The Science of Progressive Revelation?

[sara[h]ng]

I was sitting in my anthropology class yesterday, being lectured on various religious topics and I found that one thing sounded a bit familiar.

'Revitalization Movements', a theory (and subsequent journal article) by anthropologist Anthony Wallace.
Wallace said that periods of cultural stress (cultural domination, epidemics, etc.) lead to increased stress on individuals in the form of anxiety, feelings of deprivation, and/or despair. This causes a period of cultural distortion when cultural methods, used to relieve tension (in our society, things like alcoholism, drug usage, etc.), breakdown (I think this means that they are no longer enough to hide the problems). He says there will inevitably be some person who experiences a loss of ordinary consciousness and reveals a new religious way, taking on the role of a prophet. Members of this new religion aim to create a new sociocultural system to replace the intolerable conditions of the previous one. Wallace stated that this has given rise to all major religions, though whether he could back it up historically, I don't know.
Although, Wallace likely had no knowledge of the Baha'i faith, and for those of you who are not in scientific fields, an article being published by a large, peer-reviewed journal (American Anthropologist, in this case) is an indication that the theory involved is a serious and valid one, not one built on fluff.

I'm familiar with the overall idea of Progressive Revelation, but whether I know the details or not, I'm not sure.
Correct me if I'm wrong, of course, but the main point is that a prophet comes every so often and reveals a new part and revisions to the same message that was given by previous prophets. But, it does not seem to explain why different prophets have come exactly when and where they did.
I can think of two possible answers derived from Wallace's theory, first, society has a natural decline as it becomes more and more distant from the last prophet, and a new one comes because of that (this sounds like something I might have heard before from a Baha'i - but it doesn't really answer the specificity question).
Second, the prophet comes specifically because the individuals in the given society are so distressed and so many of them are calling for help; to put it another way, there is a united desire of so many individuals to better their spiritual situation (though, naturally, most don't consciously realize this) that it is met in a grand gesture by God in the form of a new teaching, tailored for the situation.

Thoughts on either the anthropology/science part or the Baha'i one?


- Sarah

 

[Popeyesays]

I was sitting in my anthropology class yesterday, being lectured on various religious topics and I found that one thing sounded a bit familiar.

'Revitalization Movements', a theory (and subsequent journal article) by anthropologist Anthony Wallace.
Wallace said that periods of cultural stress (cultural domination, epidemics, etc.) lead to increased stress on individuals in the form of anxiety, feelings of deprivation, and/or despair. This causes a period of cultural distortion when cultural methods, used to relieve tension (in our society, things like alcoholism, drug usage, etc.), breakdown (I think this means that they are no longer enough to hide the problems). He says there will inevitably be some person who experiences a loss of ordinary consciousness and reveals a new religious way, taking on the role of a prophet. Members of this new religion aim to create a new sociocultural system to replace the intolerable conditions of the previous one. Wallace stated that this has given rise to all major religions, though whether he could back it up historically, I don't know.
Although, Wallace likely had no knowledge of the Baha'i faith, and for those of you who are not in scientific fields, an article being published by a large, peer-reviewed journal (American Anthropologist, in this case) is an indication that the theory involved is a serious and valid one, not one built on fluff.

I'm familiar with the overall idea of Progressive Revelation, but whether I know the details or not, I'm not sure.
Correct me if I'm wrong, of course, but the main point is that a prophet comes every so often and reveals a new part and revisions to the same message that was given by previous prophets. But, it does not seem to explain why different prophets have come exactly when and where they did.
I can think of two possible answers derived from Wallace's theory, first, society has a natural decline as it becomes more and more distant from the last prophet, and a new one comes because of that (this sounds like something I might have heard before from a Baha'i - but it doesn't really answer the specificity question).
Second, the prophet comes specifically because the individuals in the given society are so distressed and so many of them are calling for help; to put it another way, there is a united desire of so many individuals to better their spiritual situation (though, naturally, most don't consciously realize this) that it is met in a grand gesture by God in the form of a new teaching, tailored for the situation.

Thoughts on either the anthropology/science part or the Baha'i one?


