link to a schedule/guide to study the writings in two years?

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Dawud
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link to a schedule/guide to study the writings in two years?

Postby Dawud » Thu Nov 25, 2004 2:45 am

[Edit: this thread is in response to a question about a schedule or guide for studying the Baha'i Writings in two years according to the injunction that we study the Writings every morn and eve, which has since been deleted. -J.W.]

I remember seeing that too (though not so recently--more like several years ago), but couldn't find it with computer searches.

Well, if it helps, a two-year reading program could go something like this:

First semester: Nabil's Narrative, also anything by the Bab you can find.

Second: Major writings of Baha'u'llah.

Third: Selected writings of Abdul-Baha and Shoghi Effendi.

Fourth: Selected UHJ-era pronouncements.

For a more academic approach, add key secondary works by Browne, Balyuzi, Amanat, MacEoin, Cole, and others. A more devotional approach could focus on prayers and prayer commentaries, which is an area often neglected. Baha'is often read this material in conjunction with material from other religions, but this is hard to do systematically except for Islam.

British_Bahai
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Postby British_Bahai » Thu Jul 05, 2007 3:17 pm

while its a good idea to read as fast as possible, whats important is to actually understand what youre reading.

personally, i tend to read quite slowly,because i always think/analyse what im reading

British_Bahai
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Postby British_Bahai » Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:35 pm

i done a google search and came across what u were looking for :kg:

Contact the institute, coz the sessions dont run anymore...
http://www.wilmetteinstitute.org/develo ... 00261.html
ive copied and pasted this from their site:



===========================================

Courses are Listed in Chronological Order from December 2005 to January 2003

The "login" buttons require a MASTER PASSWORD the Institute gives students registered for each course, not a personal password.
Course Pages, 1998-2002

Sign up for the course's web-based forums. (Please register with your full name)

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

How to Study the Baha'i Writings
(Dec. 15, 2005 - March 15, 2006)

TOPIC: Have you ever read a passage from the Bahá'í writings and had no idea what it was about? It has been said that the Bahá'í sacred writings contain the answers to all the world’s questions, but if one does not know the questions one cannot discern the answers. The course aims to provide practical information about how to read the Bahá'í texts, including how to understand terms used in the Bahá'í writings; the use of allegory, metaphor, simile, and figurative language; the importance of understanding genres in interpreting their texts; and techniques for improving one’s comprehension.

DATES: December 15, 2005, to March 15, 2006

TEXTS: To be announced.

FACULTY: Dr. Sandra Hutchison, Peter Terry, and others to be announced.

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).

HOW IS THE COURSE TAUGHT?
It is conducted over the worldwide web. There are no residential requirements.

WORK EXPECTATIONS: Each course has five to ten study units. In each unit, one reads assigned texts and discusses them with fellow students on web-based discussion boards or by voluntary participation in conference calls. Local study groups should plan two meetings per month. The course typically takes three to five hours per week.
At the end of the course students are expected to do two things: submit something in writing to their mentor and complete some sort of presentation to one or more people.

SUPPORT PROVIDED: Each student is assigned a mentor who reviews your final work and answers your questions. All members of a study group will have the same mentor, who can telephone the group when it meets.
All students have access to the course’s password-protected web site, which includes supplemental study material.

LEVEL OF STUDY:
The course may be taken at the introductory level (an overview to help you teach the Faith more effectively), the intermediate level (equivalent to a first-year university course), or the advanced level (equivalent to graduate school work). The Wilmette Institute may be able to help you obtain college credit for the intermediate level from your local university.

GRADING OPTIONS: The course is usually taken for pass/fail with review and comments by your mentor but may be taken for a grade (A, B, C, D, F).

WHAT LEARNING PROGRAMS DOES THE WILMETTE INSTITUTE OFFER?
Basic Sequence Distance-Learning Program: Four distance-learning courses (such as this one) covering basic aspects of the Bahá’í Faith. One course is offered every six months; the entire sequence can be covered in a two-year period.


Studies in the Bahá’í Faith Distance-Learning Program: Specialized distance-learning courses on a variety of topics (including the Bahá’í writings, history, teachings, and world religions). Some forty courses are rotated on a four-year cycle.

Spiritual Foundations for a Global Civilization Program: A four-year program including two weeks of intensive study each summer in Wilmette and ten months of home study.

Wilmette Institute
536 Sheridan Road, Wilmette, IL 60091-2849
877-Wilmette (945-6388) (toll-free voice)
info@wilmetteinstitute.org (e-mail)
http://www.wilmetteinstitute.org (web site)

Jonah
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Postby Jonah » Mon Jul 16, 2007 12:49 pm

Thanks for finding this link to Wilmette Institute. Programs are still running. Go to http://wilmetteinstitute.org/ and click on "register or login." It'll take you to the new site http://www.wilmetteinstitute.us.bahai.org/

-Jonah

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Re: link to a schedule/guide to study the writings in two ye

Postby Dorumerosaer » Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:42 am

Some years ago I prepared such a list, and if that's what you're referring to, I'd like to comment on this.

I prepared a list containing all of the published writings of Baha'u'llah in the English language; also Selections from the Writings of the Bab, and the Dawnbreakers; all of the Master's in English; Messages from the Universal House of Justice; and some of the major writings of the Guardian. I wrote down the number of pages in each book, and showed that if you read at the rate of 10 pages per day, you could do a first read of these books in under two years. As I recall, at the time, reading the Writings of Baha'u'llah at that pace would result in completing the first read in under 6 months; with the subsequent publication of Summons and Gems it would probably be up to 7 months. Likewise, reading the English translations of the Master's writings, including the 3 volumes of Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha Abbas, would take under 6 months.

