Rediscovering the Dawn-Breakers:
The Báb and the Bábí Faith
TOPIC:
The Bahá'í Faith is a religion that particularly emphasizes study of its history. Bahá'í history provides one with a sense of the Faith's ongoing development, its crises and victories, and teaches lessons relevant to contemporary communities and efforts. Study of the earliest period of history—the Dawn-Breakers of the Heroic Age—provides many opportunities to meditate on the spiritual qualities we must develop to be examples of the Bahá'í life and to reexamine our efforts to serve the Faith. As Shoghi Effendi's secretary noted, "Shoghi Effendi undertook the translation of The Dawn-Breakers only after being convinced that its publication will arouse the friends to greater self-sacrifice and a more determined way of teaching. Otherwise he would not have devoted so much time to it. . . Reading about the life and activities of those heroic souls is bound to influence our mode of living and the importance we attach to our services in the Cause." (Shoghi Effendi, quoted in The Importance of Deepening, p. 216)
DATES:
March 1, 2001 to May 31, 2001
TEXTS:
Nabíl's Narrative, God Passes By, and various supplemental readings assembled by the Institute.
FACULTY (tentative):
Dr. Iraj Ayman
Mr. Stephen Lambden
Dr. Todd Lawson
Dr. Moojan Momen
Mr. Michael Sours
Dr. Robert Stockman
Mr. Peter Terry
COST:
$150
A twenty percent discount is available when registering as part of a local
group of three or more (who pledge to meet together semimonthly to study the
texts) or to senior citizens (65 and older) or to those whose service to the
Faith engenders financial hardship. Larger discounts are available for even
larger groups who plan to study the course together. Financial aid is also
available.
There are no residential
requirements, for the course is conducted by correspondence and over the
internet. College credit and scholarships may be available. Contact the registrar for more information.
REQUIREMENTS:
The course is taught at the undergraduate level of difficulty. Therefore, it
is open to those with a high school degree or equivalent.
THE THREE-TIERED SYSTEM:
All of our distance-education courses can be taken at three difficulty levels: introductory (roughly equivalent to a late high-school or early college level), intermediate (roughly equivalent to a standard undergraduate college course), and advanced (graduate level). Students in all three levels are assigned the same reading, but prepare different types of homework. Introductory students prepare an informal self-evaluation at the end of each unit, discussing what they learned and their reactions to or thoughts about it. Intermediate students prepare a more formal learning project for each unit, such as an essay, presentation, fireside, or artistic project. Advanced students, who will be mentored only by a professor with a doctorate, will work with their advisor one-on-one to prepare an individually-tailored course of study. Students at all levels will participate in the same listserver and conference calls, and receive the same course materials.
WORK EXPECTATIONS:
The course will take five to
ten hours of work each week and will involve:
Reading and discussion. The course is divided into a series of units, each of which involves reading from various texts and articles and discussing them with fellow students, either by e-mail or by voluntary participation in conference calls.
Assistance by a mentor/advisor, who reviews and
comments on all homework you do, and answers your questions.
For those who are part of local study groups,
discussion assignments are provided.
Participation in "dawnbreakers" the course's
email discussion group. Because of the speed and efficiency that email
provides, all students are urged to acquire email for the
course.
Access to the course's password-protected web
site, which includes additional study material and completed sample homework
assignments.
Voluntary participation in conference calls
with up to five other students and a faculty member.
Completion of a final project that involves
review of the material studied, evaluation of what one has learned, and
systematic application of it to teaching and deepening.
GRADING OPTIONS:
The course is usually taken
pass/fail with review and comments about assignments by the instructor. It may
be taken for a grade (A, B, C, D, F).
RELATED COURSES:
Bahá'í history courses for the periods 1853-1921, 1921-63, and 1963-2000 are planned for 2002, 2003, and 2004 respectively.
