September 28, 2004
Islam Course to be Offered Again

The Wilmette Institute's very popular and successful course "Islam for Deepening and Dialogue" is being offered again, October 15, 2004 through January 15, 2005. The fourth time the course has been available, it is now the most offered course of the Institute.

The need for the course is greater than ever. Shoghi Effendi stressed that American Baha'is needed to know Islam not only to understand the roots of their own Faith, but to be able to defend the validity of the revelation of Muhammad. The latter effort is more important than ever, as forces of fanaticism threaten to hijack Islam or at least its image in the west. The call of the Universal House of Justice for Baha'is to engage in discussion with Muslims also underlines the need for Baha'is to learn more about Muhammad, the Qur'an, and the ongoing tradition that has interpreted both the prophet and His teachings in diverse ways.

Students will need to purchase two books for the course, Mary Pat Fisher's Living Religions and James Feiser John Powers' Scriptures of the World Religions. Both are available via Amazon.com. Other course materials are available at the course's password-protected website.

September 10, 2004
Iqan Course Starts on 15th

Shoghi Effendi extolls the Kitáb-i-Íqán as “foremost among the priceless treasures cast forth from the billowing ocean of Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation” (God Passes By, 138). He went on to describe it as “a model of Persian prose, of a style at once original, chaste, and vigorous, both cogent in argument and matchless in its irresistible eloquence” and noted that “this Book, setting forth in outline the Grand Redemptive Scheme of God, occupies a position unequalled by any work in the entire range of Bahá'í literature, except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh's Most Holy Book.”

COURSE DATES: Sept. 15-Dec. 15, 2004

TEXTS: In addition to the Book of Certitude itself, the principal text is Hooper Dunbar's new book, A Companion to the Study of the Kitáb-i-Íqán. Portions of John Hatcher's Ocean of His Words will also be assigned. Students should own Some Answered Questions and Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá in order to study related passages in those books.

FACULTY: Christopher Buck, Peter Terry, and Ismael Velasco

COST: $150 (individual); $300 (group)
Financial aid is available.

STUDY GROUP: Any individual can plan a local study group (of two or more) in consultation with the Wilmette Institute or with a Bahá'í institution. The group must have an official correspondent, who will copy course materials and distribute them to the group. Members must commit to attending two meetings per month. Every member will have full course privileges (copies of materials, access to the course's web site, help from a mentor, and so on).

Come sign up by clicking on the "Sign Up for Class" button in the top right.