Covenant, Command, and Conscience: Rethinking Sin and Moral Obligation from a Bahá’í Perspective

This paper examines a covenantal understanding of sin and moral obligation in Bahá’í theology. While the Bahá’í Faith presents the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh as the divine guidance for the present age, Bahá’ís do not seek to impose their moral laws on others. This paper argues that this apparent tension is resolved through a covenantal framework in which moral accountability arises within specific relationships to divine revelation. Drawing on the writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and recent Bahá’í institutional guidance, the paper proposes that sin is best understood as misalignment with divine guidance within a recognized covenant rather than as the violation of a universalized moral code. Situating this framework alongside covenantal approaches in contemporary Christian theology, the paper explores how layered forms of moral accountability across religious communities may offer a coherent model for comparative theological reflection on sin and ethical responsibility.