Bahá’í Faith

Posted on February 11th, 2009

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The world’s youngest monotheistic religion is the Bahá’í Faith. It’s small – around 5 million-plus believers – but global and growing. The Bahá’í Faith has spread widely since its origin in Iran, then known as Persia, in 1844, and is today the world’s second most widely dispersed religion (after Christianity), practiced in more than 200 countries.

Wilmette temple (bigstockphoto.com)Bahá’ís believe in progressive revelation — that God has sent divine messengers throughout human history to reveal divine will. Bahá’u’lláh (1817-1892), the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, is recognized as the most recent in a line of divine messengers that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus and Muhammad.

Bahá’ís believe that God’s message for modern times is global unity. They believe that humanity is a single race, so they emphasize racial unity, gender equality and dialogue among different faiths. Those core beliefs express themselves in commitments to universal human rights, women’s rights and education. Bahá’ís have often been persecuted, especially in Iran, the land where the faith was born — and that suppression has also contributed to their public profile.

Bahá’ís have often been persecuted, especially in Iran, the land where the faith was born—and that suppression has also contributed to their public profile. In early February 2009, seven imprisoned Bahá’ís were charged with spying for Israel; Iranian authorities have said they will be tried quickly.

A series of Bahá’í holidays that begin March 2, 2009, with a 19-day fast is a chance for journalists to examine the Bahá’í Faith.

Bahá’í basics

Regional sources
Northwest Northeast Northwest West Southwest Midwest South Southeast East


History: The Bahá’í Faith grew from currents at work in 19th-century Islam in the Near East. The independent monotheistic religion was founded in Iran (then Persia) in 1844. The Báb (Arabic for “gate”) was the forerunner of the Bahá’í Faith, paving the way for the founder of the faith, Bahá’u’lláh. Bahá’u’lláh was exiled from his native land and died in Akka (now Acre, Israel) in 1892. More detailed history is available at the U.S. Bahá’í Web site.

Bahá’ís by the numbers: Estimates put the number of Bahá’ís at more than 5 million worldwide, with about 160,000 in the U.S.

Calendar and holidays: Bahá’ís follow a calendar of 19 months of 19 days each, adding four “intercalary” days (five in leap years) to synchronize the year with the solar calendar. Each Bahá’í community holds a feast at the beginning of each month.

Worship: The Bahá’í Faith has no clergy or sacraments and only simple rituals to mark major life transitions such as marriage and burial of the dead. Bahá’ís gather in homes or communities for collective prayer. Larger communities maintain centers. Devotional programs, which can be hosted by any member of the community, feature reciting or chanting from the Bahá’í sacred writings as well as writings from the other major religions. In addition to gathering together to pray in groups, Bahá’í are enjoined to pray and meditate privately each day. A period of dawn to dusk fasting from March 2-20 is considered a time of introspection and spiritual purification. The Bahá’í House of Worship for North America is in Wilmette, a northern suburb of Chicago, and one of only seven Bahá’í temples in the world.

Governance: Bahá’ís have no clergy. More than 11,000 elected local and 182 national spiritual assemblies are responsible for business and administration. A nine-member Universal House of Justice is the international governing body that meets in Haifa, Israel, the world headquarters of the faith. In the U.S., Kenneth E. Bowers is secretary-general of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the U.S. and chief administrative officer. Contact him in Evanston, Ill., 847-733-3411.

The election process for the Bahá’í administrative councils at the local, national and international levels is distinctive. The process occurs without nominations, candidacies, campaigning or prepared ballot. All Bahá’í elections occur through secret ballot and plurality vote. Every adult Bahá’í in the community is eligible for election to the Bahá’í councils, all of which are made up of nine members.

Local, national and international Bahá’í elections are typically held during the 12-day Festival of Ridván (RIZ-von), April 21 to May 2. All Bahá’í communities are involved with the election process in some way and can be a good source of stories during that period and also in October, when conventions are held to elect 171 delegates from across America who will then vote in the national elections in the spring. The first national institution in the entire Bahá’í world was formed in Chicago in 1909.

