Logos, Mythos and Kerygma: The Logic of Reconciliation and the Occultation of the Promised Qá'im in Bábí-Bahá'í Scripture, by Ismael Velasco (2004). Theological background of the Twelfth Imam in Shi'i Islam, comprehensive interpretation of Bahá'u'lláh's and 'Abdu'l-Bahá's position on the occultation and the Qá'ím, and the historicity of the 12th Imám in the Bahá'í writings. [about]
    33. Meeting a Prophet, by Archie Bell, in The Spell of the Holy Land (1915). Book chapter containing three interviews with 'Abdu'l-Bahá at the Sea of Galilee. [about]
    34. Mikhail Sergeev, Theory of Religious Cycles: Tradition, Modernity and the Bahá'í Faith: Review, by Benjamin Olshin, in Studies in Bahá'í Philosophy, vol. 4 (2015). [about]
    35. 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]
    36. Passages uit de Kitáb-i-Íqán (Boek van Zekerheid) in Bloemlezing uit de Geschriften van Bahá'u'lláh, by Bahá'u'lláh (2022). Compilatie van 40 passages uit de Kitáb-i-Íqán door Shoghi Effendi geselecteerd voor opname in Bloemlezing uit de Geschriften van Bahá'u'lláh. [about]
    37. Path of God, The, by Wolfgang A. Klebel, in Lights of Irfan, Volume 11 (2010). A comparison of the 'Global Ethic' (Hans Küng) with the Bahá'í Faith. The core ethical principles found in all religions are the most likely first step towards the unification of all religions: an inspiration for Unity in Diversity. [about]
    38. 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]
    39. Précis Commentary on One Common Faith, by William S. Hatcher (2008). Commentary on the statement ‘One Common Faith’. [about]
    40. Progressive Revelation and Oneness of Religion, by William Sears (1972 (?) / 2018). A videotaped talk (possibly from 1972), along with a shorter animated 2018 presentation prepared by a graphic designer for the Bahá'í Journeys website. [about]
    41. Prophets of Mahabad, and Nature of Creation: The Two Questions of Manakji Limji Hataria, by Susan Maneck (2011). Discussion of Baha’u’llah’s letters to Manakji Hataria as found in the Tabernacle of Unity, compiled from an email discussion group archive; the context of the questions and their answers against the background of Ishraqi philosophy. [about]
    42. Questions about the Second Coming, by George Townshend (1953). Answers by Townshend to questions asked by the Bahá’ís of Kampala, Uganda about the return of Christ, the Bible, false prophets, the day of judgment, and the trinity. [about]
    43. 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]
    44. Reconciliation of Races and Religions, The, by Thomas Kelly Cheyne (1914). Early history of the Bábí and Bahá'í movements, life stories of their participants, and their contemporary religious context, written by a distinguished British Biblical scholar. [about]
    45. Reconciliation of Religions, The: Imperative for the 21st Century, by Peter Terry (2015). While the 12 principles attributed to 'Abdu'l-Bahá include the harmony of religion with science and reason and the imperative that religion lead to unity, one principle that was at least as prominent is often left out: the reconciliation of religions. [about]
    46. 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]
    47. Religion and Exclusivism: A Bahá'í Perspective, by Julio Savi, in Lights of Irfan, Volume 7 (2006). Various factors have distracted the attention of religionists from the essential teachings of religion rather than its secondary aspects; this has led to dangerous claims to exclusivity or finality, which need to resolved to ensure peaceful coexistence. [about]
    48. Religious Pluralism: A Bahá'í Perspective, by Julio Savi, in World Order, 31.2 (2000). On resolving the conflicting truth claims made by different religious traditions; finding definitions for "religion" and "prophet"; problems of historical texts; the current state of religion. [about]
    49. Religious Pluralism and the Baha'i Faith, by Seena Fazel, in Interreligious Insight, 1:3 (2003-07). Provides an overview of the Bahá'í poisition on religious pluralism, reviewing relevant Bahá'í texts and scholarship that bear on this theme. Published with minor revisions. [about]
    50. Spiritual Footprints in the Sands of Time, by Kevin Brogan, in Solas, 3 (2003). The covenantal relationship between God and humankind; the lives of the founders of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, and Buddhism; the societies in which these religions developed; and some of their common features. [about]
    51. Station of Baha'u'llah: Three Letters, by Universal House of Justice (1991-1992). Three letters on the station of Bahá'u'lláh, the souls of the Manifestations, the varying intensities of their Revelations, the phrase "most precious Being," and on teaching the Faith to Christians. [about]
    52. Station of Bahá'u'lláh and the Significance of His Revelation, The, by Universal House of Justice (1992-10-15). As the soul is a mystery that the human mind cannot unravel, even more ineffable is the nature of the Manifestations of God, the relationships between them, and their relationship to God. [about]
    53. Tablet to Mirza Abu'l-Fadl Concerning the Questions of Manakji Limji Hataria: Baha'u'llah on Hinduism and Zoroastrianism, by Bahá'u'lláh (1995). Introduction to, article about, and translation of the Tablet to Maneckji. [about]
    54. Taking Care with Translation of Sacred Scripture, by Edward Price (2016/2020). Examination of the importance of using reliable translations of the Qur’án. Includes technical discussion of the meanings of Islam, Muslim, and Allah, aspects of the Arabic language, and errors of translation. [about]
    55. Truth Triumphs: A Bahá'í Response to Misrepresentations of the Bahá'í Teachings and Bahá'í History, by Peter Terry (1999-12). Rebuttal of Francis Beckwith's thesis "Bahá'í, A Christian response to Bahá'ísm, the religion which aims toward one world government and one common faith." [about]
    56. Two Parts of the Law of God, The: The Essential and the Secondary Teachings of the True Religion of God, and Counterfeit Doctrines (2022). Four compilations on themes related to the progressive revelation of the religion of God; essential vs. secondary teachings; counterfeit doctrines of the false religion of man. [about]
    57. Unity of Religions in This Century, Jews and the Crucifixion, and the Sacrifice of Ishmael, The, by Universal House of Justice (1990-11-06). [about]
    58. 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]
    59. 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]
    60. Why the Bahá'í Faith Is Not Pluralist, by Grant S. Martin, in Lights of Irfan, Volume 8 (2007). Argues against Seena Fazel that the Bahá’í Faith is not a form of religious pluralism. [about]
    61. Wittgensteinian Language-Games in an Indo-Persian Dialogue on the World Religions, by Juan Cole, in Iran Nameh, 30:3 (2015 Fall). Reflections on Bahá'u'lláh's theology of previous religions and Ludwig Wittgenstein’s concept of "language games"; Hinduism, India, and 19th-century Iranian culture; Manakji’s questions about Hinduism and Zoroastrianism. [about]
     
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