APPENDIX 2: Study Guide

Bahá’í Academy, Panchgani

CENTURY OF LIGHT[1]

A Study Guide

#	FOREWORD (Unit 1)	Page #	Para #
1.	Why should Bahá'ís thoughtfully study Century of Light?
	CENTURY OF LIGHT
2.	Why should Bahá'ís grasp the significance of the history of the twentieth century?
	I (Unit 2)
3.	How did humanity bring ruin upon itself during the last century?	1	1.1–1.2
4.	How was the majority of the human family victimized by the western powers?	3–4	1.6-1.7
5.	What were the accomplishments of the peoples of the West?	4	1.8
6.	What was the spiritual situation of humanity at the turn of the century?	5	1.9-1.10
7. ☺	Compare the beginning of last century with the beginning of this century.	☺
	II
8.	What did 'Abdu'l-Bahá resolve to proclaim?	7	2.1
9.	What is the meaning of the CENTURY OF LIGHT?	8–9	2.2-2.3
10.	Explain how the quotation starting with, “Rather, should they view…” (p. 9) is a call to a new level of understanding, commitment, and action.	9	2.3.1
11.	What are the characteristics of the new culture that 'Abdu'l-Bahá brought about?	10–12	2.6-2.10
12.	What are some of the greatest names in Persian Bahá'í history?	12	2.11
13.	What do you know about the victory of the earliest years of the Master?	13	2.14-2.14.1
14.	How is it that the fame of the Master preceded him to Europe?	15	2.18-2.19
	III (Unit 3)
15.	What brought joy to the heart of 'Abdu'l-Bahá?	17	3.1-3.1.1
16. ☺	Why is an appreciation of the circumstances in which the Cause expanded in the West vital for us today?	17–18 ☺	3.2
17.	Why is the heroism of the early Western Bahá'ís as affecting as that of their Persian coreligionists?	18	3.3
18. ☺	In what way should our response to the Five Year Plan be similar to the activity of the early Western believers?	19 ☺	3.5-3.5.1
19.	How qualified, in worldly terms, was the Master when He embarked on His journey to the West?	19	3.6-3.6.1
20.	What did the Master proclaim? List His proclamation in points.	21-22	3.10
21. ☺	What are the means to achieve the goals identified by 'Abdu'l-Bahá? How do they relate to the current Five Year Plan?	22	3.11
22.	How did 'Abdu'l-Bahá demonstrate the way in which the spiritual and the practical must interact?	22–23	3.12
23.	How were the Western Bahá'ís able to grasp what the Cause required of them?	23	3.14
24.	What was the secret bond between the individuality of the believers and the community?	24	3.16
25. ☺	How does this relate to the three components of “accelerating the process of entry by troops”?	☺
26.	What, in the final analysis, is the revolutionary change required in the structure of society, and to what should human nature submit?	25	3.18
27.	How did 'Abdu'l-Bahá announce that he was the Center of the Covenant? (See drama in video of the World Congress 92)	26	3.19-3.20.1
28.	Who violated the Covenant? What did they do? And what became of their efforts?	26–28	3.21-3.24
29. ☺	What do you think will be the fate of the Covenant-breakers of today and tomorrow?	☺
	(Unit 4)
30.	What was the view of the Communist Party regarding religion?	30	3.31
31. ☺	Compare the pressure that science and technology were exerting on the prevailing order at the turn of last century with its influence on the prevailing order today.	☺
32.	Why is President Woodrow Wilson described as an extraordinary statesman?	32–33	3.36-3.39
33.	What are the closely related developments that are associated with the dawn of world peace?	34	3.41
34.	Why was the League of Nations stillborn?	34–35	3.41.1-3.42
35.	What action did 'Abdu'l-Bahá take to ensure the proclamation of the Faith all over the world? Explain.	35-36	3.44
36. ☺	How is our current Five Year Plan related to the Tablets of the Divine Plan?	☺
37.	Who should play a leadership role in establishing the Cause throughout the Planet? Who gave them this responsibility?	36–37	3.44.1-3.45
38.	What event dramatically illustrates the spiritual triumph of the Master?	37	3.47
	IV
39.	How long will it take for the potentialities released in the Formative Age to unfold?	39	4.1
