Reading Groups

Advancing Organizations: Cultivating a Culture of Rethinking

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Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant

Bahá’u’lláh calls on the true seeker to cleanse the heart “from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge.” He also says to “turn away from imitation” and “see with thine own eyes”. In another passage, He states: “It is incumbent upon every man of insight and understanding to strive to translate that which hath been written into reality and action.” 

‘Abdu’l-Bahá said, “...everywhere the world of mankind is in the throes of evolutionary activity indicating the passing of the old conditions and advent of the new age of reformation.” He adds:  “Bigotry and dogmatic adherence to ancient beliefs have become the central and fundamental source of animosity among men, the obstacle to human progress.”

How do we transcend old ways of thinking so that we can most effectively “contribute to the unfoldment of an ever-advancing civilization?” In this reading group, we will consider this question and others as we read Think Again. Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist, is an expert on how to think scientifically for better consultation and understanding. He uses research and storytelling “to help us build the intellectual and emotional muscle we need to stay curious enough about the world to actually change it.” 

Members of the reading group will also explore relevant excerpts from Bahá’í teachings, drawing connections between spiritual and scientific insights to expand our horizons and create a Bahá’í-inspired social reality.

The group will meet online over six weekly sessions. Participants should complete the reading for each week in advance and be ready to engage fully in the discussions with questions and insights learned.

Facilitators: Christine Javid, Heeten Choxi

Schedule: Weekly (Tuesday) 29 Apr – 10 Jun, 8:00 to 9:30 PM Eastern Time

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Modern Intellectual Tradition, Part 3: Descartes to Derrida

This reading group is the third in a series dedicated to exploring, in the light of the Bahá’í writings, the work of major thinkers in the Western intellectual tradition since the dawn of the Scientific Revolution. The first group, which convened in the fall of 2024, focused on how the philosophies of Descartes, Locke, Spinoza, Leibniz, Rousseau, Hume, and Kant helped to transform our understanding of the world we live in, and the implications of this transformation for the advancement of civilization. The second group, from January through March, considered the writings of influential nineteenth-century thinkers—such as Hegel, Kierkegaard, and Marx—who were grappling with many of the issues also being addressed by the Revelations of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. Part 3, which runs from April to June, will examine major contributors to philosophical thought at the end of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Nietzsche, Freud, Weber, Wittgenstein, Bergson, Whitehead, Dewey, and Heidegger. Part 4, from September to December, will complete Cahoone's 36-part series.

With a view to refining our capacity to participate in discourses concerned with contemporary intellectual trends, the group will listen to Lawrence Cahoone’s lecture series “The Modern Intellectual Tradition: From Descartes to Derrida” and read supplementary material from selected sources. We will also draw correlations with passages from the writings of the Faith to enrich our understanding of the content.

Participation in Parts 1 and 2 of the Modern Intellectual Tradition is not a prerequisite for joining our Part 3 Reading Group.

Schedule: Weekly (Tuesday) 22 Apr – 24 Jun, 6:30 to 8:00 PM Eastern Time

Facilitator: Maureen Flynn-Burhoe

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Vibrant Communities: A Framework for the Elimination of Racial Prejudice

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“Exploring A Framework for the Elimination of Racial Prejudice in America” by Paul Lample, The Journal of Bahá’í Studies 35.1–2 2025

The American Bahá’í community emerged in a society shaped by slavery, segregation, and entrenched racial ideas—many of which still linger today. Despite progress, racism continues to manifest in subtle ways, challenging our efforts to build unity. We affirm the oneness of humanity, but are we fully living it? Have we truly understood what it means to serve that oneness, especially through the lens of racial justice?

Paul Lample’s article in the Journal of Bahá’í Studies offers a timely and hopeful path forward. Grounded in Bahá’í teachings and enriched by decades of learning, it proposes a framework for eliminating racial prejudice rooted in experience and spiritual insight. With the capacities developed through a quarter century of guidance from the Universal House of Justice, we are now better equipped to advance this vital work.

The Justice and Equity Working Group of Vibrant Communities invites you to a study and discussion of this article. This space is for sincere reflection, honest conversation, and loving exploration of how to better embody Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings in addressing racial prejudice.

