Thornton Chase

Thornton Chase ( born February 22, 1847 in Springfield ( Massachusetts), † September 30, 1912 in Los Angeles, California ) was described by Abdu'l-Baha as the first Baha'i of the American continent and posthumously a disciple of Shoghi Effendi Abdu'l Baha appointed.

Life

Thornton Chase was in 1894 in Chicago Baha'i. At least three Americans accepted the new religion before Thornton Chase, but again left the Bahai faith. So Chase should be considered the first American Bahai and Bahai has remained. Abdu'l-Baha gave him the new name Thabit ( " the Steadfast "). He traveled extensively as an insurance agent for his employer and taught this faith. In April 1907 he visited Abdu'l Baha during his imprisonment in Acre. After returning Thornton Chase, published in 1908 his pilgrimage notes under the title " In Galilee ". He also wrote and published an introductory work in the Bahai faith, entitled "The Bahá'í Revelation ," which was also translated into German. Thornton Chase died in Los Angeles shortly before Abdu'l-Baha arrived in California. Abdu'l Baha was only able to visit the grave of Thornton Chase in the cemetery of Inglewood.

Works

• Thornton Chase In Galilee. Bahai Publishing Society, Chicago 1908 ( Online).
• Thornton Chase, Kalimat Press ( ed.): In Galilee. Los Angeles 1985, ISBN 0-93377-038-3 ( Online).
• Thornton Chase: The Bahai Revelation. Bahai Publishing Society, Chicago 1909 ( Online).
• Thornton Chase: The Bahaioffenbarung. German Bahai Association, Stuttgart 1925.