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Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Moojan Momen, Ages and Cycles, bahai-library.com.
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Ages and Cycles
Moojan Momen
1995
Ages and Cycles. Bahá'í sacred history has been divided into
a number of ages and cycles by `Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi.
Although the Bahá'í Faith has its historical roots in the western line
of prophetic religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism, its view of sacred
history also contains elements in keeping with Indian religion in that
it sees time as being cyclical as well as being linear in nature.
1. Universal Cycles and the coming of Manifestations of God.
`Abdu'l-Bahá describes vast "Universal Cycles," stretching over hundreds
of thousands (perhaps millions) of years, at the end of which "great events"
take place as a result of which all traces of the previous cycle are obliterated
and a new cycle begins. Within each Universal Cycle, many Manifestations
of God (q.v.) appear, each linked to a cycle. Thus each of the religions
founded by one of these Manifestations goes through a period of growth,
reaches its zenith or maturity, and then declines. When the decline is
complete and the religion is no longer capable of guiding humanity spiritually,
another Manifestation comes (PUP 93-96).
At the heart of each Universal Cycle, `Abdu'l-Bahá states that there
appears a Manifestation of God whom he names the "great and universal Manifestation."
The appearance of this Universal Manifestation marks the maturity of the
Universal Cycle. All the Manifestations that appear after the Universal
Manifestation "arise under his shadow" and all the previous Manifestations
in that cycle were sent in anticipation of his advent. `Abdu'l-Bahá asserts
that we are now in the Universal Cycle beginning with Adam and that Bahá'u'lláh
is its Universal Manifestation (Foundations of World Unity 54).
Thus the Manifestations that have appeared before Bahá'u'lláh can be considered
to have been part of a cycle leading up to Bahá'u'lláh, a cycle called
the Adamic Cycle (or Cycle of Prophecy) which lasted about six thousand
years, and the Manifestations that will appear after Bahá'u'lláh are part
of the Bahá'í Cycle (or Cycle of Fulfillment, CF 80). This Bahá'í Cycle
initiated by Bahá'u'lláh, during which many further Manifestations of God
will arise and lasting about five hundred thousand years, should not be
confused with the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh, which is expected to be
a period of a thousand years or more during which the specific teachings
given by Bahá'u'lláh will hold sway until the coming of the next Manifestation
of God. The Bab is seen as being at the interface between the Adamic and
Bahá'í Cycles--at one and the same time the conclusion of the first and
the start of the second (GPB 54).
Hence each individual Manifestation of God has his own individual cycle,
in which his religion grows, matures, and declines; is part of a larger
cycle, either the Adamic Cycle or the Bahá'í Cycle; and these larger cycles
are in turn set within the overall Universal Cycle. Although time is thus
in some ways cyclical, the cycles that occur within each Universal Cycle
do not result in a return to the initial point. Rather there is also an
element of progression. Each Manifestation of God has the function of guiding
humanity in its social and spiritual evolution (see "Progressive Revelation").
2. Ages within the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh. Shoghi Effendi
has divided the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh into three ages. The first
of these, the "Primitive," "Heroic," or "Apostolic Age" began with the
Declaration of the Bab in 1844. It is divided into three epochs corresponding
to the ministries of the Bab (1844-53), Bahá'u'lláh (1853-92), and `Abdu'l-Bahá
(1892-1921). Shoghi Effendi states that this first age concluded with the
death of `Abdu'l-Bahá in 1921 and "more particularly" with the death of
Bahiyyih Khanum in 1932 (WOB 98).
The second age is called the "Formative" or "Iron Age." It also divided
into epochs. The first of these lasted until 1944 (CF 5) or 1946 (MBW 19)
and covers the period during which the Bahá'í administrative order was
being set up by Shoghi Effendi. The second epoch, which lasted until 1963,
was marked by the global spread of the Bahá'í Faith. The third epoch, which
lasted until 1986 was characterized by the emergence of the Bahá'í Faith
from obscurity and the initiation of social and economic development plans.