40.	Who was 'Abdu'l-Bahá?	39–40	4.2
41.	What were His achievements?	40–41	4.3
42. ☺	Explain the two conditions for unity in the first paragraph on page 41.	41 ☺
43. ☺	How can these two conditions be integrated in the teaching work today?	☺
44.	Explain the definition of unity given in the second paragraph on page 41.	41	4.5
45.	What will ensure the unity of the Bahá'í Cause?	41–42	4.6-4.7
46.	What is an important fact for present day Bahá'ís to understand?	42	4.8
	V (Unit 5)
47.	What are some positive developments that occurred after the 1st World War?	43–44	5.1-5.2
48.	What were some of the challenges that faced Shoghi Effendi at the beginning of his ministry?	45–49	5.5-5.14
49. ☺	What is the vital role that Bahíyyih Khánum played in guarding the interests of the Cause after the Master’s death? (Research topic)	48 ☺
50.	Why is the “sad history” referred to in the first line of page 49 important to an understanding of the Cause?	49	5.14
51.	Explain the last sentence, starting with, “The fate of this most privileged but unworthy…” of the first paragraph on page 49.	49	5.14
52.	What is the vision that provided the organizing force of Shoghi Effendi throughout the thirty-six years of his guardianship?	49	5.15
53.	What is the metaphor used by Bahá'u'lláh, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi to describe this culminating point in human history?	50–51	5.16-5.16.1
54. ☺	How do the characteristics of the “stage of adolescence” mentioned in the first two lines on page 51, relate to the current affairs of the world today?	51 ☺
55. ☺	In what way do you think will the outcome of the twin forces of “integration” and “disintegration” that came about in the twentieth century (page 52) alter the condition in which the Bahá'í Cause would pursue its mission in the decades lying ahead?	☺	5.19
56. ☺	In what way does the paragraph starting “let us pray…” (page 53) relate to the current Five Year Plan?	53 ☺	5.21.1
57.	What was the “obstacle” that proved to be “too great a test” to some valued coworkers?	54–55	5.24-5.27
58.	What is the mainspring of the unification of humankind?	56	5.28
59.	With what was the process of civil incorporation begun?	57	5.31
	(Unit 6)
60.	Who is responsible for the world’s greatest tragedies? How?	59	5.36
61.	What happens when the yearning for belief is blocked?	59–60	5.37
62.	What are the “triple gods” identified by Shoghi Effendi?	60	5.38
63.	Why is humanity’s worship of idols important?	62	5.42
64.	What were the results of humanity’s following its own ideologies?	63	5.43
	VI
65.	What role did women play in promoting the Faith in the West?	65–66	6.2-6.2.1
66.	How was the spread of the Faith affected when Local Spiritual Assemblies came into being?		6.5
67. ☺	In what way are the two paragraphs starting, “By the sublimity and serenity…” (Page 67) and “Theirs is the duty…” (Page 68) relevant to the current thrust of the Five Year Plan?	67–68 ☺	6.6.1-6.8.1
68.	How do the goals of the Seven Year Plan, outlined on page 68, relate to the goals of the current Five Year Plan?	68
69. ☺	Prepare an outline for a short drama based on the first paragraph, “Rúhíyyih Khánum has pointed …” (page 69)	69 ☺	6.10
70.	What is history? Make a list.	70	6.13
	(Unit 7)
71.	In what way does the sentence, “Inherited assumptions, institutions and priorities that had been progressively undermined by forces at work during the first half of the century, were crumbling” (page 71) apply today?	71	6.16
72. ☺	How does the phrase, “…the principle of collective action in defense of peace gradually took on the form of military intervention such that of the Gulf war…” relate with the summons of Bahá'u'lláh to the Kings and Rulers of the earth?	72 ☺	6.19
73.	What is the meaning of, “… a corner had been turned…?”	74	6.23
74. ☺	Is a corner being turned today?	☺