Ultimately, this is about transformation through love—not blame or shame—and building the oneness we proclaim.

Participants are asked to read the section for each session, which will be broken down by the number of sessions the group chooses. We will ask for volunteers to summarize each reading prior to the meeting and present the summary prior to or during the discussion. The idea is that everyone is familiar with the material ahead of time, but that one volunteer will present a summary and facilitate a discussion at each meeting. 

Facilitators: Catherine Donaldson and collaborators  

Schedule: Weekly (Sunday) 27 April – 13 July, 10:00 to 11:30 AM Eastern Time

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Transformative Leadership - Part 2: A Discourse on Capabilities for Personal and Social Transformation

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Transformative Leadership: Developing the Hidden Dimension

Anello & Hernández developed “Transformative Leadership” as a body of work that is clearly Bahá’í-inspired, focusing on themes such as community development combined with personal growth and societal change. Anello & Hernandez’s TL has been used in a variety of contexts, including international Non-Governmental Organizations, Grassroots organizations, Teachers’ Professional Development, Public Health Organizations, and other private and public organizations. 

This reading group will cover TL’s more practical aspects: the development of capabilities, based on Part II of the book. The study will cover a list of 18 capabilities grouped as follows:

Capabilities for Personal Transformation

Self-Evaluation

Learning from Reflection on Action

Systemic Thinking

Creative Initiative 

Perseverance

Self-Discipline 

Rectitude of Conduct

Capabilities for Improving Relationships

Imbuing Thoughts and Actions with Love

Giving Encouragement

Effective Group Consultation

Promoting Unity in Diversity

Capabilities that Facilitate Social Transformation

Establishing Justice 

Transforming Dominating Relationships 

Empowering Education  

Elaborating a Principle-Based, Shared Vision 

Transforming Institutions 

Understanding Historical Perspective

An Integrative Capability: Transformative Leadership in the Family

Participants should have read Part I of the book before the first session, (usually by having participated in a previous reading group or course, or at times by studying it on their own). Participants are encouraged to complete all the readings and watch any videos included prior to the weekly session.

The purpose of this reading group will be to reflect and put the ideas presented in the book to the test to learn from the reactions that are generated when these capabilities are discussed with others. To achieve this, all participants are invited to find a group (family, friends, work, grassroot organization, or any other) to share the capabilities they read about during the week and learn from the ensuing interactions.

The reading group will meet weekly to discuss both the content (about 3 capabilities per week) and its use as a form of participation in social discourse, and as a form of contribution to social action (typically: education/training).

Facilitators: Joan Hernández, Vahid Masrour

Schedule: Weekly (Saturday) 3 May – 21 June, 4:00 to 5:30 PM Eastern Time. The first week’s readings start on April 27.

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"Le pouvoir de la parole et le rôle des sciences humaines dans le discours contemporain"

L'idée de ce groupe de lecture est née de deux interrogations sur la vie intellectuelle de la communauté bahá’íe. La première porte sur le rôle et la place de l'expression personnelle, de la parole et de la critique dans le cadre « de la liberté d’expression, un des principes fondamentaux de la Cause » (Maison universelle de justice, 29 décembre 1988, dans Droits et responsabilités – Les rôles complémentaires de l’individu est des institutions, 1997). La seconde interrogation résulte de la tension entre être bahá'í, professeur de lettres et doyen, et porte sur le rôle et la place des sciences humaines, la nature et la pertinence des théories critiques contemporaines et la formation universitaire en général dans le cadre de la nouvelle civilisation que les bahá'ís s'efforcent d'édifier. Deux des objectifs du groupe seraient d’établir deux taxonomies, l’une des phénomènes et manifestations de la parole afin de mieux comprendre ce que la Maison universelle de justice entend lorsqu'elle parle des « caractéristiques phénoménales de la parole », l’autre des théories critiques contemporaines pour déterminer celles qui peuvent contribuer à la vie intellectuelle de la communauté bahá’íe et celles qu’il faudrait écarter.

