November 2022
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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Some 165 webinars have now been edited in audio form and released for free download. We are beginning to prepare transcripts for public use as well; one is published on the webinar website.
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Beckonings: Reflections on the Seven Valleys
Archie Abaire, a retired Bahá’í from Beaverdam, Virginia, wrote a poem to express his learning in the course The Seven Valleys and The Four Valleys through Creative Arts Exploration. He also created a mandala (right) representing the Seven Valleys. Peggy Caton, the course's faculty, found the poem to exemplify the creative process the course sought to instill.
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Course on Anti-Black Racism Deepens Understanding
Dhabih Chulhai knew much about the severity of anti-Black racism before the course, but the reading materials brought much additional understanding. Dhabih is now bolder to speak out about racist behaviors and plans to speak about racism at Feasts and firesides.
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Learner Expands Public Discourse about Anti-Black Racism in Grand Rapids
David Douglas used the Anti-Black Racism course to develop many opportunities to act. His "Conversations on Race" group wrote a letter to the Grand Rapid mayor and City Commission and David made a presentation to them about racist incidents in the city. Follow-up discussions with the Mayor and Deputy Police Chief will follow. The project has reinforced his belief in the ability of a small group of dedicated friends to engage in meaningful personal and community transformation.
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William Collins Offers a Sermon about Jesus Christ at an African Methodist Episcopal Church
William Collins, who teaches courses about Shoghi Effendi and his writings for the Wilmette Institute, was invited by a clergy friend of his on the interfaith coalition of Fairfax County, Virginia to be one of seven speakers at his church for Good Friday. The other six were other AME pastors. Bill's text was "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit," Jesus's last words on the cross according to the Gospel of Luke.
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Tips for Sustainable Living | |
Fly Less!
Flying is a huge emitter of carbon dioxide, hence flying less makes an important contribution to lessening climate change. The wealthy 1% of the earth's population are the frequent fliers, but the majority can't afford to fly, and they are the ones who suffer the most from floods, droughts, and heat waves.
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November and December Courses | |
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STARTS THURSDAY!
Empower Your Marriage and Family to Thrive
Nov. 3 - Dec. 14, 2022
Do you want the best for your marriage and family, but it’s hard to juggle everything? This course will help you understand and organize your roles and responsibilities, establish your marriage and family unit as a secure foundation for the well-being of all in the family, nurture family spiritual habits and virtues, and have positive family unity through spiritual practices and service together. You will study spiritual principles from the Bahá’í teachings that apply, learn helpful information from science, and carry out practical application of your learning.
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Praying Together: The Devotional Gathering
Nov. 10 - Dec. 21, 2022
Praying together is a natural part of human life and has deep roots in the world’s religious traditions. This course explores, from a Baha'i perspective, how people from any background gathering together to worship God can enhance the devotional character of a neighborhood, evoke the spirit of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar, and enable individuals to ‘experience the sweetness of prayer, meditate upon the Creative Word, be transported on the wings of the spirit, and commune with the one Beloved’, as well as generating ‘feelings of fellowship and common cause’, and fostering ‘spiritually heightened conversations that naturally occur at such times and through which the “city of the human heart” may be opened’. The course also helps us learn how to invite our friends to attend a devotional gathering and, in due time, to accompany them as they host their own.
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Chinese Religions for Deepening and Dialogue
Nov. 10 - Dec. 28, 2022
In this course we will cover the rise and development of the Taoist and Confucian traditions; explore their ideas, values, and practices; consider the ways in which they are being modified and applied in the modern world; and examine their similarities to and differences from the Bahá’í teachings. By studying Chinese thought and values, Bahá’ís will obtain a greater appreciation of the Bahá’í Faith and acquire experience in sharing the perspective of their own faith with Chinese people in an informed and respectful manner.
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Writing Histories and Biographies
Nov. 17, 2022 - Jan. 4, 2023
Writing Biographies and Histories: Recording Stories of People and Places is designed to help Bahá’ís who wish to compose a memoir about their own lives, produce a biography of a Bahá’í mentor, or write the history of their local Bahá’í community. Units in the first half of the course will cover such topics as selecting a topic and settling on an audience; the philosophy and ethics of writing biographies and history; collecting oral history; research in archives and libraries and on the web; organizing notes and outlining the topic.
In the second half of the course, participants will pursue a research and writing project with support and advice from the faculty. The Wilmette Institute may be interested in publishing some short histories, biographies, and memoirs on its public website.
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Exploring Baha'u'llah's Last Major Work: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
Dec. 8, 2022 - Jan. 25, 2023
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf may be regarded as Baha’u’llah’s crowning achievement, which He revealed near the end of His forty-year ministry. In this major work Baha’u’llah selects some of the choicest gems from His earlier works, including a number of previously revealed tablets; public proclamation of His eschatological advent; declaration of His mission and purpose; autobiographical narration of key personal experiences; major ethical and moral precepts; explanations of prophecies and their symbolic and spiritual significances; tributes to Baha'i martyrs; and highlights of other key aspects of Baha'i history and teachings. In this course, we will give special attention to how Baha’u’llah engaged in the public discourses of the society in His day and age and how this may serve as a model for engaging the public discourses of society today.
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Philosophy and the Baha'i Faith
Dec. 15, 2022 - Feb. 1, 2023
In Philosophy and the Bahá'í Faith, we will explore the relationship between the Baha'i teachings and many eternal human questions, such as metaphysics (the system of principles underlying a particular study or subject), religion and spirituality, epistemology (how we know something), ethics, social philosophy, aesthetics and self-expression, and the philosophy of law, education, politics, love, and humanity.
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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
Archie Abaire
Dhabih Chulhai
William Collins
David Douglas
Christine Muller
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