However, the purpose of this list was to convey the readability of the Revelation in a reasonable amount of time, and not to suggest a sequence. That is, my impression as a new Baha'i coming into the Faith was that the Revelation was not only spiritually an ocean, but that it was impossible to even read the basic literature, because there was so much of it. But this list showed that if you read 10 pages per day, in just over one year, whatever sequence you read in, you would read the basic books in the Revelation in just over one year. Obviously, if you read at 5 pages per day it would take just over two years to read the English translations we have of the Central Figures -- Baha'u'llah, the Bab, and Abdu'l-Baha. [I did not include any of the books about the Revelation, such as those by Balyuzi, Esselmont, Taherzadeh, etc.; only the basic and authoritative texts; the other reading is quite voluminous, and such reading will depend on the particular interests of the reader.]

The purpose was to convey to the believer a sense that "I can establish a cycle of study of the Revelation," and at whatever pace the person studied, gradually they would read, and re-read, the Revelation. I now read Baha'u'llah's Writings at a pace that takes about 15 months to complete; and then I re-read them.

Now, as far as my thoughts on a sequence. I think that it is extremely important to begin with something that will capture the reader's interest. For some, this would suggest starting with some of the addresses of the Master, because for most people, this would be easier reading. Paris Talks, or Promulgation. In fact, it is probably a very good idea to begin with one of the books that is *not* authoritative, such as A Chosen Highway, or Portals to Freedom, which combine the Word with pilgrim's history, and convey a wonderful spirit. These are less demanding books to read; and they provide a stimulus to keep reading, which is essential.

Personally I would not suggest starting with the Dawnbreakers. I found great difficulty in reading that book, because at the time it was written, when you gave a man's name, it included his rank, educational level, occupation, the village or city he was from, his father's name, and whether he had been on pilgrimage. In a sense it was smart -- when you had a person's name, you knew a lot about him. But, you end up with a lot of paragraphs that read like this:

"From Isfahan, Mulla Husayn proceeded to Kashan. The first to be enrolled in that city among the company of the faithful was a certain Haji Mirza Jani, surnamed Par-Pa, who was a merchant of note.[1] Among the friends of Mulla Husayn was a well-known divine, Siyyid Abdu'l-Baqi, a resident of Kashan and a member of the shaykhi community. Although intimately associated with Mulla Husayn during his stay in Najaf and Karbila, the Siyyid felt unable to sacrifice rank and leadership for the Message which his friend had brought him."

[Footnote 1: According to the "Kashfu'l-Ghiti'" (pp. 42-5), Haji Mirza Jani was known by the people of Kashan as Haji Mirza Janiy-i-Buzurg in order to distinguish him from his namesake, who was also a merchant of Kashan, known by the name of Haji Mirza Janiy-i-Turk, or Kuchiq. The former had three brothers; the eldest was named Haji Muhammad-Isma'il-i-Dhabih, the second Haji Mirza Ahmad, the third Haji Ali-Akbar.]
(The Dawn-Breakers, p. 101)

And for the uninitiated, this is formidable. Once you understand the methodology of the Dawnbreakers, it's a marvelous book, but I personally would not attempt a chronological approach, i.e. the Bab first, then Baha'u'llah, etc. The Dawnbreakers is a history, and the author listed his sources, right in the text rather than in footnotes. Once you understand that, and are over the unfamiliar names, the book is remarkable spiritual history, and the Guardian encouraged the believers, including the new believers, to read it.

-- But that's just me, and the sequence of study of the Revelation is a highly individual matter. The purpose of the list was not to suggest a sequence; but merely to encourage personal reading of the Text. The heart of that reading is, to me, the study of the Writings of Baha'u'llah.

If I can find it, I'll post the list later. I think that as far as the benefit of studying together, the Wilmette Institute is a great idea, for on line study. But if you can find interested people in your area, reading and discussing any of the Books together can be very rewarding; and maybe just take it one book at a time, rather than establishing a sequence at the start.

Brent Poirier

British_Bahai
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Re: link to a schedule/guide to study the writings in two ye

Postby British_Bahai » Mon Jul 30, 2007 7:39 am

pilgrimbrent wrote:If I can find it, I'll post the list later. I think that as far as the benefit of studying together, the Wilmette Institute is a great idea, for on line study. But if you can find interested people in your area, reading and discussing any of the Books together can be very rewarding; and maybe just take it one book at a time, rather than establishing a sequence at the start.
Please please do that as soon as you get a chance
I (and I know for a fact, many others) would sincerely appreciate it if you could.

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Re: link to a schedule/guide to study the writings in two ye

Postby Dorumerosaer » Tue Jul 31, 2007 3:15 am

british_bahai wrote:
pilgrimbrent wrote:If I can find it, I'll post the list later. I think that as far as the benefit of studying together, the Wilmette Institute is a great idea, for on line study. But if you can find interested people in your area, reading and discussing any of the Books together can be very rewarding; and maybe just take it one book at a time, rather than establishing a sequence at the start.
Please please do that as soon as you get a chance
I (and I know for a fact, many others) would sincerely appreciate it if you could.


Well, again it is not a study guide to the Writings, nor is it a suggested sequence. It merely counts the pages in each of the books, and shows that if you stick to it, you can read the Writings in a reasonable amount of time. Here is one version of what I prepared. Brent
http://www.bcca.org/bahaivision/docs/writings.html


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