  • The Bahá’í site has resources on the topic of governance, and there is a YouTube video overview as well.
  • Arash Abizadeh, an assistant professor of political science at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, has written on this topic. Contact 514-398-7407, arash.abizadeh@mcgill.ca.
  • Michael Karlberg, associate professor of communications at Western Washington University, is the author of Beyond the Culture of Contest, which includes an examination of the Bahá’í system of governance. Contact 360-650-7367, Mkarlberg@gmail.com.

Pilgrimage: As in the Islamic faith from which it sprang, Bahá’ís find it spiritually important to visit their holiest sites, located in and near Haifa, Israel. The Bahá’í World Centre there includes a number of administrative centers, among them the Universal House of Justice that governs the faith. The burial places of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb are nearby. Finding pilgrims may be one way to localize a story about the Bahá’í Faith.

Service: Many faiths emphasize service, with some recommending, or requiring, youth as the best time of life for service or witness. Some Bahá’í youth take time after high school or during college to perform service for the Bahá’í Faith, sometimes in international locations.

Fasting: Fasting from March 2-20, a period that marks the last month of the Bahá’í year, is a distinctive practice of the faith. Others faiths also place a value on fasting, so this practice can be occasion for a story about the Bahá’í Faith or a comparative religions story that incorporates the Bahá’í Faith.

General information

Locate a local Bahá’í community

See the Bahá’í map or scroll through by state:

Most major cities have active Bahá’í communities with activities open to the public. Contact the communications office at the Bahá’í National Center to obtain contact information for Bahá’ís in particular towns or cities: 847-733-3559.

Bahá’ís online

Press contacts

  • The national Bahá’í spokesman is Kenneth Bowers, secretary-general of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. He is chief administrative officer of the Bahá’í Faith in the U.S. and author of God Speaks Again: An Introduction to the Bahá’í Faith. Contact 847-733-3411 (office), 847-220-0126 (cell), communications@bahai.us.
  • Kit Bigelow is director of external affairs of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. Contact 202-833-8990 (office), 202-906-9840 (cell), USBahaiMedia@usbnc.org.
  • Carl Murrell is U.S. Bahá’í representative to the United Nations. Contact him for information about Bahá’í involvement at the U.N. and in support for the International Criminal Court. Contact 202-833-8990 (office), 202-906-9840 (cell), USBahaiMedia@usbnc.org
  • Ariel Olson is media relations officer of external affairs. Contact her about persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran or other Muslim countries and about Bahá’í involvement at the U.N., in promotion of human rights, advancement of women, sustainable development, religious freedom and other public policy issues. Contact 202-833-8990 (office), 202-906-9840 (cell), USBahaiMedia@usbnc.org.
  • Glen Fullmer is the contact for general media inquiries and for contact information for Bahá’í experts and leaders in your area. Contact him in Evanston, Ill., 847-733-3411 (office), 847-220-0126 (cell), communications@bahai.us.

Note: Key names and terms in the Bahá’í Faith use accent marks. See the Religion Newswriters Association’s stylebook or check with the U.S. Bahá’í office (see above), which publishes a style guideline. If typesetting doesn’t permit the use of accent marks, be sure to use apostrophes correctly.

Issues to explore

Local Bahá’í communities are good places to ask about these issues of concern:

Religious persecution:

Bahá’ís are the largest religious minority in Iran. Around 300,000 live in the country, which has persecuted them since the religion originated there in the mid-19th century. Read a November 2008 report on the situation from the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center. The U.S. Bahá’ís also track developments. Because of the persecution of Iranian Bahá’ís in their native country, an appreciable number of Bahá’ís originally from there now live elsewhere around the world. Bahá’ís in Egypt also face discrimination.

  • Read an open letter signed by Iranians in various countries apologizing for Iranian persecution of Bahá’ís, posted Feb. 4 at Iranian.com. Contact Khosro Shemiranie, a Canadian journalist, shemiranie@yahoo.com.

Human rights: The emphasis on human unity, whether racial, cultural or theological, informs Bahá’í concerns about universal human rights. The Bahá’í International Community maintains a United Nations Office that works on human rights, sustainable development and the advancement of women. Contact in New York, 212-803-2500.

