Missionary Research Library collection on the establishment of the Baha'i faith in the United States, 1901 -- 1944
Collection context
- Creator:
- Mírzá Muhammad ʻAlí, 1853-1937, Mirza Badiʻu'llah Effendí, 1871-1950, White, Ruth (Ruth Berkeley), and Missionary Research Library (New York, N.Y.)
- Abstract:
- This collection contains English translations of two letters written by Badiullah and Muhammed Ali to the newly-established House of Justice in the United States, as well as correspondence from 1944 between Ruth White, Grace Provost Bestedo, and Union Theological Seminary regarding controversies about the Mrs. Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler branch of Bahai.
- Extent:
- 0.25 linear feet (0.25 linear feet; 1 box)
- Language:
- English .
- Scope and content:
-
This collection contains five letters that relate to the establishment of the Baha'i faith in the United States. Folder 1 contains the English translations of two letters co-signed by Badi'u'lláh and Muhammad Ali on March 31, 1901, approximately two years prior to the falling out between the two brothers. One is addressed generally to the newly organized Baha'i House of Justice in the United States and contains encouragement for the community. The second is addressed more specifically to the House of Justice president, and praises Dr. Ibrahim George Kheiralla for bringing the "true knowledge" of Bahai to the United States and for setting up an organization there. The authors also respond to queries about the nature of religious divisions in the world. Folder 2 contains three letters: the first from Ruth White to Union Theological Seminary regarding her complaint that the Burke Library had incorrectly categorized her books as being against Baha'i; the second from the librarian in response to Ruth; and a third letter to the librarian, written by Grace Provost Bastedo, which offers an alternative analysis of the various positions put forth in Ruth's letter regarding the Baha'i faith.
- Biographical / historical:
-
The Missionary Research Library was created by John R. Mott in 1914 after the World Missionary Conference, held in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1910. It was created to be a resource for missionaries and to document the missionary movement, and was initially funded by John D. Rockefeller. It was located at the Madison Avenue headquarters of the Foreign Missionary Conference of North America. By the 1920s, funding was becoming scarcer; therefore it was moved to the Brown Tower of the Union Theological Seminary, New York City in 1929. The Library was an important center of information and research. Active missionaries would consult the material of the Missionary Research Library while on furlough. Much of the Library's success was due to the director and librarian, Charles H. Fahs. Upon his retirement in 1948, the MRL's financial difficulties continued until it was finally integrated as one with the Burke Library's collections in 1967. In 2004, the Burke Library was fully integrated with the Columbia University Library System.
Baha'i was established in the nineteenth century and came out of the Shi'a Islamic tradition. Baha'i stresses unity of God, religion, and humanity, and teaches that a progressive revelation of God is manifest in all religions. Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of Baha'i, is believed to be a Divine messenger much like Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. Although Baha'i strives for religious unity, it is not syncretic but is its own distinct religion with doctrines, traditions, moral laws, and organized establishment of leadership and authority. Badi'u'lláh (1867-1950) was the youngest son of Bahá'u'lláh. Early on, he was a supporter of the campaign led by his half-brother, Muhammad Ali (1853-1937), to undermine their oldest brother Abdu'l-Bahá's claim to succession. However, in 1903 Badi'u'lláh rejected Ali's claims and denounced him in a widely circulated letter, Badi'u'llá's Epistle. Ali became known by those who remained loyal to Abdu'l-Bahá as the "Arch-Breaker of Bahá'u'lláh's Covenant." Devotees of Baha'i that follow the tradition as it was handed down to Bahá'u'lláh's successors support the institution of a unified administrative order that they believe to be divinely ordained,with the House of Justice in Israel currently serving as the supreme governing body. The Baha'i faith was brought to the United States in 1893 by Dr. Ibrahim George Kheiralla, who initially set up classes in Chicago. In 1900, a school was established and a board of councils was elected. In 1901 it was organized into the "House of Justice of Baha'is of Chicago, IL," which later became the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States. Mrs. Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler (Julia Lynch Owen, 1882-1961) supported the efforts of Muhammad Ali, and in 1925 co-founded the "New History Society," a reform Baha'i movement in New York City that supported a more broad and universal interpretation of the Baha'i religion, apart from the religious institution of The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is. She was expelled from the religion in 1939 by Abdu'l-Bahá's successor, Shoghi Effendi. Ruth White authored a number of books on behalf of this new movement, and was a vocal defender of Mrs. Lewis Chanler. She argued that Abdu'l-Baha's will and testament, which identified Shoghi Effendi as the successor and established the Baha'i administrative order, was a forgery.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
This collection is open for research.
Onsite storage.
- Terms of access:
-
Some material in this collection may be protected by copyright and other rights. Information concerning copyright, fair use, and reproduction requests can be consulted at Columbia's Copyright Advisory Office.
- Preferred citation:
-
Item description, MRL2: Missionary Research Library collection on the establishment of the Baha'i faith in the United States, 1901-1944, box #, folder #, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.
- Location of this collection:
- Before you visit:
- Researchers must book an appointment at least 5 business days in advance to view special collections material in the reading room. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to one item per hour of appointment time.
- Contact:
- burke@library.columbia.edu