A World Without War 'Abdu'l-Baha and the Discourse for Global Peace

June 2020 marks one hundred years since the two historic Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá were delivered to the Central Organization for a Durable Peace at The Hague. The Tablets, combined with His public talks that were presented during His travels in the West between 1911 and 1913, offer comprehensive insights about Bahá’u’lláh’s panoramic vision for the attainment of universal peace. In this volume, the historical circumstances that shaped nineteenth-century peace movements and the catastrophic impact of the First World War are examined. During the time these significant events were unfolding, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was actively engaged in promoting a clear understanding of the Bahá’í perspective on peace. Far more than simply focusing His discourse on the means to end wars, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá offered the holistic, all-inclusive vision for global peace—the oneness of humanity—outlined in the writings of Bahá’u’lláh. This book illustrates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s engagement with intellectuals and leaders of thought on the subject of the implementation of peace. His example has continuing relevance for the state of the world and the discourse on peace in the twenty-first century.

Janet Khan is a former member of the Research Department at the Bahá’í World Center in Haifa, Israel. After completing a doctorate in counseling at the University of Michigan, she held academic positions at the University of Michigan and the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Her research interests include gender issues, the role of women in religion, aspects of social change, and the evolution of the Bahá’í system of administration. Her previous books are Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith (Bahá’í Publishing, 2005). Professor Hoda Mahmoudi has held The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland, College Park since 2012. As director of this endowed academic program, Professor Mahmoudi collaborates with a wide range of scholars, researchers, and practitioners to advance interdisciplinary analysis and open discourse on global peace. She studies structural racism, women and peace, frontiers of globalization and governance, and challenges in the globalization of the environment.