Thornton Chase: First American Bahai [Paperback]

First American Bahá'í
This is an interesting biography written about the first American Baha'i, Thornton Chase. During his early life Chase was to study religion and to search constantly for Truth. He was 47 years old by the time he came across the Baha'i Faith in 1895.

Thornton Chase was born in 1847, grew up in New England, and had to face many challenges in his early family life. In the late 19th century new religions such as Hinduism, Theosophy and the teachings of Emmanuel Swedenborg were becoming popular in North America but it was in 1893 at the World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago that mention was first made of the Baha'i Faith. Shortly after this and when he was well into middle-age, Thornton Chase came across Baha'i, began to study it and recognised it as true and compatible with the Christian teachings he had grown up with in Protestant America.

Thornton Chase was talented in the art of writing, poetry and music and these talents were to aid him in his presentation of the Baha'i Faith from the time he accepted it until his death aged 65. He wrote an introductory book about the Baha'i Faith, helped to set up the first Publishing Trust, understood that high standards were expected of Baha'is and was a bright light in helping others to understand the significance of the Baha'i teachings. He was a successful businessman and beside living in New England he was also to live in Denver, Colorado, and California.

In 1907 he was one of the earliest pilgrims from the West to take the long sea journey to Akka in Palestine, then part of the Ottoman Empire, to visit `Abdu'l-Baha, son of Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith. He returned to America rededicated to serving the Faith to the very best of his ability until the end of his life in 1912. He was also to assist the early Baha'is of the West in the construction plans for the first Baha'i Temple to be built in Chicago.

This is a well researched and thorough biography of a remarkable person in American Baha'i history. Thornton Chase is a person of whom little is presently known but who is likely to be better known in the future.

The book is clear, well-written, interesting, methodical, and thorough. It was a very good read. As the second appendix points out, the bulk of Mr. Chase's papers were destroyed over the years after his passing. Nevertheless, Professor Stockman provides a very rich insight into Mr. Chase's spirit and character from the body of his papers that remain. Mr. Chase was a worthy "First Baha'i." It is amazing to read how he found this Faith, and how he had the courage and insight to be the first to step forward in faith. The Baha'i Faith began in 1844 with the Bab explaining to the first believer in Persia the significance of the Story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis and the Qur'an.* Of this, the Bab writes, "The Commentary on the Surih of Joseph had, in the first year of this Revelation, been widely distributed. Nevertheless, when the people realized that fellow supporters were not forthcoming they hesitated to accept it..." Most people are not willing to stand solely on truth -- they require "fellow supporters." Mr. Chase was an exception -- he needed no one but his Lord. Mr. Chase heard the voice of Christ, his Shepherd, in the Writings of Baha'u'llah, and that was sufficient. While that alone would make him a person of great character, Professor Stockman explains several other major traits of Mr. Chase's character that also stand out. The early American Baha'i community was composed of people of widely disparate temperament. In the early days, before the establishment of regular communication with the Head of the Faith in the Holy Land (Palestine at the time), and before the elected institutions in America had stabilized, the forces of dispersal in the community were strong. Mr. Chase was a wise, cool head. He was well-informed, reliant on God, and sought community unity when lesser people might have sought recognition and position. He anguished when the Baha'is did not get along, and he prayed, and sacrificed himself, and carried things through. He was not only great because he was the First to recognize Baha'u'llah as the Return of Christ; he was great because he used his position and influence to add a spirit of love and cohesion to the community life -- and he contributed mightily to saving it, during times of great peril. This is beautifully illustrated by several chapters in Professor Stockman's book. I enjoyed it, and now I'm having a hard time finding as interesting and inspiring a biography to read next. I should add that I first learned of the Baha'i Faith at a hospital where I worked, across the street from Mr. Chase's grave, so he has been a favorite of mine throughout my adult life. This was a book I looked forward to with anticipation -- and it did not disappoint.

* Google "further reflections on the story of Joseph" and you'll find my blog post on this subject

› Go to Amazon.com to see both reviews  4.5 out of 5 stars