Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Báb (Bahá'í Studies) Review

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Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Báb (Bahá'í Studies) ReviewThe corpus of works from the pen of the Bab (["Gate"] Seyyed Ali Muhammad, 1819-1850) forms the scripture of the Babi religion and part of the scriptural background and tradition of the Baha'i Faith. Nader Saiedi, in this book, applies to the writings of the Bab the same thoughtful exploration that he applied to the writings of Baha'u'llah (["Glory of God"] Mirza Husayn-'Ali, 1817-1892) in "Logos and Civilization: Spirit, History and Order in the Writings of Baha'u'llah." Saiedi sheds a clear light on the revelational themes, metaphors, and symbols in these foundational Babi-Baha'i texts. Of particular interest is Saiedi's lucid exposition of the consistency of the Bab's self-concept throughout his writings and during the entire period of his public ministry. Saiedi includes a respectful but incisive critique of some academic writers' misconceptions about supposed "contradictions" in the Bab's thought, or the "development" of his claims. He corrects these misimpressions by careful citation and evidence. The book clearly elucidates the sources for many aspects of the modern Baha'i view of the sacred, situating them within the Bab's foundational discourse on the divine. Saiedi posits that the Bab's intent was a radical realignment of meanings for spiritual ideas and religious terms; what appear to be "developments" in the Bab's thinking are in fact a carefully calculated unfoldment of truths and new meanings geared to the developing capacities of the recipients. Saiedi clearly has a wide grasp of the Bab's writings and even includes his own translations of passages previously unavailable in English to explain his points. This is an indispensable roadmap to the myth (stories serving to unfold higher truth), metaphor and symbol in Babi scripture. I have one suggestion for for improvement: the book would have benefitted from a chart showing the Bab's schema of Divine Action and its relationship to various hierarchies of meaning in the Bab's writings. Because the writings of the Bab are still complex on these points, the reader occasionally has to refer back to other parts of the text to recall Saiedi's analyses in previous chapters. There are also a few minor typographical errors that should be fixed in any reprints or revised editions. These are minor shortcomings. This book is highly recommended for those trying to understand the Babi and Baha'i religions.Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Báb (Bahá'í Studies) Overview
Co-published with the Association for Bahá'í Studies

In 1844 a charismatic young Persian merchant from Shiraz, known as the Báb, electrified the Shí'ih world by claiming to be the return of the Hidden Twelfth Imam of Islamic prophecy. But contrary to traditional expectations of apocalyptic holy war, the Báb maintained that the spiritual path was not one of force and coercion but love and compassion. The movement he founded was the precursor of the Bahá'í faith, but until now the Báb's own voluminous writings—complex, mystical, highly symbolic—have been seldom studied and often misunderstood. Gate of the Heart offers the first in-depth introduction to the writings of the Báb.

Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the author examines the Báb's major works in multifaceted context, explaining the unique theological system, mystical world view, and interpretive principles they embody as well as the rhetorical and symbolic uses of language through which the Báb radically transforms traditional concepts. Arguing that the Bábí movement went far beyond an attempt at an Islamic Reformation, the author explores controversial issues and offers conclusions that will compel a re-evaluation of some prevalent assumptions about the Báb's station, claims, and laws.

Nader Saiedi's meticulous and insightful analysis identifies the key themes, terms, and concepts that characterize each stage of the Báb's writings, unlocking the code of the Báb's mystical lexicon. Gate of the Heart is a subtle and profound textual study and an essential resource for anyone wishing to understand the theological foundations of the Bahá'í religion and the Báb's significance in religious history.


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