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Do religious conviction and rational thinking oppose each other? Is it possible for religious people to advocate their values, especially in matters of morality and ethics, without blindly relying on dogma?
The German Baha’i Udo Schaefer (1926-2019), dedicated his life to answering those questions, and showed us possible paths to the answers in the Baha’i teachings.
In the summer of 1947, Udo Schaefer first became aware of the Baha’i Faith. After long, intense discussions with the German Baha’i Hermann Grossmann (1899-1968), Udo joined the Baha’i community a few months later. As he wrote, although he was quickly moved by the “spirit of the faith,” he initially needed the “critical dialogue” to understand what he was getting into.
The conviction that religion is not mere sentimentality or tradition, and that loyalty to a faith does not mean blind obedience, would shape his seven decades of his work. For Udo Schaefer, the true dimension and depth of the Baha’i Faith were revealed through genuine spirituality, research, critical reflection, and rational arguments, as this passage from a speech Abdu’l-Baha gave in New York City in 1912 indicates:
… religion is in harmony with science. The fundamental principles of the Prophets are scientific, but the forms and imitations which have appeared are opposed to science. If religion does not agree with science, it is superstition and ignorance; for God has endowed man with reason in order that he may perceive reality. The foundations of religion are reasonable. God has created us with intelligence to perceive them. If they are opposed to science and reason, how could they be believed and followed?
A Central Work: Disinformation as a Method
The most important lasting testimony of Udo Schaefer’s work exists in his numerous writings. Shortly after he embraced the Baha’i Faith, he was confronted with critical questions by his brother-in-law, a Protestant theologian. To be prepared for such discussions, he set about acquiring a profound level of knowledge of the Baha’i scriptures and teachings, as well as Christian theology, philosophy, and Islam.
Udo did not shy away from engaging with theologians and religious scholars, correcting many misunderstandings and misrepresentations about the then almost entirely unknown Baha’i Faith. This led to a friendly correspondence with the renowned religious scholar Gerhard Rosenkranz (1896-1983) and a more contentious exchange with the church’s “sect commissioner” Kurt Hutten (1901-1979).
The highlight of Udo Schaefer’s work in this area was the 1995 publication of “Disinformation as a Method” (English translation “Making the Crooked Straight,” George Ronald, Oxford, 2001), a work in which he played a crucial role alongside Nicola Towfigh and Ulrich Gollmer. This book detailed and refuted long-standing distortions and defamations of the Baha’i Faith. At the same time, it systematically introduced many previously unknown historical and theological aspects of the Baha’i Faith to an interested and educated audience.
A series of positive reviews of the book appeared in academic journals. The renowned Belgian Orientalist Christian Cannuyer wrote that it was “an excellent overview of the teachings and principles of this religion … The argumentation hits the mark.” The Baha’i community also responded to Udo’s book with great joy and approval. The highest body of the Baha’i world community, the Universal House of Justice, praised the book as a significant achievement and initiated its translation into English
That book marked a turning point in relations with church circles, which had previously dismissed the Baha’i Faith as an “Islamic sect.” It also increased the recognition of the German Baha’i community, which is now acknowledged as a constructive voice in interreligious dialogue and societal discourses in a way that would have been unimaginable three decades ago.
Methodology and Vision
Udo Schaefer’s writings are systematic-analytical and, although formulated in a factual and sober manner, they are not “neutral.” They are based on the premise of faith in divine revelation. While they are theological treatises, rooted in the belief in the revelation of Baha’u’llah, Schaefer adhered to scientific standards and always argued rationally and comprehensibly. For this reason, his works reached new audiences.
Some readers may be deterred by the technical terms and numerous quotes and footnotes in Schaefer’s writings. However, he placed great importance on appealing, often humorous formulations, and he carefully avoided language that only insiders could understand. His writings primarily emerged from discourse, and were consciously not directed solely at fellow believers.
Udo Schaefer also demonstrated foresight in his choice of topics. He authored numerous fundamental studies on various aspects of the Baha’i teachings, particularly in the area of ethics and morality. His thoughts were based on a theological and philosophical foundation rooted in the scriptures. At the same time, he addressed the concrete significance for society and the pressing questions of the time.
The Baha’i Faith and the Modern World
During his lifetime, Udo Schaefer witnessed breathtaking technological progress in many areas, including the digital revolution. At the same time, he observed a fundamental shift, if not a decline, in ethics and values.