The present epoch, which is the fourth epoch of the Formative Age, is considered
to have begun in 1986 and is to be marked by the national Bahá'í communities
taking on the responsibility for their own development.
3. Epochs and stages of the Divine Plan. In his writings, Shoghi
Effendi has also marked out various stages in the evolution of the process
of the spread of the Bahá'í Faith and the establishment of its administrative
institutions throughout the world set in motion by `Abdu'l-Bahá's Tablet
of the Divine Plan (q.v.). He writes of a twenty-year delay in the implementation
of this plan while the administrative institutions of the Bahá'í Faith
were being established (CF 32). The first epoch of the Divine Plan thus
began in 1937. The first stage of this epoch constituted the first American
Seven Year Plan (1937-44) and was marked by the spread of the Bahá'í Faith
in Latin America. The second American Seven Year Plan (1946-53) constituted
the second stage and was marked by activities spreading the Bahá'í Faith
throughout Europe. The Ten Year Crusade (1953-63) marked the third stage
of the first epoch and took the Bahá'í Faith to most of the rest of the
world. The second epoch of the Divine Plan began in 1964 and includes successive
stages marked by the Nine Year Plan (1964-73), the Five Year Plan (1974-79),
the Seven Year Plan (1979-86), the Six Year Plan (1986-92), and the Three
Year Plan (1993-96). (MBW 153; CF 62, 113-14; WG 25).
Bibliography. SAQ 160-61; PUP 220; GPB 100; CF 4-6; `Abdu'l-Bahá,
Foundations of World Unity 54
TABLE: BAHA'I SACRED HISTORY
I. PREVIOUS UNIVERSAL CYCLES - of which no trace remains
II. PRESENT UNIVERSAL CYCLE
A. ADAMIC CYCLE, CYCLE OF PROPHECY - lasted approximately 6,000 year
1. Adam 1. Indian religious figures
2. Noah - Krishna
3. Abraham
4. Moses 2. Zoroaster
5. Jesus 3. Buddha
6. Muhammad
+ Other unknown or unspecified prophets
B. BAHA'I CYCLE, CYCLE OF FULFILLMENT - to last 500,000 years
1. The Bab
2. Bahá'u'lláh - Universal Manifestation for this Universal Cycle
a. Heroic, Primitive, or Apostolic Age - 1844-1921 (or 1932 - the
death of Bahiyyih Khanum)
i. Ministry of the Bab (1844-53)
ii. Ministry of Bahá'u'lláh (1853-92)
iii. Ministry of `Abdu'l-Bahá (1892-1921)
b. Formative, Transitional, or Iron Age - 1921 -
i. First Epoch (1921-44/46) - Erection of the Administrative Order
ii. Second Epoch (1946-63) - spread of the Faith beyond the confines
of the Western Hemisphere
iii. Third Epoch (1963-86) - emergence of the Faith from obscurity
and initiation of social and economic development plans
iv. Fourth Epoch (1986- ) - national communities taking on the responsibility
for their own development
v. Successive further Epochs
c. Golden Age
Successive Epochs leading to the Most Great Peace
3. Further Manifestations - under the shadow of Bahá'u'lláh
END OF PRESENT UNIVERSAL CYCLE
III. FURTHER UNIVERSAL CYCLES
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──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Ages and Cycles
Moojan Momen
1995
Ages and Cycles. Bahá'í sacred history has been divided into
a number of ages and cycles by `Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi.
Although the Bahá'í Faith has its historical roots in the western line
of prophetic religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism, its view of sacred
history also contains elements in keeping with Indian religion in that
it sees time as being cyclical as well as being linear in nature.
