Christianity & the Baha’i Faith
The Resurrection: Spiritual or Bodily?
Both faiths affirm the resurrection of Christ, and mean genuinely different things by it. In Baha'i teaching, 'Abdu'l-Baha explains the resurrection as spiritual and symbolic: not the rising of a physical body from a tomb, but the rising again of the reality and cause of Christ, his teaching and spiritual power, which seemed defeated at the cross and then came alive in his disciples. Christianity confesses a literal, bodily resurrection: the same crucified body raised and glorified, an empty tomb, a Jesus who could be touched. Spiritual and symbolic, or bodily and physical, is the difference.
What the Baha'i Faith teaches
'Abdu'l-Baha taught that the resurrections of the Manifestations are not of the body, but are spiritual and symbolic in meaning:
The meaning, 'Abdu'l-Baha explains, is that after the crucifixion the reality of Christ, his teaching and bounty and power, was hidden for a time, and then rose again as his disciples became assured and his cause came alive in the world.
What Christians believe
Christianity confesses a bodily resurrection: not only that Christ's cause revived, but that his crucified body was raised, the tomb left empty, and the risen Jesus seen and touched.
Where they meet
Both affirm that the resurrection of Christ is real and central, both speak of disciples transformed from fear to bold faith, and both see the life of the faith flowing from what happened after the cross.
Where they differ
The Baha'i Faith understands the resurrection as spiritual and symbolic, the rising of Christ's reality and cause rather than his physical body. Christianity confesses a literal, bodily resurrection: the same body that was crucified, raised and glorified, an empty tomb, a Jesus who invited his friends to touch his wounds. A spiritual rising of his cause, or the bodily rising of Jesus himself, is the difference.
Baha’i quotations are from the writings of Baha’u’llah (the Kitab-i-Iqan, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, and the Tablets of Baha’u’llah) and ’Abdu’l-Baha (Some Answered Questions), as published in the Baha’i Reference Library at bahai.org. Bible: King James Version. Every reference on this page was checked against its source.
Frequently asked questions
- What do Baha'is believe about the resurrection of Jesus?
- 'Abdu'l-Baha taught that the resurrection of Christ was spiritual and symbolic, not physical: the resurrections of the Manifestations are not of the body (Some Answered Questions). The meaning is that Christ's reality and cause, hidden after the crucifixion, rose again as his disciples became assured.
- How is the Christian view different?
- Christians confess a literal, bodily resurrection: the same crucified body raised, the tomb empty, and the risen Jesus seen and touched, who said handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). A spiritual rising of his cause, or the bodily rising of Jesus, is the difference.
Come and see
The Baha’i Faith honours Jesus as one of the great Manifestations of God; the Gospel invites you to meet him as the unique Son of God, God himself come near. The most direct way to know Jesus is to read his words for yourself. There is no pressure here.
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