Advent of Divine Justice

From Bahai9

Read online at http://bahai-library.com/?file=shoghieffendi_advent_divine_justice.html

Contents 1 The need to read 2 This epistle is the "Bahá'í Charter of Teaching" 3 Character Building and Ethics 4 Study Questions: 5 Brief Outline of its Contents (by section): 6 By page 7 See also

The need to read

• no. 1.A. and 2.D. at [1]

This epistle is the "Bahá'í Charter of Teaching"

"...this epistle {The Advent of Divine Justice}...has been rightly described as the Bahá'í Charter of Teaching..."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Antipodes, p. 152)

Character Building and Ethics

"The course on character building ... the Guardian feels, is particularly important and should be given due emphasis and studied carefully and thoroughly specially by the young believers in attendance at the school. Those standards of Bahá'í conduct, which he himself has set forth in his last general epistle, 'The Advent of Divine Justice', and which it should be the paramount duty of every loyal and conscientious believer to endeavor to uphold and promote, deserve serious study and meditation, and should constitute the main central theme of this year's program....

"The principles and methods laid down by the Guardian in his 'Advent of Divine Justice' on this vital subject of Bahá'í ethics, should indeed prove of invaluable inspiration and guidance to all the students and friends attending the Summer School classes, and thus prepare them to better appreciate the privileges, and more adequately discharge the responsibilities, of their citizenship in the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, May 20, 1939: Ibid., p. 10, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1905)

Study Questions:

• http://www.bahai-library.com/study/adj.questions.html

Brief Outline of its Contents (by section):

(Now at http://bahai-library.org/file.php?file=zamir_advent_justice_outline )

• 1 - Need and opportunities to arise to teach (esp. for (North)-American believers)
• 2 - Moral/Social Needs in Teaching in American nations
  • Reason for American believers' Special Role/Distinction and need to impact the country's morals as a whole (par. 1-5, 7)
    • Need to embody the country's positive characteristics (par. 6)
  • Moral/Social prerequisites for successful teaching (par. 8-10, 32)
    • Rectitude of conduct (esp. for elected representatives) (par. 11-17)
    • Chaste and holy life (esp. youth) (par. 18-23)
    • Freedom from racial prejudice (esp. between black and white) (par. 24-31)
  • Need and encouragement to overcome tests and criticism (par. 33-35)
• 3 - Individual Teaching and the Seven Year Plan
  • Seven Year Plan (par. 1-2)
  • Importance of teaching (par. 3-4) and Urgency of Teaching (par. 8-12)
  • Opportunities for all, even the most humble in teaching (par. 5-7)
  • Preparation for teaching
    • Study (par. 13)
    • Learn the language where they may pioneer (par. 14)
    • Individual initiative in devising and executing personal teaching plans (par. 15-16)
    • Work closely with teaching agencies (esp. pioneers) (par. 17)
    • Incorporate concern for teaching in all facets of life (personal circumstances, with Assembly, in summer school, travel-teaching) (par. 18)
    • Particular need to enhance diversity by attracting "Negro, the Indian, the Eskimo, and Jewish races" (par. 19)
  • Pioneering (agency and individual responsibilities and encouragement)
    • Toward establishing Faith in isolated centers and setting up institutions (par. 20, 22, 23, 28-30)
    • Needs inside the U.S. (par. 21)
    • Role of Canada (par. 21)
    • Need to arise (and encouragement) (par. 24-27)
    • Special administrative tasks (material resources, literature, publicity, survey of circumstances) (par. 31) including Translation (par. 32)
    • Need for pioneers to associate with diverse peoples and familiarize selves with culture (par. 33)
    • Need for those unable to pioneer to attract such immigrants (though not proselytizing) (par. 34)
    • Need for pioneers to strive for financial independence (par. 35, 37)
    • Need for pioneers to collaborative with sending agency and with fellow believers (par. 36)
  • Special role/boldness of women in teaching (par. 38)
  • Youth appeal (par. 39)
  • Special importance of Panama and other Central/South American countries (par. 40)
• 4 - Encouragement (ends with supporting passages from Bahá'u'lláh - par. 7-13)
• 5 - Destiny of American nation as a whole

By page

• 57- Qur'án, 2:261

See also

• Moral education