Dear Susan, Thanks for sharing the ABS talk by Steven Birkland. He makes a several good points.
I have just a couple of comments. 1) The story of the thieves and the bastinado is told in Star of the West and 'Abdu'l-Baha actually tells the Baha'is this: 'In this way I shall train you. “Kam-kam,” “kam-kam” (little by little, little by little,) until your powers of endurance become so increased that you will serve the Cause of God continually, without other motive, without other thought or wish. This is my desire.' (Words of 'Abdu'l-Bahá reported in Star of the West, Volume IV, No. 6 (June 24 1913) pp. 104-105. Excerpted by Allan Ward in 239 Days: 'Abdu'l-Bahá’s Journey in America, pp. 203-206) I can't find Steven's version of "Abdu'l-Baha's reasons anywhere. Of course they may be his understanding of 'Abdu'l-Baha's comments, but he actually attributed them to the Master. 2) I have often wondered about the Age of Frustration since Shoghi Effendi only used that nomenclature once as follows: "To the catastrophic fall of mighty kingdoms and empires, on the eve of Abdu'l-Baha's departure, Whose passing may be said to have ushered in the opening phase of the Age of Transition in which we now live, I have, in a previous communication, briefly alluded. The dissolution of the German Empire, the humiliating defeat inflicted upon its ruler, the successor and lineal descendant of the Prussian King and Emperor to whom Baha'u'llah had addressed His solemn and historic warning, together with the extinction of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the remnant of the once-great Holy Roman Empire, were both precipitated by a war whose outbreak signalized the opening of the Age of Frustration destined to precede the establishment of the World Order of Baha'u'llah. Both of these momentous events may be viewed as the earliest occurrences of that turbulent Age, into the outer fringes of whose darkest phase we are now beginning to enter." (World Order of Baha'u'llah, p.171) My reading of that paragraph makes me believe that the Age of Frustration is slightly different from the Age of Transition. The two ages with which have experience both appear to be mainly concerned with the processes of the Faith and the reaction of humanity. And the transition from one to another was determined by an internal event; the passing of 'Abdu'l-Baha. In contrast the Age of Frustration starts with the outbreak of the WWI and the two salient events remarked on by Shoghi Effendi are the dissolution of two political empires. It is almost as if the Age of Frustration is primarily concerned with events in the non-Baha'i world and is not just another name for the Age of Transition. Thanks again for posting the talk, David __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, use subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]
