The Baha'i Studies Listserv I would like to note that I found the "Who Is Writing the Future?" essay to be invaluable, and I fully expect that scholars in the future will turn to that specific document as a ready clarification regarding the overall Bahá'í vision about the ways by which religious dispensations and human cultures evolve.
The two most radical assertions in the document include 1) the affirmation that, regardless of cultural shifts and temporal exigencies and notwithstanding critiques of essentialism, the center does indeed hold; and 2) that the turbulence of the day is emblematic of the great transitions that are forging humankind into one people of planet earth. These two concepts are, as yet, scarcely understood and appreciated in all of their radical implications and traditional grounds. The central spiritual issue facing all people, Bahá'u'lláh says, whatever their nation, religion, or ethnic origin, is that of laying the foundations of a global society that can reflect the oneness of human nature. . . . Until this issue is acknowledged and addressed, none of the ills afflicting our planet will find solutions, because all the essential challenges of the age we have entered are global and universal, not particular or regional. [my emphases] Also regarding the unity of humankind and the twentieth century, by the end of that last Gregorian century, the profound and actual interconnectedness of humankind, its nations, peoples, ecosystems, information networks, etc. was firmly recognized in ways that it had not been earlier. 9/11 was the horrifically violent and reactive affirmation of that fact. Much of the twentieth century forged the planet into one place, whether through the consequences of global colonization (political and economic), global trafficking networks, global warming, global treaties, global information networks, global language (for all intents and purposes-English), Asian population migrations into the west, western companies' movements into the east and eastern companies' into the west, world music (however defined and understood and appreciated). Prior "globalization" through European conquest was unidimensional insofar as power was concerned, but this changed categorically in the twentieth century: whether it was Vietnam winning the "American War" or the "Vietnam War" depending on one's orientation, Edward Saidean critiques of "orientalism," or the mid-century's movements of decolonization. If, as Bahá'u'lláh asserts, "the well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established",4 <http://info.bahai.org/article-1-7-3-1.html#4> it is understandable why Bahá'ís view the twentieth century--with all its disasters--as "the century of light".5 <http://info.bahai.org/article-1-7-3-1.html#5> For these one hundred years witnessed a transformation in both the way the earth's inhabitants have begun to plan our collective future and in the way we are coming to regard one another. While specific parts of the document can be viewed as simplistic or obvious, I see them as profoundly complex, and the document as a whole presents a lens that is broader and deeper than most scholars would accept even today. "Peerless is this Day," Bahá'u'lláh insists, "for it is as the eye to past ages and centuries, and as a light unto the darkness of the times." 8 <http://info.bahai.org/article-1-7-3-1.html#8> Indeed, it is only now that we can look at the entirety of human history and see how the various threads come together in the larger tapestry of human history. This shift is so huge that it will take generations to appreciate the enormity of this perceptual shift. Rereading the document again today, I am impressed with its comprehensiveness. Core ideologies whether of east or west are called into question through a spiritualization of understanding and vision. And, yes, I agree with the comments that note the document's corrective lens for prior misconceptions on the part of individual Bahá'ís (e.g., world peace in 2000 C. E.). All the best to everyone as we begin this new year, Susan _______________________________________ Susan Berry Brill de Ramirez, Ph.D., M.B.A., M.A., B.A. Caterpillar Inc. Professor of English Department of English Bradley University 1501 W. Bradley Avenue Peoria, IL 61625 U.S.A. (309) 677-3888 (309) 677-4560 (fax) [email protected] From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Don Calkins Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 1:50 PM To: Baha'i Studies Subject: Re: Who is writing the future? The Baha'i Studies Listserv On Mar 29, 2009, at 2:55 AM, David Friedman wrote: I have read this booklet and didn't find myself that impressed. It seemed lightweight and if I were a non-Baha'i it's difficult to imagine that I'd suddenly feel reassured about the future. Can someone tell me what's so good about it? As the various cover letters that accompanied the original letter indicated, this was not intended to reassure people about the future, but to get them to thinking about it. It was written by the BIC PIO at the direction of the House of Justice. It was suggested that Baha'is who had been discussing previous more specific Baha'i statements use the ideas in this statement to engage non-Baha'is in a further discussion on the future of mankind and the new millenium. Would it be defined by the principles enunciated in the Writings or would it be defined by those who oppose such ideas. Don C ------------- Understood properly, all man's problems are essentially spiritual in nature. __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[email protected] Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[email protected] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [email protected] Or subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[email protected] Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News (on-campus only) - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[email protected] Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[email protected] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [email protected] Or subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[email protected] Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News (on-campus only) - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
