Bahaism and Its Claims: A Study of the Religion Promulgated by Baha Ullah and Abdul Baha

In Short

This book is a deeply critical examination of the Bahá’í Faith, written by a veteran missionary who spent thirty-two years residing in Persia. It details the movement’s evolution from its roots in Shiah Islam through the leadership of Baha Ullah and Abdul Baha. The author’s primary goal is to deconstruct the religion's claims of being a divine, universal revelation that supersedes Christianity. By analyzing its historical documents, internal schisms, and moral codes, the book provides a rigorous—if harshly partisan—historical perspective on the movement's development in both the Orient and the Occident.

The Story

The narrative begins by situating the emergence of Bahaism within the context of Persian sectarianism, specifically the Babist movement. The author traces how Baha Ullah transitioned from a follower of the Bab to a self-proclaimed "Manifestation of God," effectively creating a new religion that sought to distance itself from the political and religious strife of its origins. The account describes a process of deliberate historical revisionism, wherein the leadership—most notably Abdul Baha—worked to suppress the history of rival claimants and earlier, more radical iterations of the faith.

As the movement moved its headquarters to Acca (Acre), the narrative shifts to the internal dynamics of the exile community. The author highlights the profound disillusionment and "internal fires of dissension" that plagued the followers, characterizing the history of the movement as one marked by schisms, accusations of heresy, and even instances of violence and alleged murder among competing factions. The author presents evidence of how the leadership navigated these conflicts, often employing censorship and the "persuasion of poison" to maintain unity and silence dissenters.

The second half of the book moves from internal history to theological and social critique. The author systematically dismantles the movement's claim to be a universal religion. He argues that its laws—ranging from its unique calendar and alphabet to its regulations on marriage, divorce, and criminal justice—are either derivative of existing customs or inadequate for modern governance. Particular focus is placed on the movement's relationship with Christianity. The author asserts that Bahaism is "emphatically antichristian" because it demotes Christ from his unique status as the son of God and elevates Baha Ullah to a superior divine position.

The book concludes by examining the movement's expansion into the West, particularly its reception in the United States. The author portrays the American followers as victims of "great swelling words" and hyperbolic claims regarding the peace-making capabilities of their leaders. He contends that while Abdul Baha spoke of harmony and the elimination of racial prejudice in his public lectures, these ideals were often undermined by the movement’s actual history of intolerance toward those who rejected the "Centre of the Covenant." The book ends on a note of warning, framing the Bahá’í system as a potential "priestcraft" that would, if given authority, impose an absolute and unchallengeable regime over the lives and consciences of humanity, ultimately functioning as a form of clerical control that is incompatible with democratic governance and individual liberty.

How It Unfolds

The roots of dissent The book opens by tracing the Persian origins of the movement, detailing its progression from Sheikhiism to the Bab and eventually to the exile of Baha Ullah. It establishes the author's primary thesis: that the movement is a patchwork of preexisting religious traditions rather than a truly novel revelation.

The struggle for succession A significant portion of the middle chapters is devoted to the bitter conflict between Baha Ullah and his rival, Subh-i-Azal. The author utilizes historical accounts to show how the movement's leadership systematically obscured the role of the latter to solidify their own authority.

The theological challenge The argument shifts to an analysis of the "Akdas" and other sacred writings, which the author evaluates as moral and legal codes. He critiques the specific doctrines of divinity and manifestation, contrasting them sharply with traditional Christian theology.

The critique of universalism The latter section scrutinizes the practical application of the faith, including its marriage laws and its political ambitions for a "House of Justice." The author concludes by arguing that the movement's promises of unity and peace are contradicted by its history of internal strife and exclusion.

The People

The central figures are Baha Ullah and his son, Abdul Baha. Baha Ullah is portrayed as a shrewd, ambitious leader who successfully navigated the dangerous political landscape of Persia and the Ottoman Empire to establish his own "Manifestation." The author presents him as a man who wielded power through his "tablets" and legal decrees, while simultaneously maintaining a traditional harem. Abdul Baha is depicted as his master strategist, a man who possessed a talent for public relations, especially when traveling to the Occident. The author portrays him as a master of "talk," who carefully tailored his message for Western audiences by emphasizing universal virtues while obscuring the more rigid and controversial elements of his father's law. In contrast, Subh-i-Azal appears as the tragic, overlooked rival—the legitimate successor to the Bab who was eventually pushed into obscurity by the successful political maneuvering of his half-brother, Baha Ullah. These figures are surrounded by a cast of early American converts and Persian followers, whom the author describes as largely susceptible to the "boasting" and "empty claims" of their leaders.

In Its Own Voice

The author highlights the movement's tendency toward grandiloquence, noting how the literature of the faith often describes its own founder in absolute, superlative terms:

"One book of the Blessed Perfection is more comprehensive than fifty volumes of the world's greatest wisdom."

The author argues that this, and other such claims, are not substantiated by the contents of the works, which he characterizes as merely ethical maxims and rhapsodies. He also critiques the movement's internal history of conflict:

"The pages of its history are henceforth filled with tales of dissension and disruption; of anathemas and accusations; of heresy and apostacy reiterated and reciprocated with increasing bitterness; of fratricidal assassinations and persecutions."

What It's Really About

The book is an intense study of the nature of religious authority and the dangers of absolutist claims. At its core, it asks whether a movement that seeks to redefine the foundations of history and morality can maintain its integrity when its origins are found to be fraught with internal conflict and historical revisionism. It is a polemic against the replacement of traditional Christian dogma with what the author considers a "patchwork" of human-made laws and divine pretensions. Ultimately, it addresses the question of whether a religion can truly promote global unity when its own internal organization is built upon the rejection and ostracization of those who do not submit to its specific, infallible leadership.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the history of religious movements or the complexities of nineteenth-century missionary literature will find this book a revealing primary document. It offers a rare, ground-level view of how a contemporary observer from the Christian mission field interpreted the rise of the Bahá’í Faith during a period of rapid global expansion.

However, prospective readers should be prepared for the author’s explicitly partisan tone. The writing is steeped in the theological assumptions and, at times, the colonial-era attitudes of the early twentieth century. The prose is dense, formal, and occasionally repetitive, as it leans heavily on a vast array of footnotes and citations to build its legalistic case. You will not find a neutral description of the faith here; rather, you will find a combatant in a heated theological and historical debate. The book is valuable specifically because it preserves the intensity of the friction between the Bahaism of the time and the established religious orthodoxy of the West. It remains a fascinating study in the mechanics of religious controversy, showing how historical facts can be contested, reinterpreted, and wielded as weapons in the struggle for spiritual influence.