This second edition of Gerald Keil's thought-provoking book includes new material on the practical application of the Badí' calendar as well as examining its historical background and symbolic significance.
The Badí' calendar is derived directly from the revealed writings of both the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh and is a component part of the revelation of Bahá'u'lláh. The inherent symbolism of the calendar, however, has until now remained largely unexplored, so that the systematic investigation presented by this wide-ranging, impressive study is no doubt the first of its kind.
One of the main themes of the book is that the Badí' calendar is creative in the sense that, through its symbolic association with different aspects of the Bahá'í Faith, it can serve to represent and illustrate many of the central tenets of the Faith. Symbol and object converge in the Badí'
calendar in a manner which is unique in the entire revelation.
The full effect the Badí' calendar will have on society is hardly predictable at present or in the near future. Just as the actual unfolding of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh will reveal to future generations aspects of practical and spiritual life which we cannot even imagine today, so too will
the world-wide application of the Badí' calendar exert an influence on the physical and spiritual rhythm of life in a fashion and to a degree which we cannot yet appreciate. The meaning of the Badí' calendar will first become fully evident to those privileged to live in the pulse of this future World Order.