75. ☺	What do you know about these persons: Ann Frank, Martin Luther King Jr., Paolo Freire, Ravi Shankar, Gabriel Garcia Marques, Kiri Te Kanawa, Andrei Sakharov, Mother Teresa, Zhang Yimou, Nelson Mandela?	74 ☺	6.24
76. ☺	What is the significance of mentioning these names in THE CENTURY OF LIGHT?	☺
77. ☺	In which Tablet did Bahá'u'lláh commend a number of historical figures? Name a few of them.	☺
78.	What marked a fundamental change of direction in the use and distribution of wealth?	75	6.25
79.	List some of the major changes that occurred after the 2^nd World War.	70–76
80.	In what way are the goals of the current Five Year Plan comparable with the goals of the “Spiritual Crusade” of 1953–1963?	77–78	6.30-6.30.1
81.	How many National Spiritual Assemblies were there in 1953?	77	6.30
82.	How many National Spiritual Assemblies elected the Universal House of Justice in 1963?	81	6.40
83.	What are the two legacies of the Hands of the Cause of God?	82	6.43
	VII (Unit 8)
84. ☺	Rúhíyyih Khánum described a never-ending process, which resulted in the success of Shoghi Effendi’s efforts. What is this process and how does it relate to the Five Year Plan?	85 ☺	7.7
	VIII
85.	How is “materialism” described?	89	8.6-8.7
86.	What is at the heart of the current crisis of civilization?	90	8.8-8.9
87.	What will the establishment of world government requires of national governments?	91	8.13
88.	What is the context in which Bahá'ís must strive to appreciate the victory of the Cause in 1963?	92	8.14
89.	Who is responsible for establishing world government?	94	8.19
90.	What is the duty of the Bahá'í Community at this stage of human evolution?	94	8.19
91.	With what does the Cause influence the course of History?	94	8.20
	IX (Unit 9)
92.	What are the two parallel tracks along which the Faith proceeded between 1963 and 2000?	97	9.1
93.	What was the crucial decision taken by the House of Justice at an early point in the period? Elaborate.	97–98	9.2
94.	What is the duty of the Continental Board of Counsellors?	98	9.2
95.	What is the duty of the International Teaching Center?	98	9.2
96.	What are the processes that will continue indefinitely in all plans?	98-99	9.3
97.	What lends a unifying force to everything the Bahá’í Community does?	99	9.3
98.	Elaborate on, “The Faith’s growth meant that…” (Last sentence on the 2^nd paragraph, page 100)	100	9.7
99.	What are the great problems that came about as a result of the burst of enrolments?	101	9.10
100.	When did discouragement set in?	101	9.11
101.	What were the principle effects of the setback?	102	9.12
102.	What are the 8 major questions that came to light as a result of the setbacks?	102	9.12
103. ☺	What is your response to each one of these questions?	☺
104.	What effect did these challenges have on the Bahá'í World and what was the net result?	102	9.13
105.	Why did social and economic development become important?	103	9.14
106.	What were the characteristics of the Persian Bahá'í Community during the early decades of the century?	103	9.14
107.	What is OSED? When and where was it created? What does it do?	103	9.15
108.	What happened in the decade following 1983?		9.16
109.	What is the ISGP?	105	9.19
110.	What are some outstanding achievements of India?	104–105	9.17-9.19
111.	Why could the Malaysian Bahá'í Community win it goals with “stunning speed”?	105	9.20
112.	What will be one of the most brilliant chapters in the history of the Faith?	106	9.21
113.	What is the extraordinary achievement of the Liberian Community?	106	9.22
114.	What provided compelling evidence of the success of Bahá'í teaching around the world?	107	9.23
115.	What developments occurred in China?	107–108	9.25
116.	What was the difference between the Bahá'í Community of 1964 and 1996?	108	9.26
117.	What were the greatest strength and the greatest handicap of the masses among whom the Faith spread?	108	9.27
118.	What progress has been made in the long-term process by which a universal system of Bahá'í education will take place?	110	9.31
119.	What has Bahá'u'lláh come to do and what does the Divine Plan entail?	110	9.34
