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‘Abdu’l-Bahá, while on visit to the city of Paris in 1911, more than once addressed the subject of the soul in His public talks. He pointed out in particular its spiritual nature and its essential effect on material life, with emphasis too on its role in establishing a unity of mankind for whose realization in this enlightened age all past religions participated in preparing the way.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá at the request of the venerable Archdeacon of Westminster addressed the congregation of Saint John the Divine after evening service. With a few warm words characteristic of his whole attitude Archdeacon Wilberforce introduced the revered Messenger from the East, who had crossed seas and countries on his Mission of Peace and Unity for which he had suffered forty years of captivity and persecution….

During ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to the city of London, one of the British newspapers interviewed him about his imprisonment. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spent more than 55 years between exile and imprisonment. The following text is limited to a description of some aspects of the forty years he spent as a prisoner.

“In every Dispensation, the light of Divine Guidance has been focused upon one central theme…. In this wondrous Rev- elation, this glorious century, the foundation of the Faith of God, and the distinguishing feature of His Law, is the consciousness of the oneness of mankind.”

The opening years of the twentieth century witnessed Europe’s entry into a tunnel of crises—crises sufficiently powerful to affect its political role and the leadership that had determined the lot of vast populations, change its moral values, breach the unity of its nations, increase the number of conflicting minorities within its borders…