Lectures – Matériel d’étude

Exploration des principes bahá’ís contenus dans les Écrits autour de cette thématique ; réflexion sur le rôle des sciences humaines dans le développement d'une conscience du corps social distinct de l'individu (Émile Durkheim) ; les lieux de la culture et leurs modes d'expression (Homi Bhabha) ; la nature du discours et la relation entre langage, discours et société (Benveniste, Foucault) ; la relation entre le langage et littérature (Bakhtine, Gauvin, Calvino) ; le rôle de la littérature et des sciences humaines dans le développement de notre esprit critique et de notre capacité à explorer la vérité indépendamment (Calvino, Lévinas) ; la relation entre langage et pouvoir (Bourdieu, Leclerc) ; la relation entre langage, récits, désir, amour et beauté (Kristeva, Cheng) ; la relation entre le Livre et les livres (Finkielkraut, Sacks) ; la dialectique entre l'apprentissage et le moi d'une part et l'engagement, le militantisme et l'action d'autre part (Teilhard de Chardin, Sacks, Ricœur), etc.

Facilitateur: Pierre-Yves Mocquais

Horaires des réunions:

Il est prévu que le groupe se réunisse chaque semaine le mardi entre 12h00 et 13h30/14h00, heure de l'Est (entre 18h00 et 20h00 heure de France) pendant neuf semaines à partir du mardi 29 avril 2025 jusqu'au 10 juin 2025 ou les samedis entre 9h00 et 11h00, heure de l’Est (entre 15h00 et 17h00 heure de France). Les dates et heures des réunions seront définitivement fixées en consultation et peuvent être modifiées en fonction d'autres activités bahá'íes. Un lien Zoom ou Google Meet sera disponible en temps voulu.

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Stellar: A Discourse on Humanity's Brilliant Future

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Stellar: A World Beyond Limits and How to Get There, by James Arbib and Tony Seba 

A potentially key aspect of Bahá’í-inspired discourse might well be our perspective on the glorious future of humanity and human civilization, and the explicit desire to instill hope in our conversations.

This book covers a scenario for the coming decades of humanity that the authors consider likely. In it, they make space for the following aspects, among others

• Impending instability/collapse as a stage humanity is to go through
• Technology for a new civilization (Energy, Transport, Food production, AI+Robotics)
• A characterization for future human civilization in the coming decades, covering economic and social transformations
• Mindset changes that are required for the emergence of a golden age

Throughout the examination of the material, weekly discussions will look for overlaps and key distinctions that a Bahá’í-inspired discourse would want to consider, including readings about Bahá’u’lláh’s New World Order and other relevant Bahá’í writings.

Participants are invited to 

• Read a selection of chapters from the book weekly
• Contribute relevant quotations from the Writings that illuminate the materials’ content and complement it
• Contribute to a shared document with the goal to build a shared discourse

Facilitator: Vahid Masrour

Schedule: Weekly (Thursday) 1 May – 12 June, 9:00 to 10:30 PM Eastern Time

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Education for Development

Education, today, seems mainly concerned with the acquisition of information, skills, and abilities that allow students to accumulate material wealth, status, and power over others within the present-day structures of society, a social order that continues to disintegrate. What humanity requires here and now, globally and locally, is an elevation of its thinking about education, new ways of conceptualizing education as something more, much more,  than a means for individual material gain. One systematic effort to rethink education is offered by FUNDAEC, the “Foundation for the Application and Teaching of Science”, in courses that identify and seek to foster in students the capabilities they will need to participate constructively in the transformation of society – heart by heart, neighborhood by neighborhood – toward the unification of humanity within one world civilization. This reading group will examine the FUNDAEC approach to the development of fundamental moral capabilities in the third unit of one particular text, “Intellectual Preparation for Social Action.” Through this course, we hope to stimulate discourse on education that will contribute to our own transformation as well as the transformation of conceptual frameworks for learning and teaching within families, communities, and the whole of society. 

Participants are encouraged to read and reflect on the assigned sections of the text before our meetings and, during each meeting, to participate by sharing quotations from the text, thoughts, and questions that may serve to elevate the quality of our conversations.

