Rank and Station: Reflections on the Life of Bahíyyih Khánum

Abstract

The 24th Hasan M. Balyuzi Memorial Lecture

This paper sets out the distinctive characteristics of the designation of rank in the Bahá’í administrative structure, drawing upon the example of Bahíyyih Khánum, the highest-ranking woman in the Bahá’í Dispensation to illustrate its essential features. The concept of rank and its functions in society and religion as well as its implications for justice and social organization are reviewed briefly as a background against which to consider the Bahá’í perspective on rank and station, and to assess the significance of the approach adopted by Bahíyyih Khánum as a person of exalted rank.