31st Annual Conference of the Association for Bahá'í Studies-North
America
Mississauga, Ontario - August 16-19, 2007
Scholarship and Community-Building
Theme Statement
Community is the organic entity in which human spiritual and material
potential can emerge. It is where people interact and where they try
to enact the knowledge received from both spiritual insight and from
the pursuit of sciences, arts, and humanities. The process of building
a new kind of community, at once world-embracing and locally rooted,
must acknowledge the community as a "comprehensive unit of
civilisation"1 and its capacity to set a "new course in social
evolution."2
Within the community, those pursuing scholarship, through whatever
diverse paths, can play specific roles. They not only contribute to
the community's evolution through their expertise3, but also are an
integral part of the dynamic of all community life. This dynamic
changes and grows with new understandings of human realities, which in
turn stimulate new knowledge and new ways of sharing that
knowledge. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, defining the characteristics of the
spiritually learned, advised that they should acquire both spiritual
and material perfections in order to serve society, should be
knowledgeable in diverse religious, cultural, political, historical
and scientific knowledge, and should "arise with complete sincerity
and purity of purpose" to educate people.4
The Bahá'í efforts in community building require a profound
understanding and exploration of the Guardian's statement that, "The
principle of the Oneness of mankind -- the pivot round which all the
teachings of Bahá'u'lláh revolve . . . implies an organic change in
the structure of present day society, a change such as the world has
not yet experienced."5
The Association for Bahá'í Studies executive committee invites both
new and more experienced presenters to explore the theme of
scholarship and community building at its annual conference in
Toronto. Possible sub-topics might include: scholarship and social
responsibility, the Five Year Plan, religious scholarship without
priesthood, creating new paradigms of scholarship and education, and
new ideas of community and relationship within the physical and life
sciences, amongst others.
Notes:
1. Universal House of Justice, Ridván 1996 to the Bahá'ís of the World.
2. Universal House of Justice, Ridván 1984 to the National Spiritual
Assembly of the United States.
3. Universal House of Justice, 21 August 1977 to an individual,
Scholarship compilation, selection #39.
4. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Secret of Divine Civilization, 35-36.
5. Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 43.
To read the complete quotes, please click here: Theme Statement
Call for Presentations
Proposals are invited for presentations and workshops on (but not
limited to) the above themes, as well as performing arts presentations.
Proposals must be submitted on-line (submission form). Potential
presenters unable to submit on-line may contact the address below for
further information on alternate means of submission. Presentation
content should go beyond the overview and summary approach typical of
a summer school course or talk to explore an original question or
proposition through a clearly described method or theoretical
approach. While many presentations are in the style of academic talks
or workshop-discussions, the use of the arts and other diverse
approaches is also encouraged. All presentations should engage the
participants in review and in contributing to the development of the
ideas raised. Presentations must be substantially original work,
unpublished and not previously presented. Papers will be considered
for publication in The Journal of Bahá'í Studies. Proposals are
especially welcome from youth and first-time ABS presenters.
Guidelines for submissions are available on the ABS website, a
nd you can also contact ABS if you would like assistance with
preparing a proposal.
The deadline for submitting proposals is 15 April 2007.
Association for Bahá'í Studies
34 Copernicus St., Ottawa, ON Canada K1N 7K4
Tel.: (613) 233-1903; fax: (613) 233-3644
or email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Registration and Hotel Information
Hotel reservations must be made directly with the conference hotel,
the Delta Meadowvale Resort and Conference Centre, 6750 Mississauga
Road, Mississauga, Ontario, L5N 2L3; Tel.: 905-542-4003; toll-free
reservation number: 800-422-8238 (Between the hours of 8:00 am to 6:00
pm Monday to Friday). Mention the Association for Bahá'í Studies
conference to receive the special conference rate. Room rates (in CDN
dollars): $109 single/double; $129 triple/quad.
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