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Summer Class Schedule, July 29-Aug. 7, 2005,
The Baha'i Home, Wilmette

How to Audit Summer Classes

Summary of Program Content, 2005

View Photos of the 2003 summer session or the 2004 summer session

The Spiritual Foundations for a Global Civilization Program is a four-year program of comprehensive study of all aspects of the Bahá'í Faith. Each year includes a one-week residential session in Wilmette where top-notch faculty cover the subjects of the year in an atmosphere of consultation and inquiry. The residential session includes opportunities to pray at the House of Worship and create a close Bahá'í community life. It is preceded by several months of home study and followed by a time to review and integrate your learning via the internet and Worldwide Web.

The Spiritual Foundations program used to require an application process, but no more; students simply register by completing a registration form and writing a brief (about 150 word) statement about what they want to gain from taking the program. Students do not need to commit to all four years; they may take any portion of the program that interests them. At the end of each summer, a certificate of attendance is rewarded; completion of the home study is rewarded by a certificate of completion.


Schedule for the Spiritual Foundations Program, 2005

Application Period Opens — Jan. 1, 2005

Application Period Closes — Apr. 1, 2005 [EXTENDED to June 1!]

Home Study I Begins — May 1, 2005

Home Study I Ends — July 29, 2005

Summer Session Begins — July 29, 2005, 7 p.m.

Summer Session Ends — Aug. 7, 2005, 12 noon

Home Study II Begins — Sept 1, 2005

Home Study II Ends — April 1, 2006 (Spiritual Foundations students will have until May 1, 2006 to take as many distance-learning courses as they please for free, and to complete projects involving teaching the Faith and deepening.) Home study I is primarily to do readings to prepare for the summer residency; home study II is primarily to integrate learning and complete a learning project to wrap up the course. Students give firesides, deepenings, and classes on the material they studied all year. Students can also take as many distance-learning courses as they wish for free. If the schedule of a distance-learning course conflicts with home study I or II, adjustments in expectations can be made.

Fees for the Spiritual Foundations Program, 2005
Tuition: $450
Lodging: $200 (approx. depending on type of room)
Meals: $120 (approx.)
Books: $50 (approx.)
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Total: $820 (approx.)




OVERVIEW OF THE FOUR-YEAR SPIRITUAL FOUNDATIONS PROGRAM

1. Mission Statement The purpose of the Spiritual Foundation for a Global Civilization program is to help advance the process of entry by troops by raising up a new generation of diverse, knowledgeable, articulate teachers and administrators of the Bahá'í Faith by imparting knowledge; developing various skills, particularly teaching skills; fostering Bahá'í identity; inculcating a spirit of service; and creating a model Bahá’í community life. A major requirement of the program is the students' commitment to practical service and teaching activities.

2. Curriculum Spiritual Foundations for a Global Civilization is a four-year university-level program of systematic study. The program has four thematic clusters that can be studied in any order: religion, philosophy, and theology (the nature of religion, the various world religions, ancient and modern philosophy, and Bahá'í concepts of God, revelation, humanity, creation, afterlife, and Covenant); the development of human beings and the creation of strong Bahá'í marriages and families; the nature and purpose of human communities and their governance, with a particular focus on Bahá'í communities and the administrative order; and carrying forward an ever-advancing civilization, examining such issues as establishing world peace and global prosperity, advancing racial and sexual equality, protecting the environment, and the proper use of science. In addition, each year the following are included: the study of Bahá'í history, thematic examination of Bahá'í scripture, the acquisition of skills in teaching the Faith, and the development of other skills such as writing, public speaking, community building, and conflict resolution. These eight areas constitute the eight modules addressed by the Spiritual Foundations program. Parts of the Spiritual Foundations program are accreditable at the university level. The program is open to anyone aged eighteen or older with a high school degree or equivalent. The program has two components:

• An annual intensive residential session consisting of classes, service projects, training in teaching the Faith, and hands-on experience in building a community among the students and faculty. The university-accreditable portion of the residential session is the equivalent of at least one-semester course each year. The residential session, which is held in Wilmette, is now one week in length.

• Ten months of self-study assignments and teaching and service activities undertaken by students in their home locales. This part of the program is roughly equivalent to the homework of at least a one-semester course of study each year. Much of the homework is set up as "learning projects," such as giving firesides and deepenings about the material studied. Students choose which learning projects to do, thereby shaping their learning experience.


SUBJECTS COVERED IN THE SPIRITUAL FOUNDATIONS PROGRAM

Module A: World Religions, Philosophy, and Bahá'í Theology (2004; 2008)
The course introduces the major religions in the world today in the perspective of both comparative religion and the Bahá'í Faith. It explores aspects of modern philosophy to highlight major concepts relevant to understanding the Bahá'í teachings. Finally, it examines the basics of Bahá'í theology, an exploration greatly illuminated by comparisons to other philosophical and religious systems of thought.