1. Universal Cycles and the coming of Manifestations of God.
`Abdu'l-Bahá describes vast "Universal Cycles," stretching over hundreds
of thousands (perhaps millions) of years, at the end of which "great events"
take place as a result of which all traces of the previous cycle are obliterated
and a new cycle begins. Within each Universal Cycle, many Manifestations
of God (q.v.) appear, each linked to a cycle. Thus each of the religions
founded by one of these Manifestations goes through a period of growth,
reaches its zenith or maturity, and then declines. When the decline is
complete and the religion is no longer capable of guiding humanity spiritually,
another Manifestation comes (PUP 93-96).
At the heart of each Universal Cycle, `Abdu'l-Bahá states that there
appears a Manifestation of God whom he names the "great and universal Manifestation."
The appearance of this Universal Manifestation marks the maturity of the
Universal Cycle. All the Manifestations that appear after the Universal
Manifestation "arise under his shadow" and all the previous Manifestations
in that cycle were sent in anticipation of his advent. `Abdu'l-Bahá asserts
that we are now in the Universal Cycle beginning with Adam and that Bahá'u'lláh
is its Universal Manifestation (Foundations of World Unity 54).
Thus the Manifestations that have appeared before Bahá'u'lláh can be considered
to have been part of a cycle leading up to Bahá'u'lláh, a cycle called
the Adamic Cycle (or Cycle of Prophecy) which lasted about six thousand
years, and the Manifestations that will appear after Bahá'u'lláh are part
of the Bahá'í Cycle (or Cycle of Fulfillment, CF 80). This Bahá'í Cycle
initiated by Bahá'u'lláh, during which many further Manifestations of God
will arise and lasting about five hundred thousand years, should not be
confused with the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh, which is expected to be
a period of a thousand years or more during which the specific teachings
given by Bahá'u'lláh will hold sway until the coming of the next Manifestation
of God. The Bab is seen as being at the interface between the Adamic and
Bahá'í Cycles--at one and the same time the conclusion of the first and
the start of the second (GPB 54).
Hence each individual Manifestation of God has his own individual cycle,
in which his religion grows, matures, and declines; is part of a larger
cycle, either the Adamic Cycle or the Bahá'í Cycle; and these larger cycles
are in turn set within the overall Universal Cycle. Although time is thus
in some ways cyclical, the cycles that occur within each Universal Cycle
do not result in a return to the initial point. Rather there is also an
element of progression. Each Manifestation of God has the function of guiding
humanity in its social and spiritual evolution (see "Progressive Revelation").
2. Ages within the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh. Shoghi Effendi
has divided the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh into three ages. The first
of these, the "Primitive," "Heroic," or "Apostolic Age" began with the
Declaration of the Bab in 1844. It is divided into three epochs corresponding
to the ministries of the Bab (1844-53), Bahá'u'lláh (1853-92), and `Abdu'l-Bahá
(1892-1921). Shoghi Effendi states that this first age concluded with the
death of `Abdu'l-Bahá in 1921 and "more particularly" with the death of
Bahiyyih Khanum in 1932 (WOB 98).
The second age is called the "Formative" or "Iron Age." It also divided
into epochs. The first of these lasted until 1944 (CF 5) or 1946 (MBW 19)
and covers the period during which the Bahá'í administrative order was
being set up by Shoghi Effendi. The second epoch, which lasted until 1963,
was marked by the global spread of the Bahá'í Faith. The third epoch, which
lasted until 1986 was characterized by the emergence of the Bahá'í Faith
from obscurity and the initiation of social and economic development plans.
The present epoch, which is the fourth epoch of the Formative Age, is considered
to have begun in 1986 and is to be marked by the national Bahá'í communities
taking on the responsibility for their own development.