- Sarah

I can see some support for this notion, Sarah, in the time of the Bab's advent.

Around the world Christian millenialists were trying to predict accurately the coming of Christ. Advent robes were on sale in department stores in New York for instance. German adventists had moved to a colony on the slope of Mount Carmel.

In Shi'ih Islam there was a strong millenialist movement best indicated by the Shaykhi school of Islam, looking for the coming of the Qayim. There were a lot of prayers and hopes for a new advent.

Of course, I think this aspect is mixed in with the concept that the Manifestation comes in the place where He is most needed. In this way the "shine" of His revelation is more noticeable in the setting where it is most contrasted.

The Hebrew nation was in the depths of bondage when Moses came. The Jewish nation and Jerusalem were oppressed by Roman rule and corruption.

In these places the "shine" of the advent of the Messenger was more apparent and more hoped for all at the same time.

Regards,
Scott

 

[smkolins]

I think many of these comments have merit. I'll see if I can add some substance to the ideas.

One of the themes of progressive revelation is that religions have a kind of seasonal rotation - spring is emphasized as the period of renewal, peaked with the arising of the prophet, but there is also summer, fall, and winter. Spiritual gifts can be found in each season, but societal balances of spiritual issues change. For example, when does the fruit of a tree ripen and yet such might also be considered a general dieing of overall spiritual enthusiasm.

The Hindu calendar cycles have a similar structure but one that transcends particular avatars but instead reviews them in general. Echoes of this are found in the Old Testament with Joseph's interpritation of dreams as I recall. Buddism and Zoroastrianism both foretell a period when their religions would be degraded. Judaism is one of the few that has gone through more than one cycle though (Abraham to Moses certainly.)

That's one or two things.

I beleive there is also recognition of the period surounding the appearance of the Manifestation as being one of transition. It's put differently in different places - I think I recall the Guardian refering to times of confusion - weird variations on themes in peculiar relation to the main developments. Some of these are part of the forces of society decay. I beleive this is seen in the development of Christianity (religious orders living in semi-seclusion mixed with a variety of secret organizations) and Islam - perhaps also Buddhism (note Jainism also arose then.) I beleive Moomen Moojam's Intr. to Shi Islam has some term (ghulat? can't quite recall) for the kind of period. Again, the Hindu religious cycle of history inclues periods of transitions related to each age.

One of the factors of this early period with the arising of a prophet is that there is someone or a group who seek out the prophet. It isn't just a dynamic of the Prophet revealing Himself. He is foreshadowed and sought out though the generality of society might only witness these events several hundred years later.

As for the exact timing of the appearance of the prophets.... it seems that on the one hand it's timing is indeed exact, but it is also an almost unfathomable puzzle. Occasionally someone can work it out but it doesn't ever follow through completely - Miller for example figured out 1844 but expected a literal fulfilment of Jesus coming down out of the sky. The Babi's noted the relative short number of years but there was tremendous confusion during the same period. It took some years for things to settle down. The syzygy of the Babi and Baha'i Revelations is an extreme case of all of the above issues, and is specifically noted as a magnetude of relationship that we will never fully understand, if at all.

 

[smkolins]

Just found a reference that looks at a meta-cycle from a Baha'i pov...here ]here[/URL]:

"[answering another question...]
This is not a reference to the Universal Manifestation, for it is clearly set forth in the Holy Writings that centuries, nay thousands of years, must pass on to completion, before a Manifestation like unto this Manifestation shall appear again.

It is possible, however, that after the completion of a full thousand years, certain Holy Beings will be empowered to deliver a Revelation: this, however, will not be through a Universal Manifestation. Wherefore every day of the cycle of the Blessed Beauty is in reality equal to one year, and every year of it is equal to a thousand years.

Consider, for example, the sun: its transit from one zodiacal sign to the next occurreth within a short period of time, yet only after a long period doth it attain the plenitude of its resplendency, its heat and glory, in the sign of Leo. It must first complete one full revolution through the other constellations before it will enter the sign of Leo again, to blaze out in its full splendour. In its other stations, it revealeth not the fullness of its heat and light...."