Module B: Individual Development and Creation of Bahá'í Marriages and Families (2005; 2009) The course covers the physical, mental, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions of individual development; moral development and virtues; the institution of marriage; parenthood and child rearing; family life; the individual and institutions; and the individual and the community.


Module C: Concepts of Community and Governance (2006; 2010) The course consists of an exploration of how human communities are formed and how they govern themselves, both historically and according to current political theory. The Bahá'í administrative order and community will be the focus of the course and are examined in their historical context. Their salient features are explored, and they are studied as both a theory and a practice of community building.


Module D: Carrying Forward an Ever-Advancing Civilization (2007; 2011) Bahá'u'lláh revealed numerous social teachings, which 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi subsequently interpreted and elaborated. Since about 1980 the Universal House of Justice and its agencies have elucidated and applied the Bahá'í social teachings further through a series of statements, including a statement on social and economic development (1983), The Promise of World Peace (1985), The Bahá'í Statement on Nature (1987), a statement on literacy (1989), The Prosperity of Humankind (1995), and Turning Point for All Nations (1995). In addition, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States has issued The Vision of Race Unity (1991) and Two Wings of a Bird: The Equality of Women and Men (1996). Collectively, these statements identify a series of issues facing humanity, emphasize their mutually reinforcing and overlapping natures, and outline the spiritual principles necessary for resolving them. Among the issues are: racism; economic disparities; unbridled nationalism; religious strife; equality of the sexes; universal education; and the need for a universal auxiliary language. Module D will focus on these issues and issues of science and the environment. The module will be based on the statements listed above and relevant background information identified in academia.

Module E: Bahá'í History (1 section during each of the four years) The Bahá'í History Module covers four interrelated subjects, in chronological order, that reinforce the contents of Module, B, C, and D.

1. 1800-63 (2004; 2008) (Note: Section 1 is taught during the year in which Module A [World Religions, Philosophy, and Bahá'í Theology] is offered and reinforces many of that module's themes.) Shaykhis, Millerites, and Other Millennial Groups The Life of the Báb The Writings of the Báb Bábí History The Life of Bahá'u'lláh to 1863 The Early Writings of Bahá'u'lláh The Bahá'í Community during Bahá'u'lláh's Lifetime

2. 1863-1921 (2005) (Note: Section 2 is taught during the year in which Module B [Development of the Individual and Creation of Strong Bahá'í Marriages and Families] is offered and reinforces that module's themes.) The Life of Bahá'u'lláh, 1863-92 Later Writings of Bahá'u'lláh The Life of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Writings and Talks of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Memorials of the Faithful Tablets by 'Abdu'l-Bahá The Middle East Bahá'í community during 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Lifetime The Establishment of the Faith in the West 'Abdu'l-Bahá's trip to Europe and North America in 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Talks in the West The Promulgation of Universal Peace

3. 1921-1957 (2006) (Note: Section 3 is taught during the year in which Module C [Concepts of Community and Governance] is offered and reinforces that module's themes.) The Life and Writings of Shoghi Effendi (6 hrs.) God Passes By Development of the Bahá'í Community, 1921-57 (6 hrs.) Creation of the Administrative Order, 1921-37 (1.5 hrs.) The First and Second Seven Year Plan: The Ten Year Crusade (1.5 hrs.) Construction of Houses of Worship (1.5 hrs.) The Persecution of the Faith under Marxist and Fascist Regimes (1.5 hrs.)

4. 1957-present (2007) (Note: Section 4 is taught during the year in which Module D [Carrying Forward an Ever-Advancing Civilization] is offered and reinforces that module's themes.) The Custodianship of the Hands; Election of the Universal House of Justice Continuing the Plans, 1963-Present The Spread of the Faith in the Third World The Persecution of the Faith, Especially in Iran Emergence of the Faith from Obscurity Entry by Troops Development of Bahá'í Studies The Development of the Bahá'í World Centre Construction of the Arc Messages of the Universal House of Justice

Module F: Bahá'í Scripture (1 section during each of the four years) The Bahá'í writings are covered three different ways in the Spiritual Foundations of a Global Civilization program: The historical and intellectual context of the writings of the Central Figures, Shoghi Effendi, and the Universal House of Justice is covered in the Bahá'í History Module (see above). Themes in the Bahá'í writings are covered in Modules A through E, where appropriate; indeed, much of the content of those modules involves discussion of ideas and passages from the Bahá'í writings. Discussion of the content of specific books. Sometimes entire books will be treated in Modules A through E, when the primary theme of the book matches the theme of that module. There is insufficient time in the Spiritual Foundations program to cover all works of Bahá'í scripture; hence only the salient works will be studied.

