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Attitudes and Environment

21. “Such a chaste and holy life, with its implications of modesty, purity, temperance, decency, and clean mindedness, involves no less than the exercise of moderation in all that pertains to dress, language, amusements, and all artistic and literary avocations. It demands daily vigilance in the control of one's carnal desires and corrupt inclinations. It calls for the abandonment of a frivolous conduct, with its excessive attachment to trivial and often misdirected pleasures… It condemns the prostitution of art and of literature* … It can tolerate no compromise with the theories, the standards, the habits, and the excesses of a decadent age...”

Shoghi Effendi, “The Advent of Divine Justice" (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1990), p. 30. (From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #25)

* The Universal House of Justice, in a letter dated 15 March 1972 written on its behalf, has elucidated this phrase of the Guardian in this manner: "As to your question about the 'prostitution of arts and literature' we understand by this, using art and literature for debased ends."
 

22. “There is certainly no harm in classical dancing or learning dancing in school. There is also no harm in taking part in dramas. Likewise in cinema acting. The harmful thing, nowadays, is not the art itself but the unfortunate corruption which often surrounds these arts. As Bahá'ís we need avoid none of the arts, but acts and the atmosphere that sometimes go with these professions we should avoid.”

Letter to a National Spiritual Assembly on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 30 June 1952. (From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #42)
 

23. “More generally, the House of Justice feels that one of the great challenges facing Bahá’ís everywhere is that of restoring to the peoples of the world an awareness of spiritual reality. Our view of the world is markedly different from that of the mass of mankind, in that we perceive creation to encompass spiritual as well as physical entities, and we regard the purpose of the world in which we now find ourselves to be a vehicle for our spiritual progress.
       This view has important implications for the behaviour of Bahá'ís and gives rise to practices which are quite contrary to prevailing conduct of the wider society. One of the distinctive virtues given emphasis in the Bahá’í Writings is respect for that which is sacred. Such behaviour has no meaning for those whose perspective on the world is entirely materialistic, while many followers of the established religions have debased it into a set of rituals devoid of true spiritual feeling...
     Bahá’ís endowed with artistic talent are in a unique position to use their abilities, when treating Bahá’í themes, in such a way as to disclose to mankind evidence of the spiritual renewal the Bahá'í Faith has brought to humanity through its revitalization of the concept of reverence.
     Questions of artistic freedom are not germane to the issues raised here. Bahá’í artists are free to apply their talents to whatever subject is of interest to them. However, it is hoped that they will exercise a leadership role in restoring to a materialistic society an appreciation of reverence as a vital element in the achievement of true liberty and abiding happiness.”

Letter to an individual on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, 24 September 1987. (From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #60)
 

24. “O thou son of the Kingdom! All things are beneficial if joined with the love of God; and without His love all things are harmful, and act as a veil between man and the Lord of the Kingdom. When His love is there, every bitterness turneth sweet, and every bounty rendereth a wholesome pleasure. For example, a melody, sweet to the ear, bringeth the very spirit of life to a heart in love with God, yet staineth with lust a soul engrossed in sensual desires.”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá” (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1978), par 154.3. (From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #17)
 

25. “Publicity itself should be well conceived, dignified and reverent. A flamboyant approach which may succeed in drawing much initial attention to the Cause may ultimately prove to have produced a revulsion which would require great effort to overcome. The standard of dignity and reverence set by the beloved Guardian should always be upheld, particularly in musical and dramatic items; and photographs of the Master should not be used indiscriminately. This does not mean that activities of the youth, for example, should be stultified; one can be exuberant without being irreverent or undermining the dignity of the Cause.”

The Universal House of Justice, Letter to all National Spiritual Assemblies, 2 July 1967. (From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #43)

Subject Matter

26. “We cannot possibly foresee, standing as we do on the threshold of Bahá’í culture, what forms and characteristics the arts of the future, inspired by this Mighty New Revelation, will have. All we can be sure of is that they will be wonderful; as every Faith has given rise to a culture which flowered in different forms, so too our beloved Faith may be expected to do the same thing. It is premature to try and grasp what they will be at present.”

Letter to an individual on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 23 December 1942. (From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #37)
 

27. “What you could do, and should do, is to use your stories to become a source of inspiration and guidance for those who read them. With such a means at your disposal you can spread the spirit and teachings of the Cause; you can show the evils that exist in society, as well as the way they can be remedied. If you possess a real talent in writing you should consider it as given by God and exert your efforts to use it for the betterment of society.”

Letter to an individual on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 30 November 1932. (From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #32)
 

28. “Every word of thy poetry is indeed like unto a mirror in which the evidences of the devotion and love thou cherishest for God and His chosen ones are reflected. Well is it with thee who hast quaffed the choice wine of utterance and partaken of the soft flowing stream of true knowledge. Happy is he who hath drunk his fill and attained unto Him and woe betide the heedless. Its perusal hath truly proved highly impressive, for it was indicative of both the light of reunion and the fire of separation.”

