Rethinking Religion and Politics in a Plural World: The Baha'i International Community and the United Nations

by Julia Berger

Overview

In this book, Julia Berger examines internal meaning-making structures and processes driving NGO behavior, identifying constructs from within a religious tradition that forge new ways of pursuing social change. She evaluates the operation of a distinct rationality, arguing that action is guided not simply by beliefs and values, but also by a combination of elements so intrinsic as to constitute an "organizational DNA." These hidden structures and rationalities manifest themselves in new modes of engagement and agency; they help us to see the pivotal role of religion in shaping notions of peace, progress, and modernity.

To demonstrate the operation and salience of such a rationality, Berger draws on the example of the worldwide Baha'i community. Emerging in 19th century Iran, the community's theological engagement with questions of justice, the unity of humankind, and the emerging global order, constitute one of the most distinct and compelling, yet least-researched examples of religious engagement with the pressing questions of our time. Analyzing events spanning a 75-year period from 1945-2020, this book provides a unique historical and contemporary perspective on the evolving role of religion and civil society in the modern world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781350203662
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	07/28/2022
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.47(d)

About the Author

Julia Berger holds a PhD in Theology and Religious Studies from the University of Kent, UK. She is Adjunct Professor at Montclair State University, USA and serves as Executive Officer of the Association for Baha'i Studies - North America. From 2004-2015, she was Principal Researcher at the Baha'i International Community's United Nations Office.

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. Discerning Organizational Rationale
2. Forging a Global Polity: The Bahá'í International Community on the World Stage
3. Rationale and Engagement: The United Nations through a New Lens (1945-1970)
4. A Question of Authority: Articulating and Actuating the Rationale (1970-1986)
5. Beyond Peace: The Greater Trajectory of Social Development (1986-2008)
6. Rationale and Coherence: Seeking Alignment Between Means and Ends (2008-2015)
7. A Counter-Rationality: Expanded Notions of Religious Polity in the Modern World
Index
Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

"In addressing the Baha'i International Community's engagement with the UN, Julia Berger does so much more. She highlights how the fundamental perspectives of this religious NGO (RNGO) shapes its goals, approaches, methodology, and contributions to wider society. This thought provoking and scholarly study is compelling in encouraging us to drop simplistic presumptions about RNGOs and acknowledge the resources from which they draw in contributing to the work of the UN." --Nazila Ghanea, Director of International Human Rights Law Programmes, University of Oxford, UK

"A thoughtful, earnest, well-researched look at a little-known phenomenon." --Jeffrey Haynes, Emeritus Professor, London Metropolitan University, UK

From the Publisher