1. Writings on Religion, Philosophy, and Theology (Theme, Module A) (2004; 2008) The Kitáb-i-Iqán Some Answered Questions

2. Writings on the Development of the Individual (Theme, Module B) (2005)The Kitáb-i-Aqdas

3. Writings on Community and Governance (Theme, Module C) (2006) The Kitáb-i-Aqdas as it relates to Community and Governance Tablet of Carmel Kitáb-i-Ahd Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh letters Tablets of the Divine Plan The Constitution of the Universal House of Justice

4. Writings on Establishing Global Civilization (Theme, Module D) (2007) Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas The Promised Day Is Come The Advent of Divine Justice The Secret of Divine Civilization

Module G: Skills Development (1 section during each of the four years) The Spiritual Foundations program focuses on skills necessary for Bahá'ís to become better teachers and administrators of the Faith. One or sometimes two skills are taught each year, and they are reinforced by the faculty teaching the other modules.

Module H: Teaching the Faith (1 section during each of the four years) The entire Spiritual Foundations program exists to provide skills to facilitate efforts to teach the Faith. Modules A through G exist to provide useful background knowledge for answering the questions of others. By "teaching" is not meant pushing the Faith on others but understanding the Bahá'í Faith deeply, living its principles, constantly demonstrating its personal transforming power, and having the wisdom and tact to know what to say to others and when to say it. It is of such a person 'Abdu'l-Bahá speaks when He says: ...ye must conduct yourselves in such a manner that ye may stand out distinguished and brilliant as the sun among other souls. Should any one of you enter a city, he should become a center of attraction by reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness and love, his honesty and fidelity, his truthfulness and loving-kindness towards all the peoples of the world, so that the people of that city may cry out and say: "This man is unquestionably a Bahá'í, for his manners, his behavior, his conduct, his morals, his nature, and disposition reflect the attributes of the Bahá'ís." Not until ye attain this station can ye be said to have been faithful to the Covenant and Testament of God (quoted in Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, pages 25-26). During the summer session students participate in teaching workshops that review the relevant Bahá'í principles and practice the skills necessary for teaching the Faith effectively.

OTHER FEATURES OF THE SUMMER SESSION
During the residential session, students have the opportunity to test their skills by serving as guides at the Bahá'í House of Worship and by teaching on its premises. There are also other opportunities to teach while in Wilmette. In August 1998 the owner of a Wilmette restaurant declared as a result of Spiritual Foundations students repeatedly visiting her establishment. Students also have the opportunity to mention the Bahá'í Faith to others while staying in the dormitory. They must remember, however, that the university administrators and the dormitory staff encounter Bahá'ís frequently. They may be particularly interested in seeing whether Bahá'ís really exemplify their teachings, and they may not want to hear a basic summary of the Bahá'í Faith repeatedly. Since we use university facilities every year for the summer residential session, extra tact and wisdom should be exercised when mentioning the Faith in them. When Spiritual Foundations students return home, they are encouraged to implement what they have learned.

HOME STUDY A web-based Bulletin Board is provided for discussing teaching successes and asking for suggestions from the faculty. Many home study assignments for Modules A-G can be completed as firesides. We ask our students to complete a simple form about their teaching projects so that we know what they have done and what resulted. This allows us to measure the impact of the Wilmette Institute on teaching the Faith. In 1997-98, Spiritual Foundations students reported bringing four people into the Faith; in 1998-99, twenty-five.

SERVICE TO OTHERS While there is no service module in the Spiritual Foundation curriculum, it is a crucial aspect of the program, and is woven into it in many ways. The Wilmette Institute seeks to inculcate the spirit of service in all its students. Service is a key virtue of every Bahá'í. The fact that the Exemplar of the Bahá'í Faith took on the title 'Abdu'l-Bahá, "Servant of Bahá," underlines its high station. Students have many opportunities to serve the Faith while in Wilmette, particularly at the House of Worship. Wilmette Institute students are also asked to carry out service projects at home, preferably at least one simple service project per month. Since service is one of the best ways to teach the Faith, service projects can be combined with teaching efforts. The Wilmette Institute wants to know about its students' service efforts and provides a simple form to fill out. This allows the Institute to measure the impact of its programs on its students and their local communities and provides information for improving and further developing its programs.