Facilitators: Robert Blecher, Nancy Blecher 

Schedule: Weekly (Sunday) 4 May – 6 July, 7:30 to 9:30 PM Eastern Time

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Race Unity and Gender Equality: Exploring Discourse with Angela Davis

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Sharon Lynette Jones (ed.), Conversations with Angela Davis (Jackson: University of Mississippi Press, 2021). 

What is the relationship between race unity, gender equality, and enduring peace? In the face of pushback against women's rights and civil rights across the world, people of conscience have been asking questions about how norms of patriarchy and white supremacy have become deeply entrenched in our everyday lives. How can we challenge these disintegrative forces as a community? In this reading group, we will engage with the work of Angela Davis–a teacher, scholar, and activist who has written some of the most important books about women, race, and social class. Through decades of scholarship, Davis has explored the interconnections between race, gender equality and justice. In order to engage accessible texts, we will read a series of interviews with Davis from the 1970s to the present. No prior knowledge of Davis’ life or work is necessary.  

We ask all participants to complete all the readings prior to each session. 

Facilitators: Lili Nkunzimana, Ben Davis

Schedule: Weekly (Wednesday) 30 April – 28 May, 6:00 to 7:30 PM Eastern Time

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Blackness on the Silver Screen: Decoding the Hero Syndrome

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Race and Media Literacy, Explained {or why does the black guy die first?} by Frederick W. Gooding, Jr.

In Race and Media Literacy, Explained, author Frederick W. Gooding argues compellingly that quantitative analysis of African Americans in movies tells only part of the story and that a qualitative analysis of the roles and images of Blacks in movies is essential to provide a comprehensive depiction of African Americans as well as Whites in the movies. Gooding develops a rubric that provides viewing audiences with a consistent formula with which to more precisely evaluate qualitative aspects of non-White characters onscreen.  

Participants will become familiar with Gooding's twelve concise racial rubrics, designed to help users of mainstream media discern patterns hidden in plain sight. Participants will have the opportunity to practice using the vocabulary of the rubrics to recognize and analyze these patterns in movies of their choosing.

This reading group is primarily for people who enjoy watching movies of all kinds. Writers, avid readers, and anyone who creates or regularly consumes mainstream media should also find the themes in this book useful. Most importantly, the facilitators aim to advance the discussion around conceptions of power, hierarchy, success, and progress perpetuated in movie tropes and to learn how alternate perspectives on these societal attributes might be introduced to the discourse.

Participants should read the text assigned each week (they’ll need to obtain a copy of the book)  and be prepared to research and share commentary on a movie of their choice during the second half of the semester. 

Facilitators: Nicola Casserly, Amir Missaghi

Schedule: Weekly (Wednesday) 14 May – 9 July, 8:00 to 9:30 PM Eastern Time

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'Adasíyyih - The Story of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Model Farming Community

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'Adasíyyih - The Story of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Model Farming Community by Paul Hanley

This reading group is organized by the Agriculture Working Group as a collaborative approach to discourse related to agriculture. Members are encouraged to complete the reading prior to each session and participate in discussion.

About the text:

“In 1901, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá purchased land in what is now Jordan that would become the village of ‘Adasíyyih. The story of ‘Adasíyyih is offered within the context of the extensive agricultural activities of the Central Figures of the Bahá’í Faith and the early Bahá’í communities They nurtured. It was this farming village—along with several others in the region of the Galilee—that produced a surplus of crops, which enabled ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to keep famine at bay for so many people during World War I, a feat that would earn Him a knighthood from the British Empire and a title that He would never use. In time, ‘Adasíyyih would become a model village for Jordanians, and Jordan’s royalty would become frequent guests.

Author Paul Hanley’s extensive research, along with his deep interest in agricultural systems, provides a fascinating glimpse of this remarkable history and the lessons that can be gleaned from it and applied to current community building and agroecological efforts.”

Facilitator: Holiance Odhiambo

Schedule:

This group will meet on Sundays, tentatively from 11 am - 1 pm Eastern Time/ 6 pm – 8 pm Eastern Time. When registration closes registered participants will receive information from the Agriculture Working Group about setting up an initial meeting. For additional information contact: [email protected]

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The Last Drop: Solving the World's Water Crisis

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The Last Drop: Solving the World's Water Crisis by Tim Smedley

This reading group is organized by the Agriculture Working Group as a collaborative approach to discourse related to agriculture. Members are encouraged to complete the reading prior to each session and participate in discussion. 

