| Advanced study of specific subjects; the character, qualities or attainments of one who has undertaken advanced studies in a special field; a fund of knowledge and learning. |
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| The need for scholars of the Bahá'í Faith was indicated in a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi in 1932 and in a letter written in 1949: 'Shoghi Effendi surely hopes that before long the Cause would produce scholars that would write books which would be far deeper and more universal in scope [than Esslemont's Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era].' 'It seems what we need now is a more profound and coordinated Bahá'í scholarship . . .' In 1979 the Universal House of Justice stated in a letter addressed to participants in a Bahá'í Studies Seminar at Cambridge, England, that it regarded Bahá'í scholarship of 'great potential importance for the development and consolidation of the Bahá'í community as it emerges from obscurity'. |
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| A major function of Bahá'í scholarship is to enable Bahá'ís to apply the teachings of their Faith to contemporary problems. In a letter written on his behalf in 1949, Shoghi Effendi stated: 'We need Bahá'í scholars, not only people far, far more deeply aware of what our teachings really are, but also well-read and educated people capable of correlating our teachings to the current thoughts of the leaders of society.' Another function is to assist in the defense of the Bahá'í community from verbal and written attacks by building and drawing upon the body of knowledge necessary to refute arguments. In 1942, Shoghi Effendi, in a letter written on his behalf, stated: 'There is an answer in the teachings for everything; unfortunately, the majority of Bahá'ís, however intensely devoted and sincere they may be, lack for the most part the necessary scholarship and wisdom to reply to and refute the claims and attacks of people with some education and standing...' |
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| Serious, critical examination of the Bahá'í Faith by Bahá'í and other scholars was limited for many years as the Bahá'ís concentrated on developing the administrative institutions of the Faith. However, during an earlier period several Bahá'í scholars did emerge, notably MIrzá Abu'l-Fadl. |
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| A renewed interest in Bahá'í studies developed in the Bahá'í community in the early 1970s, and informal groups of Bahá'ís with an academic interest in the Faith emerged, encouraged by the writings of Hand of the Cause H. M. Balyuzi. Increasingly Bahá'ís undertook academic research into the Bábí and Bahá'í religions and several post-graduate theses were written. |
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| Further impetus for this trend was given by the Universal House of Justice when in 1974 it called upon the Canadian Bahá'í community to 'cultivate opportunities for formal presentations, courses and lectureships on the Bahá'í Faith in Canadian universities and other institutions of higher learning'. As a result, the Canadian National Spiritual Assembly established the Canadian Association for Studies on the Bahá'í Faith. Branches of the Association with similar aims were established in several countries and in 1981 the name was changed to the Association for Bahá'í Studies, reflecting the international membership and activities of the Association. |
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| In an article in The Bahá'í World: 1979—1983, Gerald Filson writes that the Association is designed to 'provide a suitable means of approach to intellectuals and universities and bring to these circles an awareness of the Faith and an acquaintance with the academic resources which are available to facilitate formal study of it'. The Association holds annual international conferences, several regional conferences and special theme conferences all of which provide a forum for intellectual and spiritual development. Special interest groups cater for such subjects as education, social and economic development and so on. An affiliated organization, the Bahá'í International Health Agency, was launched in 1982. |
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| The Association publishes the papers of the annual and theme conferences in its periodical Bahá'í Studies Notebook. In addition to this the Association has published Bahá'í Studies, a periodical examining different themes such as marriage, poetry as a response to the revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, and the establishment of a violence-free society. In 1988 the Association inaugurated The Journal of Bahá'í Studies, a quarterly journal making available the results of current studies into the Bahá'í Faith. |
| [BD 201-3] |
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