The Metropolis of Satan: Evil and the Devil in Baha'i/Christian Dialogue

"Having heard all my life that 'Bahá'ís don't believe in the Devil', and knowing that many Christians do, I assumed this was one topic about which we had nothing to discuss - a kind of 'dead zone' in Bahá'í/Christian dialogue. Like many Bahá'ís, I always prayed, in my conversations with Christians, that no one would bring up this prickly topic.

"Of course, it never worked out that way ..."

Thus began a journey of personal struggle, through which the author came to re-examine stock answers he once took for granted. Gary Matthews argues that "we have too quickly dismissed traditional Christian ideas about evil and the devil . . . This is not to say Bahá'ís can believe in a 'personal devil' in the same way we believe in a personal God: Obviously, we do not. Just the same, Bahá'ís have as much to learn here from traditional Christians as they can learn from us."

With honesty and humor, The Metropolis of Satan explores the astonishing landscape of common ground that emerges from a fresh look at Christian and Bahá'í sacred teachings. Supplementing the text is a detailed compilation, designed to help every Bahá'í teacher address these topics using the terminology, tone and emphasis of the Faith's authoritative scriptures.