WHO: Presented by Bahá’ís of Hillsborough County East
WHAT: Free screening of the documentary The Gate: Dawn of the Bahá’í Faith; discussion and refreshments to follow
WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 2, at 2 p.m.
WHERE: Bloomingdale Library, 1906 Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico, 33596
DETAILS: The public is invited to enjoy this groundbreaking documentary and participate in a discussion led by Bahá’í scholar Kathryn Jewett Hogenson. The film details the amazing and little-known origins of the Bahá’í Faith and is this month’s presentation of the monthly series Exploring Faith and Spiritual Reality in the Modern World ~ a Bahá’í Perspective.
The Gate: Dawn of the Bahá’í Faith recounts the founding of this world religion that began in Persia in 1844 by a prophet known as The Báb (meaning “the gate.”) The Báb’s message, which included then-controversial ideas like the oneness of major religions and empowerment of women, spread like wildfire across the region amidst this religious climate. Combining dramatic reenactments with interviews of renowned historians, religious scholars and Bahá’í Faith experts, The Gate: Dawn of the Bahá’í Faith celebrates the brief, exciting life of a prophet and the indelible impact his message continues to have on the world today.
Hogenson was instrumental in the creation of the film, and has published a history of the establishment of the Bahá’í Faith in the West entitled Lighting the Western Sky: The Hearst Pilgrimage. She and her husband, Gary, reside in Tarpon Springs, following 18 years of service at the Bahá’í World Centre.
Bahá’ís believe in the oneness of humanity, the elimination of prejudice, the independent investigation of truth, the agreement between religion and science, the equality between men and women, and that there is only one God who created all of the major religions.
For more information about this event, call 800-909-7640; more information about the Bahá’í Faith locally is available at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bahai-Faith-Worship-and-Community-Center-of-Greater-Tampa/380416308730646 and www.meetup.com/Tampa-Bahais-MeetUp/events/