Fundamentalism in the Contemporary U.S. Baha'i Community
This article considers the ways in which the Baha'i faith in the United States has become more fundamentalist in the past four decades. It looks at trends toward an increasing emphasis on doctrinal and behavioral conformity, resulting in greater exclusivism and sectarianism in what on the surfa...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Springer
2002
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| In: |
Review of religious research
Year: 2002, Volume: 43, Issue: 3, Pages: 195-217 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | This article considers the ways in which the Baha'i faith in the United States has become more fundamentalist in the past four decades. It looks at trends toward an increasing emphasis on doctrinal and behavioral conformity, resulting in greater exclusivism and sectarianism in what on the surface appears to be a liberal and universalistic tradition. Building on the Marty and Appleby Fundamentalism Project, it shows a trend in the community toward a strong reaction against the marginalization of religion, selectivity about the tradition and about modernity, moral dualism, absolutism and inerrancy, millennialism, an elect membership, sharp boundaries, authoritarian organization, and strict behavioral requirements. It also demonstrates that Baha'i fundamentalists see the civil state and academic scholarship on religion as their "negative counterparts." It considers the impact on the community of the big wave of conversions of the 1970s and the influx of immigrant Iranian Baha'is fleeing the Khomeinist regime. It further notes that fundamentalist Baha'is have became prominent in some key sectors of the Baha'i administration and employ their authority to exclude Baha'i liberals. In some recent instances, Baha'i liberals have simply been dropped from the membership rolls with no formal procedure. |
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| ISSN: | 2211-4866 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Review of religious research
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/3512329 |