Gilberto, At 07:47 PM 12/27/2004, you wrote: >>I'm not sure what you mean. Those seeming exclusive statements in the Bab's >>writings combined with a kind of perennialism (that all religions are fit to >>be universal) make sense from a traditionalist perennialism.<<
But where do you get the perennialism? Doesn't the Bab's reference to each Revelation being perfected in the next one point to a kind of progressive Revelation? >>Where do you go to find out what the "shariah" of the Bab was? I've looked at >>the writings of the Bab but the stuff I've seen tends not to include much >>legislation or commandments.<< Here is a good site: http://www.inventcreat.com/bayan/b0en.html See, for instance, this page: http://www.inventcreat.com/bayan/b4en.html For instance: "It is unlawful to teach books other than the Bayan unless there be therein something relating to Scholastic Philosophy" >>Sure. But your arguments against the Bab being a perennialist made me think >>you were just thinking of the former case.<< I just don't think you have presented sufficient evidence that the Bab held to perennialist, or traditionalist, viewpoints. >>I wouldn't call myself a card-carrying Traditionalist or Perennialist but I >>like the authors I've read from that perspective (Nasr, Schuon, Lings, Eaton) >>and their ideas appeal to me.<< If I were a perennialist, Lex Hixon's approach (similar to Aldous Huxley's) or H.P.B.'s Theosophy would probably appeal to me more than than Schuon's or Guenon's. Traditionalism seems much too conservative to me. >>That's just it though. I think that if God is really speaking and a religion >>is worth its salt, it doesn't need to be replaced by another in order to >>progress.<< However, the major theme of Bab's writings was, in effect, His replacement, and revelational progress has never been a theme of most (any?) major perennialist writers. >>If the revelation is really inspired, then morally sensitive people from the >>particular religious tradiition can still go back to the revelation and apply >>the truth in ways which are appropriate for our times.<< Do you think that the Bab left His revelation to "morally sensitive people" to apply to their times? >>I would think about it differently. Allowing for the moment the possibility >>that Bahaullah really is a Manifestation, then perhaps the claim of the Bahai >>faith to be the most recent progressed faith is a relative one which depends >>on your perspective, just as the Jewish claim that the Torah is valid forever >>(at least it says so in the Bible) is a relative one.<< However, in the case of the Baha'i Faith, it is Baha'u'llah Who regarded His Revelation to be the most recent. >>Sure, and it would also include taking a traditional understanding of "seal >>of the prophets" seriously as well.<< How would you interpret "seal" (khatam) from a traditionalist standpoint? For instance, what if some followers of, say, Meher Baba, claimed to be traditionalists and regarded Baba as the latest prophet, avatar, etc.? Would you accept their claim from their own traditionalist standpoint but reject it from your own? What about if some Baha'is were traditionalists, and there are some, and made similar claims about Baha'u'llah? With regards, Mark A. Foster * 15 Sites: http://markfoster.net "Sacred cows make the tastiest hamburger" -- Abbie Hoffman __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com 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:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu 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/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
