Baha'u'llah and the New Era: An Introduction to the Baha'i Faith

by J.E. Esslemont

In this compact work, Esslemont comprehensively yet succinctly sets forth the teachings of Baha'u'llah, the Prophet and Founder of the Baha'i Faith. He outlines the religion's early history; explains its theology; incorporates extracts from Baha'i scripture; and provides information on Baha'i spiritual practices. This is essential reading for students of comparative religion.

Genres: Religion, Baha I, Nonfiction, History, Spirituality, Theology

300 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1949

About the author

John Ebenezer Esslemont (1874 – 1925), was a prominent British Bahá'í from Scotland.

Reviews

[Lise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my life for the better! It took me about a month or two to read it, which at that time was very slow for me, but when I finished it, I became a Baha'i and that was the best thing that ever happened to me.

[Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been exposed to the Baha'i faith while in graduate school, I selfishly took the opportunity to share my religious beliefs with my friend and advisor but never took the opportunity to learn more about this faith from them. I missed that window of opportunity so decided to redeem myself and explore a religion that I knew nothing about. As I mentioned this journey to a colleague of mine, he was somewhat familiar with the religion and summarized it as: "All roads lead to the top of the mountain". When I heard his summary I was even more excited to learn more. The authors of this book take the reader on a journey of how the religion began, evolved and how it continues to this day. I found the approach to be user friendly and for the novice beginner, those within the religion probably have texts that explore topics in much more depth. One of the attractions of the religion is the acceptance of all truth and the push to have religion be unifying rather than divisive. This goal seems appealing to me, as religious people often promote the idea of all of humanity being children of God so why would God want people to fight over who is "right" with the implication that others are wrong? I did find differences between what I believe and what is promoted within the religion though I found myself underlining quite a bit due to insights gained. Since I am in a profession that promotes science I found the following quote helpful:

"It cannot fly with one wing alone. If it tries to fly with the wing of religion alone it will land in the slough of superstition, and if it tries to fly with the wing of science alone, it will end in the dreary bog of materialism."

I enjoyed reading the book and wish that I would have visited with my friend about his beliefs (he passes away a few years ago). He was a person who lived his religion, an uplifting kind man who was a joy to be around.

So do I recommend the book? Sure, understanding what others believe may lead us to being more accepting and if you are comfortable and firm in your own beliefs then this book will not be a threat to those beliefs, it will complement them. And if you are looking for a religion that promotes all truth then this might just pique your interest.

[Alyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book is an introduction, it is a little dense and quote heavy.

I think the Baha’i faith is so interesting, and I really enjoyed learning what I could on my own. I think I would have enjoyed this book more had I had someone with more expertise to explain details to me and give me some more real life examples. But what an intriguing and lovely religion!

[Daniel Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best possible introduction to the Baha'i faith. If you find yourself wondering more about the Baha'i faith, I highly recommend this book to you. It's concise and full of detail and will always hold a place on my shelf of inspirational books.

[Brian Griffith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an evangelical sort of book, but it tells some good, important stories. I'm most impressed with the discussion of the greatest female leader of the Babist movement, Fatemeh Baraghani (ca. 1815–1852), who took the title of Tahereh Qorrat al-Ayn. As Edward G. Browne argued, “had the Babi religion no other claim to greatness, this were sufficient—that it produced a heroine like Qorrat al-Ayn." Bahiyyeh Nakhjavani wrote a novel based on Tahereh’s life called "The Woman Who Read Too Much." People called her a saint, a scholar, a sorceress, a martyr, a dangerous lunatic, a female messiah, a whore, “the leader of emancipation for women of the Orient.”

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book provides a good introduction to the Baha'i faith. both it's history and teachings. it was the first book i read on the topic and it was while reading this i felt myself become converted to the Baha'i faith. probably the most profound and intense spiritual experience i have ever had occurred while reading this book, which i took as a sign of it's truthfulness.

[Margaret McLane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in 1972. It was the beginning of a life long journey... of learning, tests, of progression of my understanding of the writings and teachings of Bahá'u'lláh.
This journey has strengthened my belief in Christ and His teachings, and it's connection to biblical history.

Written in clear, easy to understand language.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book lives up to its title and is a great introduction to the Baha'i faith. If one is already familiar with the basic tenets of the faith it can get a bit dry and slow. It's main failure is the prophecy chapter in which it describes several times that either Baha'u'llah or Abdul-Baha made predictions that came to pass - these "proofs" were tenuous at best and since the book was written in the early 20th century, many have now been shown to be incorrect. The strength of this book is its index which allows a quick search of specific questions or topics which might be particularly useful to someone from another faith who wants to make comparisons.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for those who want to be introduced to the Bahá'í faith and want more details of the faith's history and beliefs than the faith in a nutshell. There are many quotes by Bahá'u'lláh and other important figures woven throughout this book so readers aren't left with the author's interpretations and no context.

[Avrel Seale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the doorway to a whole new view of the world and my place in it. It was written in the 1920s and carries that formal style of the time, but is still highly accessible.

[Scarlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice book on the history of the Baha'i faith.Great for beginning and new Baha'is.

[Vafa]

A great introduction to the Baha'i faith

[Don Gubler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much explanation and not enough revelation. If you want to bring me a prophet show me the prophesy and revelation and it must be something new or what is the point?

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing, informative, thought-provoking book about the Bahai Faith.

[Ben Guterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid introduction to the Baha'i Faith. I've read it several times--rewarding on each round.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a solid introduction to the Baha'i Faith. I like that it had lots of quotes from the Baha'i scriptures and leaders of the faith, but also a good amount of summary and analysis.

[Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the English translation of the Quran, this book is a gateway for the native English-speaker to learn about a great world religion: The Bahá'i Faith.

As a Latter-day Saint, I was struck by the similarities in temporal mission (early - mid 19th century), syncretic theological orientation to the unity of all truth regardless of origin, health code, and emphasis on the pure teachings of Jesus Christ between our two faiths. I have tremendous respect for the Bahá'i Faith and its faithful adherents, and especially admire how they eschew evil-speaking of each other, or anyone for that matter. This is a real strength of their faith, and one I hope to learn well from them.

My understanding of the Bahá'i Faith is still elementary, but I do wonder to what extent Baháʼu'lláh equivocated himself with God, a claim that may have strengthened over time as the faith spread globally. It's not a highly structured or organized faith, so may see doctrinal creep. For example, Esslemont (the author of this book), says an interesting thing on pg. 52: "At other times . . . Bahá'u'lláh speaks 'from the station of Deity.' In these utterances His human personality is so completely subservient that it is left out of account altogether." This signifies that he was a human who at times acted as a mouthpiece of God, as have and do other prophets of the Lord.

The remarkable spread of the faith through at least the English-speaking world seems to have happened in three spurts: 1. The Victorian fascination with the Oriental, 2. The global hunger for peace and disillusionment during and after the Great World Wars, and 3. The countercultural movements of the 60s and 70s, which were also in reaction to the military-industrial complex of the West.

The Bahá'i Faith contains tremendous truth and beauty, and is well worth studying and living.

[zyaff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book does exactly what it sets out to do: introduce the basics of the Bahá’í Faith in a clear, organized way. Esslemont covers the history of Bahá’u’lláh, the core teachings, and the social principles with sincerity and conviction. If you’re new to the subject, it’s an accessible doorway in.

That said, the tone and language are very much of its time (early 20th century), which makes parts of it feel formal and occasionally stiff. Some sections read more like promotional material than balanced exploration, and there’s little engagement with modern critiques or recent developments within the faith.

I respect its historical importance and found some sections inspiring, especially the emphasis on unity and equality. But as a modern reader, I would pair this with newer works to get a fuller, more up-to-date picture.

[Martin Beckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book in 1968 by a friend whilst I was at high school and I read it from cover to cover. It helped me to understand why there were many religions in the world and that they were all connected - after all if here is only one God religions really can not be in competition with each other.. so began my spiritual quest. The book was originally compiled in the 1920s when there was a lack of source material and has been revised between times and many others have written more modern introductions to the Baha'i Faith but this still remains a valuable introduction.

[Tynan Brooks]

The Baha'i faith is so modern, for better and worse. It's clear throughout, as this book attempts to appeal to a "modern subject", but this very subject position is no longer one that makes any sense. The question for the faith is this: can it exists in an even newer area, as the great religions, my own included, always manage to do? This text doesn't and can't provide an answer to that, but it's a solid introduction.

[Drew Caplin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like this introduction to the Faith. I'm an ex- Bahai whose been away from the Bahai Faith for almost 30 years. Reading this book reminded me of the reasons I left the Faith. Actually, stopped reading half-way through it.

[Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to the Bahai Faith. Covers almost all basic essential information one would wish to know, although I think it does spend more time than it ought to discussing the administrative aspects.

[حمده الشامسية · Rating 4 out of 5]

مقدمة عن الديانة البهائية، ليس فيها كثيرا عن تعاليم الديانة ذاتها، ولكنها تسرد نشأة الديانة وما رافق مؤسسيها من اضطهاد، ، من وجهة نظر بهائي

[Joyce Yang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really clear and convincing introduction to the Bahai Faith - covers a brief history, some areas of significance of the faith, and how and why it is relevant and crucial to society today.

[Alexandre CABON · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best intro to the bahai faith

[Ian Groppe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to the Bahá'í Faith.

[Phil Rapa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to the Baha’i faith. Not always a very exciting read, but that was never to be expected. It made me curious to read more of their literature, so ultimately it is a success.

[Liv laf luv · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never have heard of Baha’i before but what lovely principals :-) happy to learn about it but the last couple chapters were boring loved the first half

[Elias Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

some passages had me wishing for less Esslemont and more scripture

[Daniel Roberts]

It's important to note ahead of time that this book was written in the 1920s by a British Bahai. This has a couple implications. First, the book is closer to the founding of the faith than the present day (with some updates from future editors). I don't know enough about changes in the Baha'i faith to say whether this means the introduction is dated. It certainly reads in a dated way. Muslims are termed "Muhammadans", and there is a pre-occupation for the Great War and its implications for faith.

One wonders then, why this book is still one of the most available sources. One answer may be that portions of the book were approved/edited/re-written by abdu'l-baha during his life. This lends a credence to its theological and historical accuracy.

Those issues aside, this was a reasonably informative overview of Baha'i theology. It's very striking to me how similar their thought and story of religious growth parallels that of the faith tradition I grew up in, The Unification Church (founded and theologically centered around Sun Myung Moon). It also features a Messiah figure who has declared himself the culmination of all other faith traditions, the great unifier, and generally preaches within a Judeo-Christian framework. The ethical and political directions of the two faiths are also very similar. In some ways, this removed some of the sheen of both faiths in my mind, insofar as they present themselves as exclusive culminating pathways of the worlds religion. If two independent figures can both declare themselves the figurative second coming of Jesus and the messiah to come for all the worlds faiths', one questions their self-declared monopoly on the ideas they present. On the other hand, they provide two separate examples of how the idea that all faiths and all races ought to unite has a unique and viral appeal to people of faith converting from other traditions, at least in the 20th century context in which these new religions bloomed. This is fascinating and heartening given the nationalist strain consuming our current politics.