Miscellaneous theology and philosophy

Though my interest in the probing the rationale for a physical creation was responsible for bringing forth one sequence of books, there were other specific questions arose over time to which I also deigned to discover answers in the authoritative Bahá’í texts. These were also undertaken not so much to demonstrate my prowess as scholar or writer, but rather to enjoy basking in the knowledge that lay only slightly concealed within the limitless ocean of the revealed works of Bahá’u’lláh, as well as in the other authoritative texts of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi as Guardian, and the unerring guidance of the Universal House of Justice.

As I have said often—because I think it merits repeating—I have undertaking these tasks with the joy of asking whatever questions I did not feel I could readily understand without systematic study. Another benefit from this study was the gradual acquisition of the ability to explain logically to others (whether in conversations or in writing) the answers to questions which thought were fundamental and of common interest and concern. 

This study and the publication of books that resulted from this process of inquiry has thus produced a twofold bounty for me—the joy of studying the Bahá’í texts and gleaning from them answers to some of the most important questions I could think to pose, and then sharing what I had discovered with others who would from time to time provide me valuable feedback about their own insights, not to mention those animated conversations that would occur when I would present courses at Bahá’í schools where I would glean further understanding concerning these crucial questions. 

What follows, then, is not a narrative of a single sequence of thought, but rather a precis for each of the works in which I posed a question and discovered to my delight what I felt to be logical and satisfying answers derived from the Bahá’í writings. And while I hardly expect my own accounts of those answers to be complete or equally satisfying to all who might read my works, I do always like to note that I try to substantiate anything I conclude by citing passages that seem to vindicate my conclusions. And if I have accomplished nothing else in these ventures into various subjects, I have provided readers with a panoply of passages related to the subject or question at hand.  

Click Book Title or Thumbnail for additional information.

The Law of Love Enshrined: Selected Essays by John Hatcher and William Hatcher

This is a collection of essays by my brother and me that attempt to elucidate certain laws or principles derived from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Among these are concerns about proof of the existence of God, the equality of women and men, the Bahá’í concept of penology, and the foundational concept of spirituality. 

https://www.grbooks.com/george-ronald-publisher-books/spirituality/law-of-love-enshrined-the-1318511640

The Ocean of His Words: A Reader’s Guide to the Art of Bahá’u’lláh (revised edition)

By employing the tools of literary criticism, this study attempts to provide the ordinary reader with various methods for analyzing and understanding the variety of works by Bahá’u’lláh. Explained simply and with ample demonstration for each technique, the book is meant to be a useful guide for those who might appreciate helpful suggestions about how to grasp the deeper meanings of Bahá’u’lláh’s works, meanings often concealed with symbols, metaphors, and other literary devices.

The Divine Art of Revelation

This brief booklet derives from the from the first chapter in The Ocean of His Words in which an attempt is made to explain why it is useful to approach the revealed words of the Manifestations as artistry on Their part, and not solely as divinely inspired guidance.

Close Connections: The Bridge Between Spiritual Reality and Physical Reality

While lengthy and covering a wide variety of related fields of study, this book presents an effort to demonstrate the relationship between spiritual and physical reality. More specifically, the study tries to present evidence demonstrating that there is an interplay or interpenetration between these two dimensions of reality. Though written for the ordinary reader, the work alludes to some of the work of the principal scholars in the various fields it surveys: physics, cosmology, anthropology, etc.

https://www.bahaibookstore.com/Close-Connections-eBook-mobi-P6865.aspx

Understanding Death: The Most Important Event of Your Life

Written in a relatively light-hearted and somewhat autobiographical style, this book examines the fact that we live in an age where the most important event in our lives—our own demise—is rarely if ever talked about, let alone examined in detail. By discussing the matter head-on, this narrative attempts to determine how we might best prepare for the eventuality of our own passing and what a knowledge of the Bahá’í texts can do by way of informing how we reflect on this climax to our earthly lives.

https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Death-Most-Important-Event/dp/193184772X

https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Death-Most-Important-Event-ebook-dp-B00A0P4RMW/dp/B00A0P4RMW/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=

The Face of God Among Us: How God Educates Humanity

Though the fundamental nature and function of the Manifestations is discussed often—both in my earlier books and as prefatory matter to almost every book I write related to the Bahá’í teachings—this book boldly examines in a highly organized exegesis and in extensive detail the ontology of the Manifestations, Their powers, Their capacities, Their suffering, and various other important concerns we might have about how They appear among us and why They teach us in such an indirect and often mysterious manner.

https://www.amazon.com/Face-God-Among-Us-Educates/dp/1931847703

https://www.amazon.com/Face-God-Among-Us-ebook/dp/B00VSC9TJC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

From Sin to Salvation: The Ascent of the Soul

This is one in a series of books dealing with some of the most weighty and significant issues that confront those who aspire to understand and follow religious belief—the nature of sin and how we can recover from it. By examining the definition of “sin” in various religious traditions—as well as how various religions enable believers to attain repentance and salvation—this work attempts to demonstrate the unique portrayal of this central theme as it is discussed in the authoritative Bahá’í texts. In particular, the work deals importantly with the causal relationship between our earthly conduct and or afterlife experience, answering the issue, for example, as to whether or not we have the free will to aspire to forgiveness after our departure from this life.

https://www.bahaibookstore.com/From-Sin-to-Salvation-P9809.aspx

In the Beginning was a Word: How Language Weaves Reality Together

Another in a series of books dealing with major questions about religious belief, this book examines the central role that language plays, not only in religion, but also in the progress of civilization from one dispensation to another, and from one era to another. Employing the analogy of weaving a tapestry, the discourse compares language to the threads that weave the pattern that becomes the narrative of human progress through the ages.

https://www.bahaibookstore.com/In-the-Beginning-Was-a-Word-P9939.aspx