Bahá’ís and politics: Bahá’í teachings prohibit Bahá’ís from engaging in partisan politics because they see partisanship as inherently divisive. Therefore, Bahá’ís may not join political parties, campaign for candidates in elections or participate in other forms of partisan activity. While many of the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith have political implications — promoting international peace or achieving economic justice in society, for instance — the Bahá’í approach to all social issues is to promote unifying solutions. The Bahá’í Web site has resources on the topic of Bahá’ís and politics. Kit Bigelow is director of external affairs for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. Contact 202-833-8990 (office), 202-906-9840 (cell), USBahaiMedia@usbnc.org.

Racial harmony: Racial unity is a key teaching of the Bahá’í Faith and an important goal of Bahá’í social action. While the popular saying holds that 11 o’clock on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America, the Bahá’í Faith is racially and culturally diverse. Local Bahá’í communities are excellent places to get perspective on race relations and cultural diversity. Race Unity Day, celebrated on the 2nd Sunday in June, was established in 1957 by the Bahá’ís of the U.S.

Sustaining rapid growth: According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Bahá’í Faith is among the most geographically widespread and fastest-growing religions in the world, with annual growth rates consistently in excess of 2 percent per year in the past century. In the United States, the faith grew seven-fold between 1960 and 1975 (from 10,000 to 70,000 adherents) and then more than doubled during the subsequent 30 years. As a result, Bahá’ís have faced the challenge of sustaining rapid growth and nurturing a strong Bahá’í identity in a community dominated by first-generation believers. The problem is particularly acute in a faith community without clergy or professional missionary or pastoral roles. In response, Bahá’ís are currently midway through a global 25-year effort to create a grassroots educational system using volunteer tutors to impart the faith’s fundamental beliefs and empower new adherents to put the faith into action through service to the larger community. Major areas of focus include spiritual education for children, mentoring of teens and pre-teens, hosting of prayer gatherings and tutoring in adult study circles.

Spiritual education: Bahá’ís maintain a network of seasonal and year-round schools in the U.S. that offer programs for children, youth and adults. Green Acre Bahá’í School, Retreat and Conference Center in Eliot, Maine; Louhelen Bahá’í School in Davison, Mich.; and Bosch Bahá’í School, Retreat and Conference Center near Santa Cruz, Calif., are three places that draw Bahá’ís from across the country. Local spiritual communities also organize classes, and the U.S. headquarters offers a variety of resources.

Religion and science: The Bahá’í Faith was born at a time when the power of science to explain things was growing exponentially. While religion and science are frequently seen in tension with each other, Bahá’ís view religion and science as two compatible ways of knowing. This has implications for today’s important ethical questions, particularly in medicine. Bahá’ís have distinct takes on the evolution versus creationism question and the challenges of sustainable development and climate change. Peter Adriance is NGO liaison for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the U.S. and co-chair of the faith sector team, U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development. Contact 202-833-8990, padriance@usbnc.org.

Dissent: As in every other faith, Bahá’ís experience dissent. Because of a clear line of succession and explicit teachings in the sacred texts regarding the institutional framework of the faith, the religion has been free from major schism. Some splinter groups have emerged during times of leadership transition as “reform” or “orthodox” Bahá’ís, but Bahá’í officials say these groups have perhaps a few hundred adherents and their views would not be considered mainstream by the vast majority of believers.

Because the institutional framework of the faith is considered part of a divine covenant that keeps the faith united, these types of dissidents are termed “covenant-breakers” and are deliberately avoided by the Bahá’í community. There is a covenant-breaker site called Reform Bahá’í Faith. In addition, some Bahá’ís and former members of the faith express dissent or dissatisfaction with various aspects of the administration of the faith, or to particular practices or prohibitions. (The Bahá’í Faith prohibits homosexual relationships, for example.)

