Baha'i: Studies in Contemporary Religion

by Margit Warburg

Book Overview

There are 100,000 Baha'is in the United States, about five million worldwide including a significant population in Iran, their country of origin. They are also the most persecuted minority in Iran, where they are accused of being heretics by the Shi'i establishment.

In fact, Baha'i draws on a diverse heritage that encompasses both East and West. Reflecting their Islamic roots, they observe daily prayers and the reading of sacred texts; a month of...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1560851694
• ISBN13: 9781560851691
• Release Date: December 2003
• Publisher: Signature Books
• Length: 92 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 4.8" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

Holistic, empirical and objective

It is very seldom that so many faces of a religious movement can be captured in some 80 pages (footnotes included). Margit Warburg, associate professor in the sociology of religion at Copenhagen, Denmark, has succeeded in giving a detailed overview of the Baha'i history, doctrine, worship and organisation. The Baha'i religion has a more universal touch than any other religion in the world today. It is also one of the more liberal religious movements of our day, which since its beginning regarded gender equality a god-given rule, something many religions have had to add to their doctrinal fundaments, yes, even my Lutheran church! At the same time, Warburg is clear about some more restricting nuances of the religion, cause as every religious phenomenon, Baha'i see some exclusiveness in their faith. The book is divided in five chapters, where the first one being an introduction. The second is about the history of Baha'i, when it was established in 19th century Iran till today. The third is about the doctrine, rituals and ceremonies of the Baha'i. The fourth is a description of the different Baha'i sites in the world (the temples and the Haifa dome) and also about how Baha'i mission looks like - even if it passes unnoticed! The book ends with the fifth chapter, about schisms during Baha'i history, the persecution of Iranian Baha'i and the internal disputes in modern Baha'i, where Warburg evokes the question of academic freedom. What is exemplary about this book, is its thorough overview and very easy-read style. Warburg has done several studies and inquiries during her 20 years of research about Baha'i, which are referred to in the book, like how many Baha'i do actually fast, if there is any difference between Iranian Baha'i (Baha'i was established in Iran) and Western Baha'i etc. She explains and goes thru almost every perspective of Baha'i expression of faith and show that with each new Baha'i leader or re-organisation there were some opposing fractions, which either continue till today or have vanished. She even describe how the Baha'i services are hold. The services - besides those in the temple - are not open to public (but one nice Baha'i let me in once ...!) It seems that the central government of the Baha'i religion is not totally open about academic freedom, something that is a pity for a tolerant religion like Baha'i; it is not uncommon that many Baha'i marry according to other religion's ceremonies! I am looking forward to read about the other books in this series, "Studies in contemporary religion", such as Hare Krishna and The Church of Scientology. I highly recommend the book about Baha'i, they are an anonymous feature of our society because they assimilate and want to work with world peace, something that many religions profess doing but never do. This book is far much better than consulting pro- or anti-Baha'i / cult pages cause here it is a scholar writing and discussing the Baha'i with an objective and thorough eye! One shoul

Good book; terrible first review

Midwest Book Review(er) from (Oregon, WI USA) states that the Baha'i faith is a religious faction of Islam -- that is certainly not true, any more than Christianity is today a religious faction of Judaism. As for the book itself, however, the author has done a fair job of studying the Baha'i faith and presenting it in a concise manner.

A very handy pocket guide to this religious heritage

There are over a hundred thousand Baha'is in this country, but relatively few books specifically covering this religion factiion of Islam alone. Margit Warburg's Baha'i is a very handy pocket guide to this religious heritage which accessibly examines the defining history and spiritual foundations of Bahai faith, from its Islamic roots and rituals to its attention to contemporary social issues.