The Universal House of Justice has explained that "[t]he essence of the Covenant is the continuation of divine guidance after the Ascension of the Prophet through the presence in this world of an institution to which all the friends turn and which can indisputably state what is the Will of God. After ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice are such institutions."

The Essence of the Covenant explores the features, history, and implications of this basic aspect of the Covenant—the continuity of divine guidance through the Faith's authorised institutions. It seeks to explore such questions as: What is the purpose of the Covenant? How, and for what purposes, did Bahá'u'lláh appoint ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Center of the Covenant? What is the scriptural foundation for the institutions of the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice? What are the objectives and powers of these twin successors of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá? Why did Shoghi Effendi not appoint a successor Guardian? How can the Universal House of Justice function in the absence of a living Guardian? What is the basis for the infallibility of the Universal House of Justice? How does the Covenant protect the Bahá'í Faith? And what is the individual's relationship to the Covenant?