Publication Date:December 14, 2007 Availability:Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Editorial Reviews:
Product Description The Universal Principles of the Reform Bahai Faith collects many of the early writings of Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha, published in the West, seeking to restore and preserve their vision of the oneness of God, humanity, and all religions. In addition to all of the 1912 Universal Principles of the Bahai Movement, the book includes Baha'u'llah's Hidden Words, selections known as the Spirit of the Age, an address by Abdu'l-Baha at the Friends' Meeting House in London in 1913, and many Bahai prayers for community and individual worship and meditation. Though beginning in 2004, the Reform Bahai Faith traces its origin to the early Bahais Ruth White, Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, and Julie Chanler, who sought to preserve the Teachings of Abdu'l-Baha after his passing in 1921. They and other early American Bahais understood the Bahai Faith was being turned into an oppressive organization, under what the British Museum document expert Dr. C. Ainsworth Mitchell judged to be a fraudulent will and testament. Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Bahai Faith, believed in and taught a moderate, universal religion, grounded in a separation of church and state, not a theocracy, and members of the Reform Bahai Faith seek to recover and renew that saving vision for all humanity. The newcomer to the Bahai Teachings will find here a brief but eloquent and inspiring introduction to the Faith of Baha'u'llah, while people already familiar with it will find a refreshing breeze has returned to revivify and uplift the spirit. This book marks the first publication of the Reform Bahai Press, which will publish several more titles during the next few years.
Customer Reviews: The Vintage WineJanuary 9, 2008 N. Walker(USA) 5 out of 15 found this review helpful
One might find validation of this book in the physical volume alone. It satisfies the senses the way books of my grandfather's day did. They were sturdy, dignified, titled with a nineteenth-century font in gold. They were sized to be held comfortably and to travel well in a carriage or train. The pages were creamy and thick, and the printing clear and excellently matched to the page and its content. UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES qualifies in every sense. It is a book that will survive much passing down.
The content is truly refreshing. Familiar concepts are presented in early translations; nothing is overdone. The authenticity is refreshingly clear. The message of a true "spiritual springtime" leaps off the page, as one would expect of a modern-day revelation from God. This book is proof in itself that the Baha'i Faith was given for all. There are no exceptions for the wealthy or titled; in this book it is clear that Baha'u'llah and His Son 'Abdu'l-Baha were speaking to the world.
Some might argue that Shoghi Effendi, because of his youth, did not do most if any of the translations here, and therefore the translations from the Farsi and Arabic do not have the quality of his later work. I argue that many if not all of the translations were made by men who were there on the spot, companions of Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha, and men of wisdom of years and highly skilled in translation. I believe the livliness of the writings in this book reflects a translation made by a much closer and more highly qualified body of men.
UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES OF THE BAHA'I FAITH is long overdue. Its reading will give any reader evident proof that the Reform Baha'i movement is historically and spiritually valid. Mainstream Baha'is arguing authenticity and increasingly insistant of approved readings will find nothing to fear. Original translators were, sadly, driven away by administrative infighting after the passing of 'Abdu'l-Baha. It is a joy to have these translations back. Above and beyond the beauty of the words of Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha, the work of these Persian translators is in itself a delight and alone worth the reading. I look forward to future publications from the Reform Baha'i Press.
a new view of the baha'i faithDecember 28, 2007 Joel Bjorling(Gilson, IL, USA) 4 out of 11 found this review helpful
This is a compilation of writings by Baha'u'llah, founder of the Baha'i Faith, and his son Abdu'l-Baha',the Interpreter of the Faith. The materials include prayers, writings, and talks given by Abdul-Baha', including one to a Friends Meeting in London in 1913. A major theme of these selections is that religion and the Cause of God should bring unity, not division. Critics of religion often seem to blame religion for many of society's ills. They should read this book. The teachings of Baha'u'llah are remarkably contemporary, that religion should and must be an impetus for harmony, cooperation, and justice in the world. These teachings offer a plan for what religion and life ought to be about. They answer religion's critics and offer fresh spiritual insights to the seeker.
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