Association for Baha'i Studies - North America

06/05/2026

This presentation explores social media awareness in the age of artificial intelligence through digital literacy, cognitive science, and Bahá’í ethical perspectives. Drawing on Bahá’í writings, it frames the internet and AI as tools for global connection that require moral responsibility. The discussion examines how algorithms and dopamine reward loops influence attention and behavior, while addressing embedded bias and inequity. Emphasizing accuracy, kindness, forbearance, and unity, the presentation encourages students, educators, and communities to engage social media and AI in ways that advance justice and collective well-being.

https://www.bahaistudies.ca/event/2026
Image: Milad Fakurian

06/02/2026

When Shoghi Effendi provided guidance on music in the Baha’i community, he cautioned against the creation of any sort of aesthetically homogenous "Bahá’í music," and went on to say that “the further away the friends keep from any set forms, the better, for they must realize that the Cause is absolutely universal” (20 July 1946 to a National Spiritual Assembly). “What is music?” and “What does it mean to be a composer?” are questions whose answers often unconsciously influence how a community engages with music. If uninterrogated against the advancements of a rich theoretical discourse and the spirit of Shoghi Effendi’s guidance, our answers to these questions risk perpetuating limiting and eurocentric understandings of what music is, who gets to be composers and what becoming/being a composer looks like. Drawing from the fields of experimental composition, music theory, sound studies and ethnomusicology, I present a new set of "fundamentals of music composition" that seek to operationalize the spirit of Shoghi Effendi’s guidance, and open up a pathway towards a community that can make, meaningfully engage with and support music practices that are more diverse and innovative than we can imagine.

https://www.bahaistudies.ca/event/2026
Image: Marcel Strauss

06/01/2026

This presentation explores a covenantal understanding of sin and moral obligation in Bahá’í thought, drawing on the writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and recent guidance of the Universal House of Justice. It examines how moral accountability arises within specific divine covenants rather than from a universalized moral code, offering a principled explanation for why Bahá’ís do not impose their standards on others. In dialogue with covenantal approaches in contemporary Christian theology, the session invites participants to reflect on how this framework can support ethical seriousness, interreligious collaboration, and constructive engagement in pluralistic moral discourse.

https://www.bahaistudies.ca/event/2026
Image: Annie Spratt

05/26/2026

Ageism is one of the most widespread and unacknowledged prejudices that permeates life in the 21st century. This presentation will look at how we can use the Baha’i Writings to address ageism using the lens of the oneness of humanity to understand how social institutions, such as nursing homes and segregated living environments, continue to reinforce prejudice against people based on their age. It will engage with sociological research as well as the experience of the presenter based on decades of public talks on ageism.

https://www.bahaistudies.ca/event/2026
Image: Engin Akyurt

05/24/2026

Drawing on the research published in Exploring the Kitáb-i-Aqdas: The Laws and Teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, this seminar investigates the at once fascinating and unprecedented history of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. It explores how Bahá’u’lláh foresaw the revelation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, waited until the midpoint of His ministry to compose it, was deliberate in disseminating it, and personally arranged for its publication. That so much information is available about the role of the Founder of an independent world religion in the composition and distribution of His central Text is without parallel in recorded history.

https://www.bahaistudies.ca/event/2026
Image: Nicomor Brown

05/22/2026

05/21/2026

Do we feel confident that our education systems are allowing us access to the full richness of that which we inherently possess? Are they causing us, and our children, to reveal our treasures, and enabling mankind to benefit therefrom? What ultimately is a “proper” education—an education that enables you to become what you truly are? In this issue, three articles help us consider this complex question:
"Bahá’í-inspired Educational Endeavors and Social Justice" by Ilya Zrudlo and Ashraf Rushdy
"Expanding on a Bahá’í-Inspired Pedagogy of Social Transformation" by Justin Scoggin and Ymasumac Marañón Davis
"Interdisciplinarity, Connectivity and Capability: An Exploration in the Context of Social Change" by Felicity Rawlings-Sanaei

Poetry by Terry Ofner. Cover art by Masud Olufani
https://journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/index

05/19/2026

The number of people experiencing emotional health challenges is increasing alarmingly. The point of view that religion and spirituality are just a crutch is outdated. Depression is in fact a call for spiritual awakening; the point of pain being the portal of entry to connect with our higher self. This session will introduce the science of neuropsychoimmunoendocrinology and mind/body practices -- one of these being the Inner Peace method, which we will introduce and demonstrate. This method uses guided imagery, breathing, and tapping alongside the Hidden Words, the Seven Valleys, Some Answered Questions and the short obligatory prayer as the foundation.

https://www.bahaistudies.ca/event/2026

05/17/2026

Artificial intelligence is transforming how we learn, create, and collaborate, raising profound questions about human identity, truth, and our collective future. This panel explores how AI can be harnessed as a force for human progress, drawing on Bahá’í teachings to integrate scientific and spiritual principles in an era of rapid change. It considers how the tools we build, and how we use them, shape society, emphasizing AI’s potential to advance collective progress when aligned with values such as justice, unity, and human dignity. Panelists will examine how AI is reshaping the pursuit of knowledge and creative expression, reimagining creativity as a collaboration between human intention and machine capability, while also addressing the ethical responsibilities of design. The session invites participants to reflect on how AI can support more meaningful learning, creative expression, and shared advancement.

https://www.bahaistudies.ca/event/2026
Image: Liana S.

05/15/2026

The Forbidden University is a feature documentary exploring the constructive resilience of the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education (BIHE). Produced by 1844 Studios with Companion Arts and Interdimensional VFX, and developed in consultation with Bahá’í Institutions at every phase, the film weaves interviews with BIHE alumni and scholars with dramatic recreations to illuminate a community-run response to systemic exclusion from higher education. The screening is followed by a moderated discussion on education access, human rights, collective action, and BIHE’s enduring model of constructive resilience.

https://www.bahaistudies.ca/event/2026
Image: Annie Spratt