Seeking fresh perspectives to address the needs of humanity
ATLANTA, United States — Earlier this month, over 1,900 participants from diverse fields of study gathered in Atlanta, Georgia, for the 48th annual conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies (ABS) in North America to explore the application of the Bahá’í teachings to a wide array of prevalent discourses pertaining to the future and wellbeing of humanity.
“The Association for Bahá’í Studies aims to provide fresh perspectives that address the needs of humanity for today,” said Jasmine Miller Kleinhenz, a member of the Association’s executive committee, in a conversation with the News Service. “We do this by bringing together people from across different disciplines in search of perspectives that are informed by the best insights of both science and religion.”
Mona Ghadirian, a coordinator of the Association’s collaborative initiatives, explained that the conference serves as a point of convergence for the Association’s broader efforts, describing it as an occasion where participants from different initiatives can share insights, allowing for the injection of new ideas and broader participation in discussions.
The annual gathering is part of a dynamic and evolving process, where intellectual exploration and spiritual insights continuously interact, shaping an ever-expanding body of knowledge that aims to address the challenges of our time.
A growing constellation of activities
Beyond the annual conference, the Association engages in a range of other activities throughout the year aimed at enriching the intellectual life of communities, such as reading groups, writing groups, and thematic seminars. Eric Farr, a coordinator of the Association’s collaborative endeavors, explained: “Over the past decade, we have been learning about a growing array of activities where people take initiative to examine the forces shaping their academic or professional fields, and to draw on the powers of consultation and collaborative inquiry.”
Among the many examples of collaborative approaches is an ABS group on economics in which students and academics examined the portrayal of human nature in introductory university courses, questioning the idea that people are exclusively self-interested. Drawing on the Bahá’í principle of the inherent nobility of human beings, they explored how recognizing the innate potential for selflessness and generosity can shape approaches in economics that encourage cooperation and mutual support, leading to more equitable and compassionate outcomes.
Many similar groups meet throughout the year to explore various topics, and the annual conference provides a platform for them to share their reflections and engage with a wider audience. The conference included thematic seminars, breakout sessions, discipline-specific groups, and plenary presentations.
Thematic seminars
For groups seeking more extensive exploration, Dr. Ghadirian suggested that “a thematic seminar, lasting a day or two, offers the time necessary for intellectual rigor and intensity.”
One of the thematic seminars, titled “Africana Discourses on Social Transformation,” provided participants an opportunity to identify connections between the contributions from Africana thinkers and the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith on the oneness of humanity, highlighting how insights from both knowledge systems can coalesce to enrich the discourse on social transformation.
Derik Smith, a literature professor at Claremont McKenna College, spoke with the News Service: “Africana thinkers have made some of the most significant contributions to the discourse on societal advancement in America.” He cited prominent figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Patricia Hill Collins, Cedric Robinson, and Audre Lorde, whose work, while starting from the Africana experience, often extends to broader human concerns.
A key challenge, however, in the discourse on social transformation, Dr. Smith observed, is the prevailing materialistic worldview, which often underpins “the theories and analysis put forth.” In contrast to prevailing materialistic worldviews, the Bahá’í teachings emphasize that genuine social transformation is unattainable without a fundamental integration of spiritual principles, such as justice, the equality of women and men, and the harmony of science and religion. This perspective sees both material and spiritual progress as essential for creating a just and unified society.
Disciplinary streams
This year’s conference introduced “disciplinary streams” to encourage deeper discussions on key questions and challenges in specific academic fields, with a focus on both the material and spiritual dimensions of reality.
Dr. Farr described the significance of these streams, saying, “every discipline of human endeavor and human learning has its own set of big questions. It has its own formative debates that give rise to the discipline. It has its own understanding about methodology, about how knowledge is generated in a particular field.”
For example, in the field of political science, one of the big questions is about power: what is it, how does it move, operate, and how is it distributed? May Farid, an assistant professor at the University of San Diego, and one of the facilitators of the political science stream, elaborated on this:
“The concept of power has essentially been defined as the exercise of coercive control by one group over another, and this conception of power has come to dominate the global discourse.”
Reflecting on the Bahá’í teachings, Dr. Farid highlighted the importance of reconceptualizing power from its coercive forms to empowerment—releasing the latent power of individuals and groups to contribute to the wellbeing of society.
Dr. Farid described how the global Bahá’í community, through its community-building initiatives, is learning to foster this new conception of power. “These carefully designed moral and spiritual educational programs are enabling individuals and communities to develop their inherent capacity for creativity and to see themselves as active participants in shaping their collective futures.”
Breakout sessions
The bulk of the annual conference is made up of smaller “breakout sessions” where groups or individuals present their research to those gathered for further discussion.
Johnathon Ehsani, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, co-facilitated a session on the intersection of religion and public health. “Public health and religion share a common goal—they’re interested in human flourishing,” he explained, though he noted that the historical interaction between the two has been limited.
Yovania Dechtiar, another co-facilitator of the session and a public health professional, provided an example of how spiritual principles, such as the oneness of humanity, introduce a profound shift in how health policies and practices are conceived.
She explained, “The principle of oneness is closely tied to health and justice for everyone, and how we come to see health as something that everyone should have access to.” Ms. Dechtiar described how, looking through the lens of oneness, health is not merely an individual concern but a collective endeavor, and requires new levels of trust and collaboration between individuals, communities, and institutions.
Reflecting on the conference and the future of the Association, Dr. Miller Kleinhenz shared her excitement about the unfolding potential she sees, “The conference illuminated the profound capacity for intellectual inquiry.”
She added: “At the same time, the insights and collaboration fostered here are more than academic pursuits—they hold the promise of reshaping our approaches to the most pressing challenges of our age in light of the Bahá’í teachings that see coherence between the material and spiritual dimensions of human existence.”
Recordings of selected plenary sessions from this year’s conference are available at the ABS website.
Article sourced from Bahai World News Service
