The Spirit of `Abdu'l-Bahá's Journey to the West and its Multidimensional Significance

By Farhad Sabetan

First presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #102
Bosch Baha'i School: Santa Cruz, California, USA
May 18–22, 2011
(see list of papers from #102)


    For the first time in the history of religion, the Leader of a religion, appointed by the Founder of the religion to be His Successor, traveled to a different continent to personally bring its message to a new society. The significance of `Abdu'l-Bahá's travel to the Western hemisphere and his approach are examined here. Specifically, the following questions are explored? What were the general themes of `Abdu'l-Bahá's message to the West and what could have been the motives for what He shared? What form or approach did `Abdu'l-Bahá utilize to convey his message? What were the impacts of His travel to the West? Finally, what lessons could be learnt from `Abdu'l-Bahá's manner and the content of His message that could be applicable for today?

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