The title of this book gave me the impression that this is an objective account. However, once I started reading, it wasn't long before it was obvious that Reverand Miller has a profound hatred of this religion, and that his choice of title was intentionally misleading. Why didn't he title it "I Hate The Baha'i Faith And I Think You Should Too", "Baha'is; Deluded Heretics" or something to that effect? It is not difficult to understand why Reverand Miller has developed such an intense hatred. He was a Christian missionary in Iran; which is primarily Shiah Muslim. His success rate of conversion would have been even more chanllenging than that of a European Jewish missionary who set out to convert a community of rural American Pentacostals or Baptists. It must have struck him as frustrating when the Baha'is had an enormous rate of conversion, even though people of this religion are persecuted, arrested, imprisoned, tortured and killed for their religion. This is, of course, my opinion, but I am certain I am not far from the truth. Reverand Miller, who appears to be acting as a prosecuting attorney rather than a historian or scholar, embraces every possible point of controversy and automatically takes the side of whatever is negative. For example, much is made of the betrayal and contention that developed between members of Baha'u'llah's family and disputes regarding matters of successorship. If this is how to invalidate a religion, why then can't we say the same about the betrayal of Judas and Peter's denial? All information from Baha'i sources is dismissed as "unreliable" without any further explanation. This book is not likely to convince any Baha'is that something is wrong with their religion. This book could be compared to a history of African Americans written by a KKK Member or a history of European Jews written by a Nazi.

Wm. McElwee Miller had an Ivy League education (masters degree from Princeton Seminary), and tremendous talents. But he chose to decvote his life to serve others in the mission field. He spent many years in Iran, working with often hostile folks. This book is the fruit of his long service in teh Middle East --listening to and sharing with Bahais. A very helpful read.

This is a MUST READ for anyone who really wants to understand the Baha'i religion. Miller surveys the entire history of Baha'ism, starting with its roots in Babism and Shi'ite Islam, and including objective discussion of various theological and leadership disputes throughout its development until the present day. Miller demonstrates a scholar's eye for detail and uses a wide range of sources. He concludes that the Baha'i Faith is a poor candidate for a new universal religion due to its outdated legalism and authoritarianism and the many well-documented inconsistencies and contradictions in its doctrinal development.

I am an ex-Baha'i Christian who was an active member of the Baha'i Faith for five years. I wish I had read this book before I joined! Unfortunately, all I had available to me was pro-Baha'i propaganda such as Esslemont's "Baha'u'llah and the New Era." Miller's book is a breath of fresh air. Well-written, not an ill-informed attack -- just a solid, thoroughly researched scholarly work that in my opinion is the best book ever written about the Baha'i Faith.

At least that is what this book should have been titled. Rather than gather his information from sources both close and distant from the Baha'i faith's founder, Baha'u'llah, Mr. Miller elects to use only information he collected from the family of an estranged and angry brother of Baha'u'llah. A better book to read if you are really interested in what the Baha'i Faith is would be God Passes By written by Shoghi Effendi or The Revelation of Baha'u'llah by Adib Taherzadeh.