Image of Christ in the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, The
(cross-published as Occasional Papers Vol. 1)By Maryam Afshar
Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #46 (English)
Bosch Bahá'í School: California, US
May 1-4, 2003. Presented Friday, 11:30-12:30Abstract:
`Abdu'l-Bahá in his talks and letters addressed to the believers of
the West referred most of the time to Christ. His audience being in majority Christians
could better relate to, and understand, the Master's message through Christian
examples.
If we consider the chronology of the events, 'Abdu'l-Bahá started addressing
some Christian subjects in his talks given at table in Akka during 1904-1906 to
guests and pilgrims from Christian background compiled in Some Answered Questions.
When 'Abdu'l-Bahá started his journey to Europe in September 1911 and
to the United States in April 1912 his goal was to proclaim for the first time
the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh to the Christian West. Inevitably allusions
to Christ were numerous.
'Abdu'l-Bahá has drawn a parallel between Christ and Bahá'u'lláh
and also he has elucidated the meaning of some of Christ's words and explained
the main traditional Christian doctrine such as incarnation, resurrection, trinity,
baptism, etc In doing so he has brought a new, refreshing and eye-opening view
on these subjects.
'Abdu'l-Bahá has also addressed the prophecies on the coming of Christ,
but the image of Christ that 'Abdu'l-Bahá has depicted in his talks and
letters is multifarious. This presentation will examine the following facets:
Christ as Manifestation of God, the Word of God, the Unifier, the Sun of Truth,
and the Educator-Teacher.
Paper:
Preface
For many centuries the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and the main beliefs of Christianity have been the subject of many disputes and interpretations by both friends and foes. It was and still is quite natural that those with a Christian background, whether Bahá'ís or non-Bahá'ís, who encounter the Bahá'í Faith be interested in knowing the Bahá'í views on those age old topics. It is with regard to such interests and inquiries that Images of Christ in the Writings of Abdu'l-Bahá is published as an occasional paper.
Images of Christ in the Writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá is the text of a presentation by Maryam Afshar delivered to the Forty-Sixth Session of the `Irfán Colloquium held at Bosch Bahá'í School in Santa Cruz, California, in May 2003. It is an attempt to present a vision of Jesus Christ, and an elucidation of some Christian beliefs from the perspective of the Bahá'í Faith, as described by `Abdu'l-Bahá. This portrayal depicts various aspects of the image of Christ as it appears in the written and spoken words of `Abdu'l-Bahá. In addition, the Bahá'í interpretations of some of the major Christian beliefs such as the birth of Christ, the trinity, the symbolism of the bread and wine, the original sin, and the resurrection are presented in the second part of this paper.
`Abdu'l-Bahá (1844-1921) was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892), the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He was appointed by Bahá'u'lláh as His successor to be the leader of the Bahá'í community and the sole authorized interpreter of Bahá'í scripture. The contents of this occasional paper consist mainly of quotations extracted from the Writings and public utterances of `Abdu'l-Bahá.
`Irfán Colloquia started in 1993 and have continued to be held annually in North America and Europe. The main aim and purpose of `Irfán activities are to foster systematic study of the scriptures of the world's religions from the point of view of the Bahá'í Faith, and to promote scholarly studies in the sacred writings, essential verities, and fundamental principles of the Bahá'í belief system. `Irfán Colloquia and seminars are held annually in the English, German and Persian languages. `Irfán is a Persian-Arabic word referring to mystical, theological, and spiritual insight and knowledge.
It is hoped that the publication of this paper will help those interested in Christian subjects find Bahá'í answers to some of their questions, and that it will encourage further studies.
Iraj Ayman
Chicago, USA
March 2004
this paper is not yet online
|
