Concerning Bahaism and to be a religion and regarding transformations in modern periods of time, Peter Smith[1] [1] introduces Bahaism to be agreeable with modern religious pattern which is harmonious with modernism cultural-social ideals.[2] [2] However, “Michael Sergeev” has deeper attention to the political idea of Bahaism [3] and has evaluated the relation between religion [4] and Bahaism focused on the political transformations of religion of modern era.
Dividing periods of time into pre-modern and post-modern, he believes that the religious modern movements have a shared characteristic contrary to pre-modern creeds. To explain more, the religious movements which were expanding before awakening era could accept the modern thought or reject it.
However, they couldn’t overcome the new thoughts because their holy book rudiments have been fixed and unchangeable.[3] [5]
According to him, the modern religions can be delicately replaced as a divine and holy one by secular worldview.[4] [6] A modern religion is not able to compete successfully with traditions remained from pre-modern periods of time unless it creates its special attraction and that attraction must be beyond the claiming for spiritual and moral reforms.
On the other hand, a modern human being can bond him/herself hard with a new religious movement; because the god of the religious new movement is not the same as the god of pre-modern religions in presenting a social-political doctrine.[5] [7] So, it won’t be superior to awakening project.[6] [8]
Consequently; although the modern religious movements are quickly advancing and trying to fill the spirituality space, but they won’t be successful in long-termed period of time without investigating the contemporary social issues.
After stating the above-mentioned introduction Sergeev claims for the Baha’i faith as the mere modern religious tradition which is beyond modernity and has been successful in presenting a social political view.
He explains that Bahaullah (Hussein Ali Nouri) has written and investigated modernity in most of his writings, but he has made it as a turning point for his religion. In his book” Iqan”, he discusses about organized religion crisis in the modern period of time.
Although Sergeev has spoken about political-social aspects more than everything and, introduced it having long-termed programs, he generally considers the Baha’i faith as a religious post-modernism tradition which has used awakening method as a base for its development and at last it has been replaced by the modern thought.
Such position has generally created a special attraction and the individualistic one for Bahaism regarding modernism; transformations particularly its awakening thought.
Sugeev’s reasoning can be interpreted as follows:
A) Bahaism is a (religious) newly-emerged modern movement which has been created in challenge between the traditional religions and modernity. Consequently, the relation of religion and Bahaism must be considered as a follow of awakening era reforms.
B) According to the previous proposition, presenting a rationalist worldviews to do social reforms based on the freedom of human being, equality and justice, democratic elections, multi-party political separating powers, and separating religion from government are of the most important principles of awakening era. Additionally, Bahaism possesses the capacity for accepting the mentioned principles in long-termed period of time. Thus, Bahaism can be assumed as a newly-emerged successful religion.
Due to having modern values such as the equality between man and woman, freedom in various dimensions, acceptance of law government, pay attention to developing science and technology, regarding human rights, Bahaism is in accordance with awakening principles, but the awakening principles haven’t been created in it cos teachings like chastity, the combination of religion and government, preventing organized opposition and lack of women’s expediency to be the members of the universal house of justice are not in accordance with awakening teachings.
So, Bahaism is more progressed than Catholic thought, but it won’t be in the level of liberal reforms.
In brief, sergeev considers Bahaism as an ideology and evaluates the relation of religion and Bahaism in this domain. It should be paid attention that Sergeev’s speech in analyzing the relation of religion and Bahaism is not based on the theory of religious evolution; although they are similar.
The basis of sergeev’s reasoning is focused on specific time interval in which the awakening thought has been formed.
The mentioned views are from the western thinkers’ ones who don’t have deep and correct recognition of the divine religions particularly the holy religion of Islam. They can’t understand that Islam is for all eras and its tea teachings free the wandered human being out of the then one.
Source: the book “Bahaism in transition periods of time” pp. 154-157.
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[۱] [10] Peter Smith, a historian which is specialist in Bahaism
[۲] [11] Smith, Peter (2008), “An introduction to the Baha’i faith, Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press
[۳] [12] Sergeev (2015), p.59.
[۴] [13] Ibid.
[۵] [14] political social doctrine in pre-modern religions defined in the form of (the religious law pattern).
[۶] [15] Ibid.