Born in 1926, Udo Schaefer experienced National Socialism, the Cold War, the radical left in the 1970s, and Islamist terrorism since the 1990s. He saw how ideology and delusion repeatedly led to hatred, violence, and destruction. He identified the root of the problem in outdated, no longer contemporary value systems and the lack of a global ethic that could meet the needs of an emerging new world.
The Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, Shoghi Effendi, had already warned in 1936 of the disintegration of human civilization and “prophets of decay,” while simultaneously describing these phenomena as the birth pangs of a new world order. In 1979, Udo Schaefer’s book “The Baha’i in the Modern World” (Baha’i-Verlag, Hofheim, 2nd expanded ed. 1981) was published. In it, he thoroughly critiqued the cultural change eagerly and uncompromisingly declared as “progress” by some activists, and contrasted it with the principles proclaimed in Baha’u’llah’s revelation.
The statistics and vivid case examples cited in the book may be partially outdated now, but Schaefer’s analysis of the theories, views, and value systems of our present society remains relevant even half a century later. He always believed that clear orientation is needed, especially in moral matters amid a world in upheaval, and he found this in the writings of Baha’u’llah. Those who knew him know that he was by no means out of touch with the times, but was always well-informed about current events. If his views sometimes contradicted the prevailing zeitgeist, it was primarily due to his substantive engagement, clear analytical perspective, and adherence to the Baha’i teachings, never to resentment or mere dogmatism.
Although Udo Schaefer argued passionately and coherently, he never claimed finality or any special authority for his insights. He understood his contributions as part of an ongoing discourse, in which, as Abdu’l-Baha wrote, “The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions.” Udo Schaefer’s writings are thus not to be seen as dogmatic representations, but as reflections on morality in the light of revelation.
“Introduction to Baha’i Ethics”
His last major work addressed the question of the spiritual and moral foundation of human coexistence. Originally planned as an encyclopedia entry, his Introduction to Baha’i Ethics was ultimately published in two volumes totaling 1,200 pages. At the beginning of his undertaking, Udo Schaefer emphasizes that complex ethical and moral questions, with their many nuances, cannot be reduced into a narrow system. He emphasized that the realization of which values will form the foundation of a globalized world will emerge only through a long process, and as the result of diverse considerations from different, not merely pious and religious, perspectives.
Indeed, technological progress already raises many moral questions unknown just a few years ago, such as those related to medical ethics and artificial intelligence. Udo Schaefer was aware that it would be premature and misguided to attempt to answer these conclusively at this time. Therefore, he did not write from the perspective of someone who believes he already has all the answers due to his faith. Rather, the awareness of his own fallibility led him to continually examine and question both others’ and his own beliefs.
Such an attitude of openness and learning stands in contrast to phenomena like fanaticism, missionary zeal, and a lack of willingness to engage in dialogue, which too often dominate societal and political debates from both religious and non-religious sides.
Although Udo Schaefer himself considered his work as just a first step, it is a milestone. He laid the foundations of an ethic based on the revelation of Baha’u’llah by contemplating central norms, concepts, and virtues. He drew not only on a wealth of quotes from Baha’i scriptures, but also on philosophical thought from antiquity to the Enlightenment. He achieved all this with a depth and systematic approach unique in global Baha’i literature, and it will undoubtedly serve as a starting point for many future authors’ further reflections.
On August 30, 2019, Udo Schaefer departed from this physical life. The famous German poet Berthold Brecht said “One is only dead when no one thinks of them anymore.” By this measure, Udo Schaefer has become immortal through his literary work.
His works are pioneering efforts, historical documents of the early development of the German Baha’i community and its literature. Yet they can still provide important impulses and arguments on fundamental questions and serve as orientation in societal discourse today. With their content depth, systematic approach, and clear language, and by boldly addressing many still relevant, sometimes sensitive topics, they also appeal to those who are critical of traditional forms of religion and, like Udo Schaefer once did, need critical dialogue even in faith.
Armin Eschraghi studied Oriental Studies, Islamic Studies, Philosophy, and Comparative Religious Studies in Frankfurt am Main. He is the author and translator of numerous works on the history and holy scriptures of the Baha’i Faith.
First published in https://www.perspektivenwechsel-blog.de/bahai-artikel/udo-schaefer
Armin Eschraghi studied Oriental Studies, Islamic Studies, Philosophy, and Comparative Religion in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He is the author and translator of numerous contributions regarding the history and sacred scriptures of the Baha'i.
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