Bahá’u’lláh, “Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas” (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1995), pp. 175-76. (From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #6)
 

29. “It is natural for the heart and spirit to take pleasure and enjoyment in all things that show forth symmetry, harmony, and perfection. For instance: a beautiful house, a well designed garden, a symmetrical line, a graceful motion, a well written book, pleasing garments in fact, all things that have in themselves grace or beauty are pleasing to the heart and spirit therefore, it is most certain that a true voice causes deep pleasure.”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as recorded by Mrs. Mary L. Lucas in “A Brief Account of My Visit to Acca” (Chicago: Bahá’í Publishing Society, 1905), pp. 11-14. (From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #24)
 

30. “As to your question concerning the advisability of dramatizing Bahá’í historic episodes: the Guardian would certainly approve, and even encourage that the friends should engage in such literary pursuits which, no doubt, can be of immense teaching value.”

Letter to an individual on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 25 July 1936.
(From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #35)
 

31. “Shoghi Effendi […] is very glad to know that you have liked "The DawnBreakers", for his greatest reward is to see that this work, which has cost him much labour and anxiety, is helping the friends to understand better and more fully the spirit that animates the Movement and the exemplary life of the heroic souls that ushered it into the world. […] It is surely true that the spirit of those heroic souls will stir many artists to produce their best. It is such lives that in the past inspired poets and moved the brush of the painters.”

Letter to an individual on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 20 June 1932.
(From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #29)
 

32. “Obviously, in addition to accuracy, it is important to uphold the dignity of the personages being portrayed.”

Letter to a National Spiritual Assembly on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, 5 October 1983. (From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #54)

Further Considerations on Subject Matter

33. “Generally speaking, works of fiction which the writers hope will help to promote knowledge of the Cause of God will fulfil this purpose better if they are set against the background of particular events or developing processes in the Cause of God, and not used to portray the actual historical events themselves and the figures taking part in them. The reality of the actual events and the actual personages is so much more convincing than any fictional account.”

Letter to an individual on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, 23 September 1980. (From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #51)
 

34. “The medium of a novel offers a great deal of latitude for an author to elaborate ideas and areas of thought hitherto unexplored. You should be careful, however, not to ... give interpretations that may not be correct if the Faith and its Teachings are to be explicit in the novel. If, on the other hand, there is no clear connection to the Faith in the novel, you would be free to use your imagination in exploring any ideas which have as their source the principles of the Faith.”

Letter to an individual on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, 15 February 1994. (From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #68)
 

35. “What he wishes the believers to avoid is to dramatize the personages of the Báb Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l Bahá, that is to say to treat them as dramatic figures, as characters appearing on the stage. This, as already pointed out, he feels would be quite disrespectful. The mere fact that they appear on the scene constitutes an act of discourtesy which can in no way be reconciled with their highly exalted station. Their message, or actual words, should be preferably reported and conveyed by their disciples appearing on the stage.”

Letter to an individual on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 25 July 1936.
(From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #35)
 

36. “The Guardian made it clear that this prohibition refers to all the Manifestations of God; photographs, or reproductions of portraits, of the Master may be used in books, but no attempt should be made to portray Him in dramatic or other works where He would be one of the "dramatis personae". However, there can be no objection to symbolic representation of such Holy Figures, provided it does not become a ritual and that the symbol used is not irreverent.”

Letter to an individual on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, 3 December 1972. (From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #45)
 

37. “We see no objection to the use of natural phenomena as symbols to illustrate the significance of the three Central Figures, Bahá’í Laws, and Bahá’í Administration; and we also appreciate the suitability of using visual symbols to express abstract concepts.”

Letter to an individual on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, 29 July 1971. (From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #59)
 

38. “The prohibition on representing the Manifestation of God in paintings and drawings or in dramatic presentations applies to all the Manifestations of God. There are, of course, great and wonderful works of art of past Dispensations, many of which portrayed the Manifestations of God in a spirit of reverence and love. In this Dispensation however the greater maturity of mankind and the greater awareness of the relationship between the Supreme Manifestation and His servants enable us to realize the impossibility of representing, in any human form, whether pictorially, in sculpture or in dramatic representation, the Person of God's Manifestation. In stating the Bahá’í prohibition, the beloved Guardian pointed out this impossibility.”

Letter to an individual on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, 9 March 1977. (From “The Importance of the Arts” compilation, #49)

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Page 1

* Introduction

* The Role of Drama & the Arts in the Bahá’í Community

* The Place of the Arts in the Current Priorities

Page 2

* The Source of the Arts

* Drama & Education