The Body of God

This study of Bahá'u'lláh's Súrih of the Temple is intended to provide the reader with tools to gain insight into the complex symbols and structure that underlie any attempt at interpreting the meaning and purpose of this critical work. To this end, Hatcher unravels the major symbols employed by Bahá'u'lláh, and explains the challenging framework whereby complex matter has been framed by Him into a dialogue between Himself, as He lies imprisoned in the Siyáh-Chál, and the Holy Spirit, personified as the Maid of Heaven.

Incorporated into this rendering of the Súrih are five representative epistles among those Bahá'u'lláh addressed to the most prominent kings and rulers of the world. Hatcher demonstrates how these letters become integrated into the central themes of the Súrih as Bahá'u'lláh examines and delineates how God has delegated authority through the Manifestation to these rulers and, ultimately, to humankind.

The book culminates in revealing how the divine plan for global unity and justice can come about solely by the collaboration of world leaders who, though having failed to recognize the station of Bahá'u'lláh, can still heed His salient and rational guidance for hastening a "Lesser Peace." The Súrih of the Temple is thus critically pertinent to present-day conflicts and challenges we face, whether as a global community, as nations, or as individuals striving to create the foundation for global change by establishing collaborative and nurturing communities-the essential framework for urgently needed global transformation.

John S. Hatcher is Professor Emeritus in English literature at the University of South Florida in Tampa where he taught for forty years. He is a poet, lecturer, translator, and author, having published twenty-five books, some of which have been translated into French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, German, and Norwegian. He has also published more than a hundred poems and articles, was editor of the Journal of Bahá'í Studies for seven years, and has been a guest lecturer at various distinguished universities. He received various awards for his work, including the Hasan Balyuzi Lectureship. Professor Hatcher lives with his wife Lucia on a farm in Plant City, Florida, continues his writing, and provides an online course on the Bahá'í Faith available on his website (www.johnshatcher.com).

Michael Sabet's research involves putting a Bahá'í framework for governance into dialogue with political philosophy. He is a lawyer by training, having practiced constitutional litigation in Ottawa after clerking at the Supreme Court. Since 2020 he has been serving as the editor of The Journal of Bahá'í Studies.