About the text:

“Water scarcity is the next big climate crisis. Water stress – not just scarcity, but also quality issues caused by pollution – is already driving the first waves of climate refugees. Rivers are drying out before they meet the oceans and ancient lakes are disappearing. It’s increasingly clear that human mismanagement of water is dangerously unsustainable, for both ecological and human survival. And yet in recent years some key countries have been quietly and very successfully addressing water stress…

How are Singapore and Israel, for example – both severely water-stressed countries – not in the same predicament as Chennai or California?

In The Last Drop, award-winning environmental journalist Tim Smedley meets experts, victims, activists and pioneers to find out how we can mend the water table that our survival depends upon. He offers a fascinating, universally relevant account of the environmental and human factors that have led us to this point, and suggests practical ways to address the crisis, before it’s too late.”

Facilitator: Members of the group rotate as facilitators.

Schedule:

This group will meet on Sundays, tentatively at 1:00 pm Eastern Time. When registration closes registered participants will receive information from the Agriculture Working Group about setting up an initial meeting. For additional information contact: [email protected]

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Dignity: An Element of Light, Justice and Unity

Text:

Leading with Dignity: How to Create a Culture That Brings Out the Best in People, by Donna Hicks

What could be more relevant today than finding a path that helps turn division and conflict into harmony, love and peace? This is the challenge that Donna Hicks tackled in her professional career, first in international conflict resolution and then in a process of trial, reflection and implementation which led her to identify an underlying issue that usurps our ability to love each other. This led further to the identification of universal elements required for dignified relationships, such as inclusion, safety, fairness and including seven others that dovetail with the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh; elements that she incorporated in numerous group therapeutic settings. Through much research dealing with our emotions, reactions, and human potential, and working with many collaborators over the years, she has adapted these methods and applied them in schools, a university, corporate administrative bodies and workplaces. Her book provides significant detail on how to set up working groups implementing these ideas. While Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings encapsulate her discoveries and go beyond, her approach brings a rich dimension to our understanding of societies’ baser habitual illnesses and provides enlightened tangible pathways to overcome these shortcomings. Her findings represent an opportunity to conjoin pragmatic results with spiritual guidance.

Participants are expected to purchase or loan the book or ebook Leading with Dignity: How to Create a Culture That Brings Out the Best in People by Donna Hicks PhD. Each participant is asked to read the session’s assigned material beforehand and reflect on it, and is encouraged to choose one of the eight readings, provide a presentation including a summary and explanation how the material relates to the Bahá’í teachings. This can either be done individually or in collaboration with another participant.

Advantage may be gained by reading her preceding book Dignity: Its Essential Role in Resolving Conflict, but is not required for this group as the core lessons of that book are summarized in the early chapters of the later book–Leading with Dignity.

Facilitator: William (Bill) Edgar

Schedule: Weekly (Sunday) 4 May – 22 June, 12:00 to 2:00 PM Eastern Time

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Reconciliation Through Bahá’í Consultation and Indigenous Wisdom

Texts: A variety of texts and films

This inquiry-based, participatory reading group aspires to help us acquire and generate knowledge, understanding, and skill in using Bahá’í consultation in our efforts to seek equity, justice, and reconciliation of differences and to create greater unity among indigenous and non-indigenous people. In this context, we will study articles, short films, videos, and podcasts about the Bahá’í Faith's prophecies regarding the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, the process of Bahá’í consultation, Indigenous wisdom, the Bahá’í Framework for Action, the Nine Year Plan, and constructive resilience.

This reading group has two sets of materials: required and recommended. Participants are encouraged to acquaint themselves with the suggested material before each session to foster better-informed and more meaningful conversations and maximal contributions of all participants. Youth are encouraged to participate. If accompanied by an adult, junior youth are welcome to participate and contribute to this learning process. Contributions to the discussions through the use of the arts are highly encouraged. Participants are also encouraged to read and/or view the required materials before each session.