	X (Unit 10)
120.	Beyond the building of Bahá'í Community, what is the mission of the Revelation of God?	113	10.1
121.	What efforts were made by Bahá'u'lláh, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi in the field of external affairs?	113-115	10.1-10.7
122.	What crises greatly advanced Bahá'í involvement with the Larger Society?	115, 117	10.5,10.10
123.	When was the “Bahá'í International Community” accredited at the UN? Who established it? What role did it play?	116–117	10.6,10.8
124. ☺	Throughout the history of the Faith, at moments it was subjected to great oppression and injustice, outstanding individuals and nations have arisen in verbal defense of its central figures and/or its oppressed communities. Briefly, give an outline history of this process.	117 ☺
125. ☺	In general terms, what prompted these individuals and nations to arise in the defense of the Faith?	☺
126.	What effect did the steadfastness of the believers in Iran have on the Bahá'í and non-Bahá'í world?	118–120	10.12-10.17
127.	How has the human rights system of the United Nations benefited from the long struggle of the Bahá'ís?	121–122	10.18-10.19
128.	What was the effect of The Promise of World Peace on the Bahá'í Community?	122	10.20
129.	What was the effect of The Promise of World Peace on the relationship between the Bahá'í International Community and the UN?	127–128	10.22-10.25
130.	What victories did the National Spiritual Assemblies of Germany and Brazil win?	124-125	10.26-10.27
131.	What do you think the effect of Century of Light will be on the Bahá’í Community?	☺
132. ☺	What type of effort can be identified as being part of external affairs?	☺
133. ☺	What are the objectives of external affairs?	☺
134. ☺	Have you carried out any activity that can be considered “external affairs”? (If yes, what, when?) Is there any external affairs activity that you can carry out? (If yes, what, when?)	☺
	XI (Unit 11)
135.	Explain briefly the current status of each of the Seven Candles of Unity.	127–128	11.1
136. ☺	Briefly, how much of the transformation that the world went through in the twentieth century was prefigured in the Tablet of the Seven Candles of Unity?	☺
137.	What were the three major international gatherings that marked the end of one millennium and the beginning of a new one?	129	11.7-11.9
138.	What was the significance of each of these events?	129–130	11.7-11.9
139.	Why was the Millennium Summit met with skepticism, cynicism, and apathy?	131–134	11.11
140.	What are the benefits and threats of globalization?	133–135	11.15-11.18
141.	What are the forces eroding the powers of the nation-state?	132–133	11.14
142.	What is the greatest danger?	135	11.19
143.	How is “Western civilization” described?	135	11.19
144.	What is the future of Western civilization?	135	11.20
145.	What do Bahá'ís see in present-day society?	136	11.21
146.	What is the ultimate issue for Bahá'ís?	136	11.22
	XII (Unit 12)
147.	What is the phenomenon that has recurred?	137	12.2
148.	What did the struggles of the twentieth century achieve?	138	12.3
149.	What will this breakthrough lead to?	138	12.3
150.	What is the mission of long duration that the Bahá'ís of the world embarked upon after the election of the Universal House of Justice?	139–140	12.6
151.	What strengthened the process?	140	12.7
152.	What is a feature of the past hundred years?	140	12.8
153.	What is a distinguishing feature of the Bahá'í Cause?	142–143	12.11
154.	What bounty of Bahá'u'lláh are we to appreciate with respect to the lifetime of Rúhíyyih Khánum?	143	12.13
155.	What are contributions that the Bahá'í Community will continue to make but which are secondary to its purpose?	144	12.16
156.	What is the purpose of the Bahá'í Community?	144	12.16

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[1] CENTURY OF LIGHT, Bahá’í World Centre, 2001, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, India, 1st Indian Edition, April 2001