Because the faith values unity, dissent does create tension. Bahá’í dissidents have found a voice on the Web. The 2007 article “Marginality and Apostasy in the Bahá’í Community” examined the question and elicited response. Some dissident sites include Bahá’í Rants; a blog by Sen McGlinn, an independent academic who was “unenrolled” or officially dropped from membership in the Bahá’í Faith; and a Yahoo! Group for ex-Bahá’ís.

The Bahá’í Faith goes pop culture: Rainn Wilson, who stars in the hit TV show The Office, has been very open about his Bahá’í Faith and about what it’s like to be a religious person in Hollywood. He recently launched SoulPancake.com, an online social network to facilitate conversations about religion and spirituality and “de-lamify talking about God and religion.” Wilson talked about his faith and the new site in a show on Oprah’s Soul Series, which was to air on XM satellite radio Feb. 9. Contact Wilson through Nicole Chabot at Bragman Nyman Cafarelli in Los Angeles, 310-854-4776, nchabot@bncpr.com.

Also watch a YouTube video that showcases Bahá’í performers, including jazz great Dizzy Gillespie.

National sources

  • Suheil Bushrui is senior research scholar at the Center for International Development and Conflict Management at the University of Maryland. He is an authority on the poet Kahlil Gibran, active in world dialogues on conflict resolution and co-author of The Spiritual Heritage of the Human Race: An Introduction to the World’s Religions. Contact 301-405-6391,bushrui@cidcm.umd.edu.
  • Gwendolyn Etter-Lewis and Richard Thomas co-edited Lights of the Spirit: Historical Portraits of Black Bahá’ís in North America, 1898-2000, which featured, among others, jazz great Dizzy Gillespie. Etter-Lewis is a professor of English at Miami University in Ohio, and Thomas is a professor of history at Michigan State University. Contact Etter-Lewis, 513-529-5221, etterlg@muohio.edu; contact Thomas, 517-432-8222 ext. 111, thomasrr@msu.edu.
  • John Grayzel holds the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland. Contact him through Jan Tunney, 301-314-7714.
  • John S. Hatcher is a professor emeritus of English literature at the University of South Florida, Tampa. He has written numerous books on literature, philosophy and Bahá’í theology and scripture. Contact 813-717-7742, jhatcher@cas.usf.edu.
  • Layli Miller-Muro is a lawyer and the founder of the Tahirih Justice Center, a Bahá’í-inspired women’s advocacy organization in Falls Church, Va. Contact the center, 703-575-0070.
  • Nader Saiedi is professor of sociology and anthropology at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn. Born in Iran, he is the author of numerous Bahá’í books, including Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Báb. Contact nsaiedi@carleton.edu
  • Leigh Schmidt is the Agate Brown and George L. Collord Professor of Religion at Princeton University, specializing in American religious history. His book Restless Souls: The Making of American Spirituality From Emerson to Oprah includes a chapter on the early development of the Bahá’í Faith in America. Contact 609-258-5285, leschmid@princeton.edu
  • Robert H. Stockman is an adjunct faculty member of the department of religious studies at DePaul University in Chicago. He is a Bahá’í who has written about the history of the faith in America. Contact 847-337-7750 (cell), rstockma@depaul.edu.
  • June Manning Thomas is Centennial Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a Bahá’í author. Her books include Planning Progress: Lessons From Shoghi Effendi. Contact 734-936-0201, thomasju@umich.edu.

International sources

Regional sources

Northeast

  • Green Acre Bahá’í School, Retreat and Conference Center in Eliot, Maine, was a site for the development of the Bahá’í Faith in America in the early 20th century. Contact 207-439-7200 ext. 7001.
  • Babak Mostaghimi is a research associate with the Pluralism Project at Harvard University, where he is also a master’s degree student at the Kennedy School of Government. He was president of the Johns Hopkins Bahá’í Club during his undergraduate years. Contact him through the project; send an email to staff@pluralism.org and put his name in the subject line.

