In 1912, Abdul-Baha, leader of the Baha'i faith, visited Greenacre, a religious community in Maine founded by Sarah Farmer.

Restless souls

 

In recent years, many Americans choose to label themselves as "spiritual but not religious." What is the history behind this type of open-road spirituality, and how have Americans' attitudes toward religion shifted over time? Leigh Schmidt, professor with the John C. Danforth Center on Religion & Politics at Washington University in St. Louis, uses the story of Sarah Farmer - a visionary who started a religious community in 1894 - to illustrate the ever-present struggle between freedom and surrender in American religious identity.

 

Credits: 

Wikimedia Commons: Abdul-Baha at Greenacre
Free Music Archive: Broke for FreeLee RosevereDiscount Fireworks