Bahá’í World/Volume 26/Introduction to the Volume
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INTRODUCTION
0w does a person become a “cause of social good,” which, the
writings of the Bahá’í Faith say, is the highest goal to which a human being can aspire? An exploration of answers to this question forms the basis of a number of articles, profiles, and compilations included in T he Bahá’í World 1997—98. The relationship between knowledge and Civilization, for example, is the theme for this year’s compilation of passages from the Bahá’í sacred writings, and the revised text of a presentation by F arzam Arbab 0n the relationship between civilization’s two great systems of knowledge, science and religion, and their role in our individual and social advancement, also features prominently in the volume. “World Watch” takes a look at the issue of moral education, surveying some contemporary Views and outlining a perspective informed by the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith. A profile of the New Era Development Institute in India offers an example of an agency operated by the Bahá’í community that seeks to develop both the spiritual and material aspects of its programs’ participants, giving substance to the Faith’s commitment to achieving a “dynamic coherence” between these two elements of life.
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T IE BAHM WORLD
In addition to these features, The Bahá’í World 1997—98 reports on the World Faiths and Development Dialogue, in which Bahá’í representatives joined with leaders of eight other faith groups as well as top officials of the World Bank to discuss the relationship between spirituality and development. The full text of the document on “spiritual indicators” prepared by the Bahá’í International Community for this gathering is also included, as is an account of the fiftieth anniversary celebrations of the Bahá’í communities in Spain and Luxembourg. Regular updates on the situation of the Bahá’í community of Iran, on the year’s progress on the Mount Carmel construction projects at the Bahá’í World Centre, on the work of the Bahá’í International Community at the United Nations, and the “Year in Review”—a survey of doings by Bahá’í communities around the world—all provide up to date information. Many of the articles are liberally illustrated with color photographs.
Highlights of major messages written by the Universal House of Justice during the year, and statements by National Spiritual Assemblies and the Bahá’í International Community at the United Nations are other regular features, as are resource materials such as current statistics, brief memorial sketches of Bahá’ís who passed away during the year, an annotated list of selected new publications, and a directory of Bahá’í agencies and organizations. A brief introduction to the Bahá’í community, a basic reading list on the Bahá’í Faith, a glossary of terms, and an index are all included for the easy reference of the reader.
The initial series of T he Bahá’í World, the international record of the worldwide Bahá’í community, was published intermittently beginning in 1925. A new series began to appear in 1992, covering the period from 21 April (the beginning of the Bahá’í festival of Riḍván) of one year to the next. The volume provides an authoritative account of the activities and concerns of members of the Bahá’í Faith and constitutes an attractive and useful reference, both for those who are already well acquainted with the Faith and its aims and for those who wish to learn more about it.