James Charles Oakshette
Dr. James Charles Oakshette | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | December 25, 1858 London, England |
| Died | November 15, 1937 Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
Dr. James Charles Oakshette (December 25, 1858 - November 15, 1937) was an early English-American Bahá’í who assisted in establishing the Bahá’í Faith in Atlanta, Georgia. He became a Bahá’í before Shoghi Effendi formalized Bahá’í membership with the requirement that Bahá’ís withdraw from other religious organizations and as such he also remained an active Christian clergyman.
Biography[edit]
Oakshette was born in London, England, on Christmas Day in 1858.[1] He attended Oxford University and completed a doctorate in philosophy and theology learning Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Hebrew, Gaelic and German. After completing his studies he became a congregational minister and moved to North America where he served at churches in London, Canada, and Chicago in the United States.[2]
While in Chicago he studied medicine at the University of Illinois and became a professor of physiotherapy at the university.[2] While in Chicago he was introduced to the Bahá’í Faith by Lua Getsinger and he became a Bahá’í while living in Chicago.[2] In 1909 he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, which was his residence for the rest of his life and he began hosting weekly study classes on the Bahá’í Faith which used Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era as its basis and resulted in people becoming Bahá’ís.[1]
When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá toured North America in 1912 Oakshette successfully encouraged the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce to invite ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to visit the city, although ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was unable to make the visit. In the early 1920's he assisted Roy Williams in teaching efforts in Atlanta and Williams noted that he was passionate about racial unity and had contacts from diverse backgrounds in the city in contrast to general attitudes in Atlanta of the time.[3]
As Bahá’í membership did not yet require withdrawal from other religious bodies Oakshette established a Church in Atlanta which he called the Liberal Catholic Church of St. Michael the Archangel in 1927 which used the Bahá’í teachings as its basis and classified itself as independent of Catholicism and Protestantism.[2] He delivered sermons at the Church which utilized Bahá’í prayers and some of the congregation also became Bahá’ís through his teaching.[4]
In the late 1930's Shoghi Effendi advised that Bahá’ís were required withdraw from other religious bodies and Oakshette asked Ethel Furbush, a Bahá’í who lived in Atlanta from 1936 to 1937, to consult with the National Spiritual Assembly of the U.S. & Canada on the possibility of him remaining affiliated with his church as it gave him the opportunity to widely proclaim the Faith.[4] The National Spiritual Assembly granted him permission to continue to speak at the Liberal Catholic Church and he continued to do so until his passing on November 15, 1937.[3]
