THE BAHA'I FAITH: A COMPREHENSIVE INTRODUCTION (HRST-8150)
(09/07/2021-12/17/2021)
Course Memo
The course provides a comprehensive overview of the Bahá'í religion. It provides biographical sketches of the Bahá'í Faith’s most
prominent figures: The Báb (1819-50), Bahá’u’lláh (1817-92), ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (1844-1921), and Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957) as
well as an exploration of their writings, which constitute the Bahá'í scriptures and authoritative texts. It covers basic theological
concepts such as the nature of God, God’s ongoing revelation to humanity, religious law, and the journey of the soul. It reviews
basic Bahá'í principles for prayer and personal development, work and family life, and the Bahá'í vision for reorganizing the world
to establish peace, justice, and human prosperity. It traces the historical evolution of the Bahá’í community from its earliest
beginnings in Iran in 1844 to its current state as the second most widespread religious community in the world. Finally, it
examines the efforts of the current Head of the Faith, the elected nine-member Universal House of Justice, to guide Bahá’ís around
the world to apply the authoritative teachings in their lives and local communities. [30 max enrollment]