Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 18, 2001, Page 96
a strong emotional attraction. It is not uncommon for converts to describe having ―mystical
experiences‖ while reading or reciting these scriptures. Baha‘u‘llah is the central figure for
Baha‘i devotion, holding much the same place in a believer‘s affections that Jesus does for
Christians.4
However, belief in the founder of the Baha‘i Faith is held to be inseparable from faith in and
obedience to a divinely-ordained administrative system. Key to the understanding of this is
the doctrine of the Covenant: In order to prevent his religion from falling into schism after
his death, Baha‘u‘llah appointed his eldest surviving son, ‗Abdu‘l-Baha as the leader of the
Faith (1892-1921) and authorized interpreter of his writings. This scriptural provision is
considered to be a covenant between Baha‘u‘llah and his followers, who were expected to
turn to this appointed center. A younger son disputed ‗Abdu‘l-Baha‘s claim to leadership,
causing a family rift which threatened to tear the new faith apart. ‗Abdu‘l-Baha
excommunicated these family members, called their followers ―covenant-breakers,‖ and
ordered that they be shunned. The term ―covenant-breaker‖ has been applied to any
opponent of the successive heads of the Baha‘i Faith, and the strategy has actually been
quite successful at marginalizing and discouraging schismatics and dissidents. While Baha‘i
splinter groups exist, none has ever seriously threatened the mainstream, and most have
withered away over time.
Even dissidents can harbor strong internal inhibitions about creating a breakaway
denomination, leaving them no option other than to submit to the expectations of Baha‘i
authorities or abandon any hope of interacting in a religious community unless they convert
to an entirely different religion.5 In a quite recent phenomenon, alienated Baha‘is have
found a sense of community on the Internet, which allows them to maintain private belief
while either resigning membership or remaining inactive within the Baha‘i organization. The
Universal House of Justice, in response to this, has called the position of leaving the
organization while still claiming to be a believer in Baha‘u‘llah ―self-contradictory,‖ and it
does not recognize such people as Baha‘is.6
Abdu‘l-Baha painted a vivid and fearful picture of the opponents he faced: Covenant-
breakers are regarded as spiritually sick and perverse knowing that they are in error yet
persisting out of pride and a quest for power. They are tricky and smooth-talking, and can
easily lure the unsuspecting into spiritual darkness. The only way to be spiritually safe is to
be ―firm in the Covenant,‖ that is, to obey the central authority and to shun those who have
―broken the Covenant.‖7 This image has carried over to later schismatics and dissidents,
creating a sense, at least among conservatives, that an adherent‘s spiritual well-being can
be measured by loyalty to the House of Justice. This attitude is found in letters from the UHJ
itself where dissent is termed a ―spiritual problem‖ and association with dissidents is called
a ―spiritual danger‖ and ―corrosive.‖8
In a radical departure from its Islamic background and in stark contrast to destructive cults,
the Baha‘i Faith invokes no censure upon those who give up belief in their religion. It is
Baha‘is who create or join an alternative to the main organization, or who refuse to stop
associating with them, that are condemned as spiritually dangerous. According to Baha‘i
law, only the UHJ can excommunicate and give the order to shun, but on a popular level,
internal dissenters and critical former members can be regarded as covenant-breakers.
Baha‘u‘llah envisioned his religion as being governed by elected bodies rather than
professional clerics, and ‗Abdu‘l-Baha further refined this system in his own Will &
Testament. In that document, he appointed his eldest grandson Shoghi Effendi Rabbani as
Guardian (1921-1957), a hereditary position granted executive power and the authority to
interpret scripture.9 Since this first Guardian had no heirs, there can be no further
authorized interpretations and it is largely Shoghi Effendi‘s vision of Baha‘i teaching that
prevails. The majority of the breakaway sects that Baha‘is call covenant-breakers in
a strong emotional attraction. It is not uncommon for converts to describe having ―mystical
experiences‖ while reading or reciting these scriptures. Baha‘u‘llah is the central figure for
Baha‘i devotion, holding much the same place in a believer‘s affections that Jesus does for
Christians.4
However, belief in the founder of the Baha‘i Faith is held to be inseparable from faith in and
obedience to a divinely-ordained administrative system. Key to the understanding of this is
the doctrine of the Covenant: In order to prevent his religion from falling into schism after
his death, Baha‘u‘llah appointed his eldest surviving son, ‗Abdu‘l-Baha as the leader of the
Faith (1892-1921) and authorized interpreter of his writings. This scriptural provision is
considered to be a covenant between Baha‘u‘llah and his followers, who were expected to
turn to this appointed center. A younger son disputed ‗Abdu‘l-Baha‘s claim to leadership,
causing a family rift which threatened to tear the new faith apart. ‗Abdu‘l-Baha
excommunicated these family members, called their followers ―covenant-breakers,‖ and
ordered that they be shunned. The term ―covenant-breaker‖ has been applied to any
opponent of the successive heads of the Baha‘i Faith, and the strategy has actually been
quite successful at marginalizing and discouraging schismatics and dissidents. While Baha‘i
splinter groups exist, none has ever seriously threatened the mainstream, and most have
withered away over time.
Even dissidents can harbor strong internal inhibitions about creating a breakaway
denomination, leaving them no option other than to submit to the expectations of Baha‘i
authorities or abandon any hope of interacting in a religious community unless they convert
to an entirely different religion.5 In a quite recent phenomenon, alienated Baha‘is have
found a sense of community on the Internet, which allows them to maintain private belief
while either resigning membership or remaining inactive within the Baha‘i organization. The
Universal House of Justice, in response to this, has called the position of leaving the
organization while still claiming to be a believer in Baha‘u‘llah ―self-contradictory,‖ and it
does not recognize such people as Baha‘is.6
Abdu‘l-Baha painted a vivid and fearful picture of the opponents he faced: Covenant-
breakers are regarded as spiritually sick and perverse knowing that they are in error yet
persisting out of pride and a quest for power. They are tricky and smooth-talking, and can
easily lure the unsuspecting into spiritual darkness. The only way to be spiritually safe is to
be ―firm in the Covenant,‖ that is, to obey the central authority and to shun those who have
―broken the Covenant.‖7 This image has carried over to later schismatics and dissidents,
creating a sense, at least among conservatives, that an adherent‘s spiritual well-being can
be measured by loyalty to the House of Justice. This attitude is found in letters from the UHJ
itself where dissent is termed a ―spiritual problem‖ and association with dissidents is called
a ―spiritual danger‖ and ―corrosive.‖8
In a radical departure from its Islamic background and in stark contrast to destructive cults,
the Baha‘i Faith invokes no censure upon those who give up belief in their religion. It is
Baha‘is who create or join an alternative to the main organization, or who refuse to stop
associating with them, that are condemned as spiritually dangerous. According to Baha‘i
law, only the UHJ can excommunicate and give the order to shun, but on a popular level,
internal dissenters and critical former members can be regarded as covenant-breakers.
Baha‘u‘llah envisioned his religion as being governed by elected bodies rather than
professional clerics, and ‗Abdu‘l-Baha further refined this system in his own Will &
Testament. In that document, he appointed his eldest grandson Shoghi Effendi Rabbani as
Guardian (1921-1957), a hereditary position granted executive power and the authority to
interpret scripture.9 Since this first Guardian had no heirs, there can be no further
authorized interpretations and it is largely Shoghi Effendi‘s vision of Baha‘i teaching that
prevails. The majority of the breakaway sects that Baha‘is call covenant-breakers in