East

  • Michael Lazich is an associate professor in the department of history and social studies education at Buffalo State College in Buffalo, N.Y. He wrote the entry on the Bahá’í Faith in the Encyclopedia of Religious Ritual. Contact 716-878-5529, lazichmc@buffalostate.edu.
  • Patricia Romano McGraw is a forensic psychologist who works with trauma and abuse victims and is senior supervising psychologist with The Family Center at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Her books include It’s Not Your Fault: How Healing Relationships Change Your Brain & Can Help You Overcome a Painful Past. She is a Bahá’í who lives in the Baltimore area. Contact 410-960-5682 (cell), patriciamcgraw@comcast.net.
  • Michael Penn is a member of the Bahá’í Faith and a psychology professor and licensed clinical psychologist at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. His research interests and publications include works in the pathogenesis of hope and hopelessness, adolescent psychopathology, the relationship between culture and psychopathology, and the epidemiology of gender-based violence. Contact 717-291-4202.

Southeast

South

  • Susan Maneck is an associate professor of history at Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss. She’s written extensively about various aspects of the Bahá’í Faith, including women in the faith. Contact susan.maneck@jsums.edu.
  • Gary L. Matthews is a Bahá’í author, publisher and lecturer. His publications include numerous short works on the Bahá’í Faith, Christianity and Islam, and the book He Cometh With Clouds: A Bahá’í View of Christ’s Return. He manages Stonehaven Press, which publishes Bahá’í literature, in Knoxville, Tenn. Contact the press, 865-637-6331.

Midwest

  • Winfried Corduan has written about the Bahá’í Faith in several world religions texts he has authored. He taught religion and philosophy for many years in the department of biblical studies, Christian education and philosophy at Taylor University in Upland, Ind. Contact wncorduan@taylor.edu.
  • Elizabeth Gatorano is a lifelong advocate for children and troubled youth. Her husband is Rwandan. After the war in Rwanda she became actively involved in promoting racial unity. She wrote Waiting for the Sunrise: One Family’s Struggle Against Genocide and Racism. She is a Bahá’í who lives with her family in northwest suburban Chicago. Contact gatorano@aol.com.
  • Brian D. Lepard is a law professor at the University of Nebraska; one of his specialties is international human rights law. He wrote In the Glory of the Father: The Bahá’í Faith and Christianity. He also served at the United Nations Office of the Bahá’í International Community. Contact 402-472-2179, blepard1@unl.edu.
  • Founded in 1931, Louhelen Bahá’í School in Davison, Mich., offers educational programs for adults and youth. Contact 810-653-5033 ext. 8.
  • Frank Stetzeris a Wisconsin Bahá’í who wrote Religion on the Healing Edge: What Bahá’ís Believe. He is a nursing researcher. Contact 414-481-8935 fcstetzer@gmail.com.

Southwest

  • Desert Rose Bahá’í Institute in Eloy, Ariz., offers a variety of Bahá’í spiritual programs. Contact 520-466-7961.
  • Michael McMullen is a sociology professor at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. He wrote The Bahá’í: The Religious Construction of a Global Identity. Contact 281-283-3435, mcmullen@uhcl.edu.
  • Anne Gordon Perry is editor of Orison, the arts journal of the Association for Bahá’í Studies. Contact her in Duncanville, Texas, unity9@sbcglobal.net.
  • Avrel Seale is an editor and writer in Austin, Texas. A Bahá’í, he recently journeyed to Haifa to visit Bahá’í holy sites, and his essay about the trip was published by the Austin American-Statesman. Contact seale@alumni.utexas.edu.

West/ Northwest

  • The Bosch Bahá’í School, Retreat and Conference Center near Santa Cruz, Calif., offers classes for Bahá’ís of all ages. Founder John Bosch, a Swiss national who came to America in 1879, studied with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the successor to Bahá’u’lláh. Contact 831-423-3387.
  • Larry Curtis of San Leandro, Calif., maintains a comprehensive Bahá’í Faith Web page. Contact webmaster@bahaivision.com.
  • Rhett Diessner is a psychology professor at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. He wrote Psyche and Eros: Bahá’í Studies in a Spiritual Psychology. Contact 208-792-2991 (department), diessner@lcsc.edu.
  • Eliz Sanasarian is a political science professor at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. She has written about the Bahá’ís in her book Religious Minorities in Iran. Contact 213-740-3624, sanasari@usc.edu.

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