e publication of "Baha'u'llah and the New Era" more than ten years
ago, the Baha'i Faith was given its first well-conceived, thorough
exposition by a student of the teachings. Recognizing its value as the
most satisfactory introduction to the Cause, Baha'is in both East and West
have found Dr. Esslemont's book so helpful that it has been translated
into some thirty different languages.

As Dr. Esslemont himself recognized, the Faith entered a new phase of its
history after the ascension of 'Abdu'l-Baha. The result is that the
author's views, some of them written prior to 1921, no longer, on certain
aspects of the subject, correspond to the evolutionary character of the
Faith. His treatment of events and social conditions then existing,
moreover, no longer appears fully relevant. Unavoidably, a few errors of
fact had entered his text, while his explanation of the stations of the
Bab and of 'Abdu'l-Baha have been replaced in the minds of Baha'is by the
authoritative interpretations since made by the first Guardian of the
Faith, Shoghi Effendi.

The present edition therefore represents a revision made by the American
National Spiritual Assembly, acting under the advice and approval of
Shoghi Effendi.

These revisions in no respect alter the original plan of Dr. Esslemont's
book, nor affect the major portion of his text. Their purpose has been to
amplify the author's discussion in a few passages by the addition of
material representing the fuller knowledge available since his lamented
death, and newer translations of his quotations from Baha'i Sacred
Writings.

Baha'i Publishing Committee
January 1937

PREFACE TO 1950 EDITION

With this edition the American Baha'i Publishing Committee takes over
copyright and other interests in "Baha'u'llah and the New Era" from
Messrs. George Allen & Unwin Ltd., of London, England, through whom the
late Dr. J. E. Esslemont published his famous book more than twenty years
ago. Under arrangement with the British publishers, the Committee has
since 1928 brought out eleven printings, in addition to the first American
edition imported by Brentano's of New York.

This edition does not displace the text as it has appeared since major
revision was made in the book under the direction of the Guardian of the
Faith in 1937, as the time has not come for anything like a thorough
recasting of the book to make its references to world conditions
completely contemporaneous. Dr. Esslemont