The Body of God
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| The Body of God (2022) by A Reader’s Guide to Bahá’u’lláh’s Súrih of the Temple |
Contents[edit]
Table of Illustrations
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1: Some Tools Necessary for a Study of the Súriy-i-Haykal
- Some Foundational Assumptions Incorporated in a Bahá’í Perspective
- The Rationale for Physical Creation
- The Essential Reality of Human Nature
- The Need for Educators
- New Wineskins for the New Wine
- History as a Spiritual Dynamic
- The Temple and the Ontology of the Manifestations
- The Bahá’í Concept of the Revelatory Process
- The History of the Delegation of Authority
- The Stage of Maturation
- Why the Bahá’í Perspective Is Essential to This Study
- The Philosophical/Theological Context
- The Historical/Cultural Context
- Bahá’u’lláh’s Declaration of His Station and Mission
- The Second Declaration
- The Third Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh
- The Fourth Declaration
Chapter 2: Exegesis and the Súriy-i-Haykal
- The Epistemological Limitations of a Materialist Perspective
- Why a Bahá’í Perspective Disallows Some Critical Theories
- Some Clarification on Bahá’í Scholarship
- Exegesis, Hermeneutics, and the Assumption of Authority
- The Distinction between Authoritative Interpretation and Personal Study
- Religious Exegesis Gone Awry
- The Deification of Christ
- Muhammad as Seal of the Prophets
- Bahá’u’lláh’s Caution about So-called Authoritative Exegesis
- Three Types of Bahá’í Exegesis
- Interpretations from Translation
- Historical Review and Interpretation
- Explicit Interpretations or Exegesis
- Three Types of Bahá’í Exegesis
Chapter 3: Context and Key Symbols
- Some Strategic Symbols
- The Use of the Haykal in the Ringstone Symbol
- The Symbolic Meanings of the Word “Haykal”
- Various Ancient and Contemporary Meanings of the Pentacle
- The Pentangular Knight
- The Historical Context
- An Allegorical Dialogue in the Siyah-Chal
- The Twin Stations of the Prophets of God
- Constructing the Temple
- The Literal Edifice
- The Symbolic Edifice
Chapter 4: The Construction and Preparation of the Temple
- The Functions and Capacities Assigned to the Various Parts of the Temple
- O Eyes of this Temple!
- O Ears of this Temple!
- O Tongue of this Temple!
- O Feet of this Temple!
- O Breast of this Temple!
- O Inmost Heart of this Temple!
- Some Conclusions about These Symbolic Allusions
Chapter 5: What “The Maid” Inspires Bahá’u’lláh to “Say”
- Revealing the Word of God
- Themes the Maid Exhorts the Temple to Disclose
- The Theme of Grace
- Constancy in Proclaiming the Faith of God
- The Mirrors
- The Final and Most Lengthy Homiletic Matter
- Ye Manifestations of My Names
- O Concourse of Divines and Learned Amongst Men
- The “People of the Bayan”
- The Trumpet Call
Chapter 6: The Letter to Pope Pius IX
- The Second Coming
- To the Pontiff Himself
- Let Deeds Be Thy Adorning
- To Christians and People of Other Religions
- The Effects of the Pope’s Rejection of Bahá’u’lláh
Chapter 7: The Letter to Napoleon III
- The Return of Christ
- Rehearsal of the Original Message
- The Three Concluding Themes
- The Obligations of a Ruler
- Guidance for This “Day” to the People of France and the World
- Bahá’u’lláh Concludes with Final Advice to the Emperor
Chapter 8: The Letter to Czar Alexander II
- The Propitious Position of the Czar
- To the Czar as a Christian Ruler
- Inescapable Proof
- The Most Great Peace
- The Station of the Monarch Who Recognizes Bahá’u’lláh
Chapter 9: The Letter to Queen Victoria
- To the Queen Regarding Governance
- The Dramatic Interruption of Bahá’u’lláh’s Cautionary Admonitions
- Bahá’u’lláh’s Specific Admonitions to Rulers of the Earth
- The Sudden and Unexpected Shift
Chapter 10: The Letter to Naṣíri’d-Dín Sháh — Part One: Background and Initial Considerations
- Important Background Information Underlying the Context of the Letter
- The Tone of the Letter
- Similar to His Treatment of Mirza Yahya
- Why Attempt to Reason with the Shah?
- Foreknowledge and Mercy
- The Symphonic Structure of the Epistle
- A Man Like Others, Asleep upon My Couch
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Authoritative Interpretation and Explication of This Statement
- The Background Theme of Bahá’u’lláh’s Life
- Prayers and Their Themes
- The First Prayer
- The Second Prayer
- The Third Prayer
- The Fourth Prayer
Chapter 11: The Letter to Naṣíri’d-Dín Sháh — Part Two: Baha’u’llah’s Guidance to the Sháh
- The Major Themes of the Súriy-i-Haykal in the Letter to the Sháh
- The Delegation of Authority
- The Attendant Theme of Justice
- The Specific Advice and Admonitions to the Shah
- Accusations Against the Friends of God
- A New Revelation from God
- The Parallels to the Treatment of the Fourth Imam
- The Purity of Motive, the Value of Suffering, and the Urgency of the Moment
- The Purity of His Motive
- The Urgency of the Moment
- Bahá’u’lláh’s Final Words to the Sháh
Chapter 12: The Contemporary Relevance of the Súriy-i-Haykal
- The Body of God
- How the Súriy-i-Haykal Clarifies Misunderstandings in Prior Revelations
- The Delegation of Authority to Humankind through “The Body of God”
- The Purpose of Creation
- The Hadith of the Hidden Treasure
- The Social Imperative in Spiritual Development
- The Súriy-i-Haykal and the Path to the Lesser Peace
- The COVID-19 Pandemic
- Justice and the Twin Pillars of Reward and Punishment
- The Unfortunate Retrenchment from a Global Outlook
- The Birth of a New Vision
- A New Plan to Help Usher in a New Age
- An Active Approach to the Lesser Peace
- The Abiding Relevance of the Súriy-i-Haykal
Appendix: A Structural Outline of the Complete Súriy-i-Haykal
