Turning a Somersault to Land at the Feet of the Báb

Ross G. Woodman (1922-2014), known to Bahá’ís as a scholar and teacher, had a vivid dream of an encounter with the Báb in 1942. He circled around the question of what the dream called him to do, and to become, for the rest of his life. Woodman’s spiritual journey was troubled and complex. He was preoccupied with questions of poetic faith and religious faith, revelation and knowledge. This essay explores the arc of the flying somersault in his dream of the Báb, which served as a template for the trajectory of his life. Woodman’s life story off ers insights into the question of “aesthetic” versus “ethical” engagement with the Faith, as well as the specific challengefacing academics or others whose professional life may seem to demand that they compartmentalize their faith.