Paradise and Paradigm: Key Symbols in Persian Christianity and the Baha'i Faith (Studies in the Babi and Baha'i Religions, V. 10)

452 Pages·1999·1.873 MB·English

by  Christopher Buck

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title : Paradise and Paradigm : Key Symbols in Persian Christianity
and the Baháà Faith
author : Buck, Christopher.
publisher : State University of New York Press
isbn10 | asin : 0791440621
print isbn13 : 9780791440629
ebook isbn13 : 9780585062464
language : English
subject Heaven--Baha'i Faith, Baha'i Faith--Doctrines, Heaven--
Christianity--History of doctrines--Early church, ca. 30-600,
Syrian Church--Doctrines--History, Heaven--Comparative
studies, Paradise--Comparative studies.
publication date : 1999
lcc : BP388.H43B83 1999eb
ddc : 291.2/3
subject : Heaven--Baha'i Faith, Baha'i Faith--Doctrines, Heaven--
Christianity--History of doctrines--Early church, ca. 30-600,
Syrian Church--Doctrines--History, Heaven--Comparative
studies, Paradise--Comparative studies.
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Page iii
Paradise and Paradigm
Key Symbols in Persian Christianity and the Baha'i * Faith
Christopher Buck
State University of New York Press

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Page iv
Published by
State University of New York Press, Albany
© 1999 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of
this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic,
electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in
writing of the publisher.
For information, address State University of New York Press
State University Plaza, Albany, New York 12246
Production by Dana Foote
Marketing by Patrick Durocher
Cover illustration by Shiew-Yeu Loh
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Buck, Christopher, 1950-
Paradise and paradigm: key symbols in Persian Christianity and
the Baha'i Faith / Christopher Buck.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7914-4061-3 (hc: alk. paper)
ISBN 0-7914-4062-1 (pb: alk. paper)
1. HeavenBaha'i Faith. 2. Baha'i FaithDoctrines.
3. HeavenChristianityHistory of doctrinesEarly church,
ca. 30-600. 4. Syrian ChurchDoctrinesHistory.
5. HeavenComparative studies. 6. ParadiseComparative studies.
I. Title.
BP388.H43 B83 1999
291.2'3dc21 98-45882
CIP
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Page v
For Nahzy Abadi Buck,
Takor, and Taraz

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Page vi
Icon of St. Ephrem in Theotokos
Church in Diyarbakir, Turkey, 1218
C.E. Photograph courtesy of Gabriel
Rabo.
'Abdu'l-Baha *, 1912. Photograph from
the collection of Mr. Albert C. Killius.
Courtesy of the Spiritual Assembly of
the Baha'is* of Springfield, Illinois.

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Page vii
From Baha'u'llah *
From St. Ephrem the Syrian
An Ode on Noah and the Ark "Song of the Holy Mariner"
O NOBLE NOAH! O HOLY MARINER!
Chorus: Glory, Lord, to Thee! Refrain: Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Afloat in the Flood, the All-Ruler's Ark emerged from Bid thine Ark of eternity appear before the Celestial
the East; she winged to the West, wheeled South and Concourse.
then sealed the North . . .
To her Saviour sing! Launch it upon the ancient sea, in His Name, the Most
Wondrous . . .
Her sequence sketched her Defender's Device: her Unmoor it, then, that it may sail upon the ocean of glory . . .
course traced a cross!
With water and wood, Noah, salt of the sea, the O Mariner!
Church did portray . . .
Myth and mystery, Teach them that are within the ark that which We have taught
thee behind the mystic veil.
Ark and Torah tell the self-same story! . . .
Naves echo the Ark, whose meaning they mark . . . Perchance they may not tarry in the sacred snow-white spot.
Faith (though I be frail) shall be, Lord, my ship! But may soar upon the wings of the spirit unto that station
which the Lord hath exalted above all mention in the worlds
below . . .
All those drown in doubt, who would work Thee out! May know the mysteries hidden in the Seas of light.
To Thy Sire we shout!
Saint Ephrem the Syrian (d. 373 C.E.) Baha'u'llah* (d. 1892 C.E.)
An Ode on Noah and the Ark (363-373) Song [or Tablet] of the Holy Mariner (1863)
(Hymns on Faith XLIX. 1; 3-6) (Arabic section)
Translated by Andrew Palmer (1993, 175). Translated by Shoghi Effendi (1922).

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Page ix
Contents
Acknowledgments xiii
I. Comparing Paradises 1
1.0 Objective
1.1 Paradises and Paradigms
1.2 Systems of Symbols
1.3 Key Symbols
1.4 Dimensional Model
1.5 Symbolic Profiles
1.6 Worldview Comparison
1.7 Symbolic Transformation as Paradigm Shift
II. A Historical Profile of Syriac Christianity 37
2.0 Syriac Christianity
2.1 Ephrem the Syrian and Aphrahat * , ''the Persian Sage"
2.2 Syriac Christianity as a Mesopotamian Response to Late Antiquity
2.3 The Universality of the Church of the East: How Persian was Persian Christianity?
III. A Symbolic Profile of Syriac Christianity 85
3.0 Syriac Symbol Theory
Key Scenarios
3.1 Doctrinal: The Way
3.2 Ritual: Robe of Glory
3.3 Ethical: Sons/Daughters of the Covenant
3.4 Experiential: The Wedding Feast
3.5 Mythic: Harrowing of Hell
3.6 Social: Noah's Ark/Mariner
Root Metaphors
3.7 Doctrinal: Physician
3.8 Ritual: Medicine of Life
3.9 Ethical: The Mirror

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3.10 Experiential: The Pearl
3.11 Mythic: Tree of Life
3.12 Social: Paradise
3.13 The Syriac Paradigm of Purity
IV. A Historical Profile of the Baha'i * Faith 135
4.0 Introduction
4.1 Baha'u'llah*
4.2 The Baha'i* Faith as a Response to Modernity
V. A Symbolic Profile of the Baha'i* Faith 181
5.0 Baha'i* Symbol Theory
Key Scenarios
5.1 Doctrinal: The Promised One
5.2 Ritual: The Covenant
5.3 Ethical: Illumination
5.4 Experiential: Lover and the Beloved
5.5 Mythic: The Maid of Heaven
5.6 Social: The Crimson Ark and the Holy Mariner
Root Metaphors
5.7 Doctrinal: Physician
5.8 Ritual: Wine/Water of Life
5.9 Ethical: Mirror/Gems
5.10 Experiential: The Journey
5.11 Mythic: Lote-Tree/Sinai
5.12 Social: Paradise
5.13 The Baha'i* Paradigm of Unity
VI. Paradise Similarities and Paradigm Differences 227
6.0 Procedure for Dimensional Analysis
6.1 Doctrinal
6.2 Ritual
6.3 Ethical
6.4 Experiential
6.5 Mythic
6.6 Social
VII. Paradise and Paradigm 259
7.0 Introduction
7.1 Sapiential Theosis* : A New Reading of Ephrem the Syrian's Hymns on Paradise
7.2 Paradise and Society in Baha'i* Texts

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