3. Epochs and stages of the Divine Plan. In his writings, Shoghi
Effendi has also marked out various stages in the evolution of the process
of the spread of the Bahá'í Faith and the establishment of its administrative
institutions throughout the world set in motion by `Abdu'l-Bahá's Tablet
of the Divine Plan (q.v.). He writes of a twenty-year delay in the implementation
of this plan while the administrative institutions of the Bahá'í Faith
were being established (CF 32). The first epoch of the Divine Plan thus
began in 1937. The first stage of this epoch constituted the first American
Seven Year Plan (1937-44) and was marked by the spread of the Bahá'í Faith
in Latin America. The second American Seven Year Plan (1946-53) constituted
the second stage and was marked by activities spreading the Bahá'í Faith
throughout Europe. The Ten Year Crusade (1953-63) marked the third stage
of the first epoch and took the Bahá'í Faith to most of the rest of the
world. The second epoch of the Divine Plan began in 1964 and includes successive
stages marked by the Nine Year Plan (1964-73), the Five Year Plan (1974-79),
the Seven Year Plan (1979-86), the Six Year Plan (1986-92), and the Three
Year Plan (1993-96). (MBW 153; CF 62, 113-14; WG 25).
Bibliography. SAQ 160-61; PUP 220; GPB 100; CF 4-6; `Abdu'l-Bahá,
Foundations of World Unity 54
TABLE: BAHA'I SACRED HISTORY
I. PREVIOUS UNIVERSAL CYCLES - of which no trace remains
II. PRESENT UNIVERSAL CYCLE
A. ADAMIC CYCLE, CYCLE OF PROPHECY - lasted approximately 6,000 year
1. Adam 1. Indian religious figures
2. Noah - Krishna
3. Abraham
4. Moses 2. Zoroaster
5. Jesus 3. Buddha
6. Muhammad
+ Other unknown or unspecified prophets
B. BAHA'I CYCLE, CYCLE OF FULFILLMENT - to last 500,000 years
1. The Bab
2. Bahá'u'lláh - Universal Manifestation for this Universal Cycle
a. Heroic, Primitive, or Apostolic Age - 1844-1921 (or 1932 - the
death of Bahiyyih Khanum)
i. Ministry of the Bab (1844-53)
ii. Ministry of Bahá'u'lláh (1853-92)
iii. Ministry of `Abdu'l-Bahá (1892-1921)
b. Formative, Transitional, or Iron Age - 1921 -
i. First Epoch (1921-44/46) - Erection of the Administrative Order
ii. Second Epoch (1946-63) - spread of the Faith beyond the confines
of the Western Hemisphere
iii. Third Epoch (1963-86) - emergence of the Faith from obscurity
and initiation of social and economic development plans
iv. Fourth Epoch (1986- ) - national communities taking on the responsibility
for their own development
v. Successive further Epochs
c. Golden Age
Successive Epochs leading to the Most Great Peace
3. Further Manifestations - under the shadow of Bahá'u'lláh
END OF PRESENT UNIVERSAL CYCLE
III. FURTHER UNIVERSAL CYCLES
METADATA
Views42440 views since posted 2000; last edit 2024-10-28 06:25 UTC;
previous at archive.org.../momen_encyclopedia_ages_cycles;
URLs changed in 2010, see archive.org.../bahai-library.org
Language
English
Permission
author
Share
Shortlink: bahai-library.com/417
Citation: ris/417
select Collection:
Archives
Articles
Articles-unpublished
Audio
Bibliographies
BIC
Biographies
Books
Chronologies
Compilations
Compilations-NSA
Compilations-personal
Documents
East-asia
Encyclopedia
Essays
Etc
Excerpts
Fiction
Glossaries
Guardian
Histories
Introductory
Letters
Maps
Music
Newspapers
NSA-documents
NSA-letters
Personal
Pilgrims
Poetry
Presentations
Resources
Reviews
Scripts
Software
Statistics
Study
Talks
Theses
Transcripts
Translations
UHJ-documents
UHJ-letters
Video
Visual
Writings
home
sitemap
series
chronology
search:
author
title
date
tags
adv. search
languages
inventory
bibliography
abbreviations
links
about
contact
RSS
new
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