January 2023
A monthly electronic Newsletter
News, Web Talks, live events,
upcoming courses
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Great Webinars and Podcasts
The talks are live web video programs and are free. Just click to register, or go to our Facebook or YouTube page to watch live. The video will be available later on our YouTube account; the audio may be available as a podcast on our SoundCloud channel. Our podcasts can also be found in the Apple Store and many other places where one can download podcasts.
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Orientation Course is Launched
The Wilmette Institute's "extension" (non-credit) courses now begin with a one-week course orienting students to Moodle, the Baha'i conceptual framework for action, and the importance of public discourse. The orientation course is designed to focus the extension courses and the students on these essential elements so that they can apply the course material in support of the Nine Year Plan. The course is free and we invite EVERYONE to take it now and give us feedback so we can improve it. It is self guided.
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Application for Two Certificate Programs is Still Open
The Wilmette Institute's two certificate programs, which start on January 30, are filling up! But there is still room for a few additional students. The certificates are part of our effort to become accredited. We need students to take them, so we are offering them free for the first ten students to be accepted. They will be a lot of work, but they'll be great on your resume!
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Wilmette Institute Exhibit at AAR
The Wilmette Institute had a display in the exhibit hall of the American Academy of Religion November 18-22, 2022, in Denver, CO. The 4-day program was attended by some 10,000 university students, professors, journalists, clergy, and others who study religion. Over 100 items of literature about the Faith were taken and many conversations were held with the steady stream of visitors.
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Student Embraces Spiritual Purpose as the Foundation of Parenting
Fostering a Baha'i Identity in Families helped one New Zealand believer remember that each moment parenting is an opportunity to develop spiritually, that our spiritual purpose and actions are the foundation of parenting, and that parents are the greatest spiritual models for their children.
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Learner Finds Wilmette Institute to Be a Home in the Baha'i Community
Addison Walker learned much about Baha'i history in Introduction to Baha'i History and shared that learning with her community and the children's class she teaches. The children produced some beautiful images representing events in Baha'i history, such as `Abdu'l-Baha's ship sailing into New York harbor.
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Learner Reflects on the Importance of Praying Together
The Wilmette Institute course Praying Together: The Devotional Gathering helped Virginia Hoefler appreciate the difference and advantage of collective devotions, which bring greater unity and help us concentrate our higher aspirations. She feels more able to contribute ideas and encouragement to devotional gatherings in her community and to accompany others on this service.
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Tips for Sustainable Living | |
Avoid Food Waste with Delicious Soups
What to do with various leftovers? Be creative and prepare a delicious soup! You may find a small portion of broccoli or other vegetables in your refrigerator, perhaps potatoes from yesterday and some mushroom sauce from the day before … just mix them all up!
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January and February Courses | |
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God Summons Europe (Part II)
Jan. 18 - Feb. 28, 2023
The course will closely examine Bahá’u’lláh’s proclamatory addresses to Pope Pius IX (r. 1846-1878) of the Roman Catholic Church, Emperor Franz Joseph Hapsburg (r. 1848-1916) of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Kaiser Wilhelm I (r. 1871-1888) of the German Empire. There will be 3 webinars for this Course, the first of which will be a public Webinar.
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Gifts of the Spirit: The Spiritual Practice of Creative Writing
Jan. 18 - Mar. 14, 2023
In this course, students will work one on one with a mentor who is a published author and experienced editor to design and complete a creative project in the form of poetry, fiction, a personal essay, or a memoir. In preparation for embarking on this project, students will explore various practical and aesthetic questions relating to writing, such as 1) how should one approach creative work as a writer? 2) what is the relationship between writing and spiritual practice? 3) what kinds of subjects should one choose to write about? 4) how should one use language? 5) what is the role of the writer in the community? and 6) how does one live a productive writing life? The goal of this course will be to complete a literary project and also to understand what kind of work must be done in order to achieve publication.
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Interfaith Dialogue and Collaboration
Feb. 1 - Mar. 21, 2023
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The Baha'i Faith is in a unique position to inspire and support interfaith endeavors because the Faith’s very scriptures contain the imperative to foster interfaith dialogue and names it as one of the prerequisites for world peace. This course draws on Baha'i principles as well as the work of interfaith scholars and organizations, journalists, religious leaders and agencies of various faith traditions, to explore how to successfully initiate and engage in interfaith dialogue with people of all spiritual persuasions.
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Baha'i Perspectives on Agriculture and Food
Feb. 8 - Mar. 28, 2023
In Baha'i Perspectives on Agriculture and Food, we will examine the teachings of the Baha'i Faith on agriculture, food, and rural development; relate these teachings to contemporary public discourse on these issues; and suggest ways in which agricultural activities can be incorporated into core activities, community-building, and emerging social action.
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Anti-Black Racism in the U.S. and Building a Unified Society
Jan. 18 - Mar. 14, 2023
This course will examine anti-Black racism and racial prejudice in North American society in some of its most serious manifestations, explore the content and significance of relevant Baha'i authoritative texts, and consider how Baha'is can initiate meaningful conversations and public discourse in a variety of contexts. It will begin with an exploration of definitions of race, racism, and prejudice. It will then turn to such subjects as understanding colonialism and slavery; the prison/industrial complex; Black Lives Matter and policing issues; white privilege and bias/stereotyping; housing and education segregation; violence against black women; Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement; and "one human family"—the experience of the Baha'i community.
Note: This course features weekly Zoom sessions on Sundays at 4:00 pm Eastern Time (1:00 pm Pacific, 3:00 pm Central Time), starting the first weekend of the course.
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The Wilmette Institute eNewsletter
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The Wilmette Institute eNewsletter is published monthly by the Wilmette Institute, which offers quality online courses on the Baha'i Faith. The Wilmette Institute is committed to engaging a broad and diverse international community of learners in deep study of the Faith and to fostering love for study of the Faith. The Wilmette Institute was established in January 1995 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States.
Information from the eNewsletter may be copied or reproduced, provided that the following credit is given: "Reprinted from the eNewsletter of the Wilmette Institute," followed by the issue's date. Recipients are encouraged to forward the eNewsletter to friends. If you have questions, please email us at learn@wilmetteinstitute.org.
Editor
Robert H. Stockman
Production
Robert H. Stockman
Niki Daniels
Mim Gottschalk
Debra Lilly
Contributors
Virginia Hoefler
Christine Muller
Addison Walker
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