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.

Information about all courses

 

This seven-session course explores the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the most important and sacred Text of the Bahá’í Faith. Participants will study the significance and history of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas; its language, style, and translation; its theological and spiritual foundations, including its conceptions of God, religion, and human beings; its provisions for succession, interpretation, and administration; its devotional and other personal laws; its ordinances for promoting unity; its perspectives on justice and law; and its addresses to the world’s political and religious leaders.

The first session will provide a general introduction. During the following six sessions, participants will explore the themes above through the study, each session, of two chapters of the new publication Exploring the Kitáb-i-Aqdas: The Laws and Teachings of the Bahá’í Faith (www.exploringtheBook.com). Participants must order a copy of the book before the first session directly from the publisher’s website (https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/9780755660148/). (The paperback is $35.72 after using the special 35% discount code GLR AT8 on the publisher’s website.)

Zoom sessions every Wednesday, 8-9:30 Eastern:

  • Session 1 (January 6): Introductory session
  • Session 2 (January 20): Chapters 1 and 2
  • Session 3 (January 27): Chapters 3 and 4
  • Session 4 (February 3): Chapters 5 and 6
  • Session 5 (February 10): Chapters 7 and 8
  • Session 6 (February 17): Chapters 9 and 10
  • Session 7 (February 24): Chapters 11 and 12

Faculty: Omid Ghaemmaghami and Shahin Vafai

Tuition: $150 (tuition discounts available)