Reflecting on two revolutionary characters of faith: the Apostle Paul (from Christianity) and Jenab-i Táhirih (from Babi/Baha’i)

Abstract

Investigating the history of religions leads us to people who made a tremendous impact during their time, and even have changed the course of history and religion in some way. This research reviews the events of the 1 st and 19th centuries CE by examining the role and influence of two influential figures of Christianity and Babi: Paul and Táhirih. Scrutinising the life of these two apostles, shows that, regardless of their cultural, social, and religious differences, there are undeniable similarities between them, as both of them can be seen as revolutionary characters who have influenced not only the time in which they lived but are still influential in the religions that they helped to form. This research examines the similarities between Paul the apostle in Christianity and Táhirih in the Babi religion. These two figures became apostles and revolutionary ‘heroes’ who surpassed their contemporaries and became the sources and influencers of such significant changes that their religious beliefs actually managed to influence the paths of history and the development of new religions. They challenged the Jewish and Muslim communities and ignored many of the religious and cultural customs of their time and are therefore fiercely attacked and often misrepresented. Through the theoreti cal lens of comparative historical research and by implementing document analysis as research method, the study aims to provide a fair and neutral perspective on both Paul and Táhirih in order that insiders (Christians and Baha’is), as well as (close) outsiders (Muslims and Jews), can have a better understanding of the influence that these two people had on the development of the two religions (Christianity and Babi) into separate belief systems.