Online Course Format
Our courses are asynchronous, so you can log in any time of the day or night to access the course materials, but they have a weekly Zoom meeting that all are encouraged to participate in (they will be recorded and posted). To facilitate the flow of discussion in the online course forums, each course is divided into units. You will be encouraged to progress through the course alongside the other course participants. A two-week period at the end of the course is provided for you to reflect on what you have learned, to consider how your learning can be applied to your daily life, to give feedback on your learning experience, and to complete any outstanding readings or assignments.
Faculty
Sandra Lynn Hutchison (sandrahutchison19@hotmail.com)
Introduction
This course on how to study the Bahá’í Writings is designed to introduce students to a method of studying the Bahá’í scriptures systematically by using a number of literary and exegetical tools. In the course we will study selected passages from Bahá’í scripture through four “windows” into the meaning of divine wisdom: Language; Theme; Structure; and the Work as a whole. Through learning to read carefully, with attention to figurative language, theme, and the place of the work in the author's writings and in His life and times, as well as in the larger world of scriptural and literary traditions, we will develop tools for analyzing any Bahá’í text systematically.
Learning Objectives
- Acquire basic skills to understand and analyze language, the structure of a work, and the context provided by the work's overall content,
- Learn how to outline and summarize the basic content of a work,
- Improve the ability to explain the content of a work to others.
Tuition: $150 (tuition discounts available)