The Bahá'í Faith, Violence, and Non-Violence

This Element explores how Bahá'í scriptures provide a blueprint for building a new, more mature world culture where nonviolence prevails.

Robert H. Stockman (Author)

9781108706278, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 13 August 2020

75 pages
12.5 x 18 x 0.5 cm, 0.88 kg

Both violence and non-violence are important themes in the Bahá'í Faith, but their relationship is not simple. The Bahá'í sacred writings see violence in the world – not just against Bahá'ís, but physical and structural violence against everyone – as being a consequence of the immature state of human civilization. The Baha'i community itself has been nonviolent since its founding by Baha'u'llah in the mid nineteenth century and has developed various strategies for responding to persecution nonviolently. This Element explores how their scriptures provide a blueprint for building a new, more mature, culture and civilization on this planet where violence will be rare and nonviolence prevalent.

1. The forerunner movement: the Bábí faith
2. The writings of the Báb
3. The Bábí community and persecution: Mírzá Husayn-`Alí of Núr, Bahá'u'lláh
4. Other references about violence and nonviolence
5. Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá about oneness and unity
6. Building unity through organization
7. The authority of Bahá'í institutions: the Covenant
8. Consultation
9. Disciplining members
10. Persecution of the Bahá'í community
11. Bahá'í teachings for preventing violence at a societal and global level
12. Growth and development of the international Bahá'í community, 1892–present
12. Constructive resilience in Iran: constructive engagement
13. Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Religious groups: social & cultural aspects [JFSR], Violence in society [JFFE], Baha'i [HRKB], Other non-Christian religions [HRK], Religion: general [HRA], Religion & beliefs [HR]