Networking our Vision of the Core Concepts of Art
by Ludwig Tuman
A summary of the essential, primary features of the nature and practice of art. > GO TO ARTICLE

Free Will
By `Abdu'l-Baha
Is man a free agent in all his actions, or is he compelled and constrained? > GO TO ARTICLE

A Sacred Tour to the Land of Mystery
By Sylvia Miley
To Kneel and pray with thankfulness that the privilege has been given to recognise “Him Who God shall make manifest”; to plead for forgiveness for shortcomings and humbly ask Him to show the way to be useful, steadfast and obedient. These were the prayers and exhortations that drifted through this pilgrim’s mind. > GO TO ARTICLE  

Creating New Folklore
By Istvan Dely
Folklore, Shoghi Effendi says, is the expression of a people. A people, however, is not a static entity. By law it must change: decay or grow. The Creative Word of God for today is the single most potent agency to empower people to grow. > GO TO ARTICLE

The Soul
The Bahá'í writings affirm that "the soul is a sign of God, a heavenly gem whose reality the most learned of men hath failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind, however acute, can ever hope to unravel." > GO TO ARTICLE

The Search after Truth
By `Abdu'l-Baha
The first principle of the Teaching of Bahá'u'lláh is: The Search after Truth. If a man would succeed in his search after truth, he must, in the first place, shut his eyes to all the traditional superstitions of the past. > GO TO ARTICLE

On Good and Evil
In contrast to a number of other religious doctrines and philosophies, the Bahá'í Faith does not teach that the physical desires of human beings are "evil" or "bad." Everything in God's creation is regarded as essentially and fundamentally good. In fact, the very purpose of the human body and its physical faculties is to serve as a proper vehicle for the development of the soul . As the energies of the body are gradually brought under the conscious control of the soul, they become instruments for the expression of spiritual qualities. It is only undisciplined physical passions that become causes of harm, and hinder spiritual progress. > GO TO ARTICLE

Bahá'í Youth: "A New Kind of People"
The crises affecting all of society always have a particularly devastating impact on its youngest members, who are still in the process of forming the attitudes that will guide their lives. At this turning point in history, when the forces of disintegration are accelerating and the forces of integration still too little understood, many youth feel caught in a maelstrom, unsure of how and why they should respond with hope when their experiences are so fraught with pain. > GO TO ARTICLE

Soul, Spirit and Mind
By `Abdu'l-Bahá
What is the difference between the mind, spirit and soul? > GO TO ARTICLE

The Imperative for Moral Education
A cursory glance at current global concerns points to the need for a renewed emphasis on developing in every individual an inner guide, an ethical vision, or, as many commonly say now, a "moral compass. > GO TO ARTICLE

True Wealth
By `Abdu'l-Bahá
Read what the son of the Founder of the Bahá'í Faith writes about the concept of true wealth and its impact on a person's life. > GO TO ARTICLE

Educating Girls: An Investment in the Future
Bahá'í International Community statement submitted as an official document to the 39th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women 
For twenty five years, the span of a generation, the data have been available to document the correlation between a variety of crucial development indicators and the education of girls. From reductions in infant mortality, fertility, and the incidence of AIDS to improvements in the environment, it has been amply demonstrated that it is the mother's education that makes the difference. > GO TO ARTICLE

Science and Technology for Human Advancement
Statement to the United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development.
The Bahá'í Faith has, since its inception over 100 years ago, considered science and technology essential to the full development of the individual and of society. It has always regarded development as an all-encompassing process -- including the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of all peoples -- and has considered that science and technology, channelled properly, can help to achieve this goal for all nations. > GO TO ARTICLE

Moses
By `Abdu'l-Bahá
As a continuation of the theme of tributes to the Manifestations of God of the past, read what is written in the Baha'i Writings about the the Man that freed a great nation from the chains of captivity, made them contented, brought them out from Egypt, and led them to the Holy Land, Moses. > GO TO ARTICLE
   
Social Cohesion - Prospect and Promise
A statement by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United Kingdom.
The concept of social cohesion as presently most frequently used, is either heavily influenced by economism or at times simply defined by circumstances that reflect its noticeable lack in community life. While this is acceptable at one level in prevailing approaches to current social issues, a wider-ranging, more generally-shared sense of what makes a truly cohesive society would both benefit debate and provide parameters by which individual policies might be evaluated, their objectives defined, and programmes and initiatives directed. > GO TO ARTICLE
   
The Role of Religion in Promoting the Advancement of Women
Written statement to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, distributed officially to all participants.
Properly understood in the context of the oneness of humanity, equality of the sexes must be embraced not only as a requirement of justice but as a prerequisite for peace and prosperity. Nothing short of a compelling vision of peace, and commitment to the values on which it must be based, will have the power to motivate the revolutionary changes in individual behaviour, organizational structures, and interpersonal dynamics called for by the Platform for Action. > GO TO ARTICLE

Muhammad
By `Abdu'l-Bahá
As a continuation of the theme of tributes to the Manifestations of God of the past, read what is written in the Baha'i Writings about the Friend of God, Muhammad. > GO TO ARTICLE

Jesus Christ
By `Abdu'l-Bahá
With Christmas less that two weeks away, read what its written in the Baha'i Writings about the Prince of Peace. > GO TO ARTICLE

Religion and Development at the Crossroads: Convergence or Divergence?
A statement to the World Summit on Sustainable Development by the Bahá’í International Community
Over the course of the 20th century, ethnic, racial and national prejudices have increasingly given way to the recognition that humankind is a single family and the earth its common homeland.  To help bring about this world, the UN has crafted a remarkable framework of international institutions, processes, conventions and global action plans that have helped to prevent conflict and warfare, to protect human rights, to nurture equality between women and men, and to uplift the material conditions of countless individuals and communities. 
Despite these significant achievements, the United Nations has yet to grasp fully both the constructive role that religion can play in creating a peaceful and prosperous global order, and the destructive impact that religious fanaticism can have on the stability and progress of the world. > GO TO ARTICLE

Issues of Concern to the World's Aboriginal Peoples
The suffering of human beings during the twentieth century has nowhere been more acutely felt than in the lives, families, and communities of the world's aboriginal or indigenous peoples. To right the wrongs experienced by aboriginal peoples is a daunting challenge. The experience of the Bahá'í international community, however, provides a measure of hope that humanity can find solutions to the difficulties that have brought such intense suffering and can embark on a process of healing and social development. The solidarity of all the world's peoples will be both a consequence of that process and its most crucial enabling factor. > GO TO ARTICLE