COMMUNITY LIFE The creation of a model Bahá'í community life is one of the major reasons why the Spiritual Foundations program has a residential session. Parts of the Spiritual Foundations program could be taught by correspondence and other distance-learning techniques, but community life cannot be created at a distance. The Spiritual Foundations program provides an opportunity for its students to create their own Bahá'í community during the residential session, complete with dawn prayers at the House of Worship and a "feast." Living in a dormitory, sharing most meals together, studying together, and doing service together also help to create a close sense of community. When the summer session ends, community life continues in limited form on the bulletin board, by conference calls, and private communication among the students. Students are encouraged to help each other to complete their home study assignments. It is hoped that students will try to apply what they learned about community over the summer to improve their home communities during the rest of the year.

SUMMER RESIDENTIAL SESSION
The summer residential session is the core of the Spiritual Foundations program. The home study before it is preparatory to the summer classes, and the home study afterward is designed to reinforce and complete the class lectures and discussions. Some subjects covered by the Spiritual Foundations program, especially the skills and teaching workshops, cannot be taught by distance-learning and thus are only covered in the residential sessions. Furthermore, the residential sessions serve as a laboratory where Bahá'í community can be created, experienced, and improved. Finally, the residential sessions provide the chance to meet faculty and fellow students, social contact that eases the sense of isolation that home study can generate. Because of its importance, the summer residential session cannot be skipped. It is essential to participation in the Spiritual Foundations program. At the completion of each summer session, students will receive a certificate of attendance.

Weather. Because Chicago is in the middle of a continent and near a very large lake, its weather is highly variable. July and August are the hottest months of the year, with a mean daily high of 84 F / 27C and a mean nightly low of 63F / 17C. Extremely high temperatures, however, do occur, and they are always accompanied by humidity. August tends to be more humid than July. In July 1995 one day hit 106F/36C during a month-long heat wave with temperatures almost every day over 90F/32C. In July 1996, however, almost every day was 70 to 78F (21 to 26C), humidity was comfortable, and nights were ideal for comfortable sleep. Summers are not always hot; if there is a strong wind off the lake and one is at an outdoor activity near it, one can get quite chilly, because the lake does not warm up until August. Also, classrooms may be air conditioned too much and can be chilly. Rain is unpredictable; an entire month can pass without rain, or it can rain almost daily. Severe thunderstorms can also occur. On rare occasions, they are accompanied by tornadoes. When packing clothes for Chicago, it is, therefore, best to bring light summer clothes for high heat, but a rain coat that can also serve as a jacket and windbreaker is necessary. A sweater or spring coat might also be a wise precaution. An umbrella is essential.

What to Bring With You. Summer clothes, Spring jacket and sweater, Business/dress wear (for the Welcoming Dinner, Candlelight Dinner, and House of Worship) Umbrella Fan Sheets for a single bed, pillow case, towels (not available from the dorm) Prescription medicines (if necessary) Over the counter medications (aspirin, for example) Personal and Bahá'í books School supplies (pen, pencil, paper, notebook) A portable typewriter or laptop computer (not essential but helpful)

Dress Code. The Wilmette Institute students must be exemplars of Bahá'í ideals at all times. They are not the only students in the dormitories or on campus; there are many opportunities to mention the Faith. Wilmette Institute students should be aware of the public image of the Faith they create. For this reason one should choose one's dress carefully, avoiding overly casual, sloppy, or revealing clothes. Even higher standards of dress are expected of those who enter the Holiest House of Worship. One should not go to the House of Worship wearing shorts or tank tops. The House of Worship expects formal dress of anyone serving as a guide. Men should wear nice shirts with ties; women should wear dresses or skirts, not slacks.

Behavioral Expectations. As noted, Wilmette Institute students will be visiting the Bahá'í House of Worship can serve there and at the Bahá'í National Center, and will be living in a dormitory with other students. Our time together in Wilmette is an opportunity to create an ideal Bahá'í community, not only as a laboratory for our own learning but as a model for others to see and experience. For these reasons the highest standards of ethical, moral, and spiritual conduct will be expected of our students. The closed space of a dormitory also dictates that one be courteous of one's fellow students. Among other things, this means one cannot stay up late at night talking as it disturbs others as well as impairs one's ability to participate in class. For this reason after 11 p.m. is quiet time and all should be in their rooms.

Dormitory Supervision. The Wilmette Institute provides a dormitory supervisor to live with the students, offer advice, assist in emergencies, and monitor behavior.

Safety. Evanston and Wilmette have experienced the crime problems typical of many American cities. Consequently, personal property should always be kept in a locked place, such as your room, or should be kept close to you. Automobiles should always be locked. If you must walk somewhere at night, you should be accompanied by a friend.

Children and Spouses. The Institute has not established formal policies about the presence of children and spouses at the summer residential program. One year a couple brought a six-month old with relatively little disruption. Small children able to walk, presumably, would be disruptive of class. Other students have brought older children (over the age of 15) who were able to volunteer at the National Center or guide at the House of Worship during class. Spouses have often stayed at the dormitory.