Facilitators: Farzaneh Peterson, Martha Washington, Dina Sandgreen, Garnet Robbie

Schedule: Weekly (Tuesday) 13 May – 1 July, 7:00 - 8:30 PM Eastern Time

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The Dynamics of Community Building

Text: 

The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace (New Hope for Humankind) by M. Scott Peck

This reading group will explore the dynamics of community building with an emphasis on understanding the four stages that every community (religious, social, educational, or business, etc.) experiences in the community building process. The hope is that participants will understand the components that comprise or destroy a strong community and be able to assess in which stage of the community building process their own communities’ exemplify. Participants will also discuss the role each individual and institution has in developing a thriving community. They will also develop a recognition that each community comprises individuals who embody a different level of understanding and our awareness of and appreciation of this dynamic is essential in creating a loving, accepting, and vibrant community of which others will be attracted. The group will read approximately two chapters per week.

Facilitators: Alex Gottdank, Shamil Erfanian

Schedule: Weekly (Wednesday) 7 May – 25 June, 9:00 to 10:30 PM Eastern Time

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Reading the Reality of Decline of Faith and Religion and the Positive Effects of Community-Building on the Trend (Part 1 of 3)

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The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? by Jim Davis, Michael Graham, & Ryan P. Burge

This reading group will explore the decline of religion and religion as a force in the US and other countries and discuss the positive effects community-building in reversing this trend. The group discussions will attempt at gaining a deeper understanding about the decline of participation in faith activities illustrated in this book and how we can read the reality of the conditions, and recognize and promote the positive effects of community-building endeavors in our neighborhoods to foster an ever increasing coherence between faith and service, leading to an increased balance between spiritual and material advancements. Part 2 and 3 of the series will focus on Goodbye Religion: The Causes and Consequences of Secularization, and The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going, respectively. The group will read approximately two chapters per week.

Facilitators: Shamil Erfanian, Alex Gottdank

Schedule: Weekly (Saturday) 10 May – 29 June, 2:00 to 3:30 PM Eastern Time

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Whose Global Village?

In Whose Global Village? by Ramesh Srinivasan, the author explores how various communications technologies and digital media platforms have been adapted and recreated to meet the needs of diverse global communities, in many varied cultural settings, in particular outside the framework of Western structural dynamics. In this reading group we will read through this text, and explore how the nascent Bahá’í conceptual framework, in particular, clusters, community consultations, and learning cycles can contribute to the development and ideas around the development of 'inclusive innovations' and digital media and communication technology development. Participants will be invited, voluntarily, to share current news stories, related to these ideas, as they wish, in the live Zoom meetings, alongside the broader consultations and discussions.

Facilitators: Farida Sobhani Vahedi, Ashiyan Ian Rahmani

Schedule: Weekly (Wednesday) 13 June – 30 July, 7:00 to 8:00 PM Eastern Time

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Exploring Mindfulness

Text: 

Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn

This book (which has been in widespread use for over 30 years) introduces mindfulness in terms easily comprehensible to literate adults. It explains what mindfulness is, suggests meditation techniques of varying lengths and types, and explores ways to integrate mindfulness into our daily lives. The fundamental practice of mindfulness is ‘to be in the present moment’—being as opposed to doing. And from this practice of being, we can find composure, spiritual sustenance, creativity, balance, and other positive qualities. We will also seek and collect passages from the Bahá’í writings that suggest mindfulness. In this period of turmoil, we can all benefit from learning how to set aside a portion of each day for quiet, mindful meditation. To borrow an adage from the book, “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”

Participants are asked to read the initial sections before the first meeting: “What is Mindfulness” through “Keeping It Simple.” Readings for most weeks will be 30 pages.

Facilitator: Robert Hanevold

Schedule: Weekly (Sunday) 4 May – 29 June, 8:00 to 9:30 PM Eastern Time

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The Global Free Market and Dynamics of Mutualism

Texts: 

The Capitalist Manifesto (Johan Norberg 2023); Beyond the Culture of Contest (Michael Robert Karlberg 2004)

We’ll be reading and reflecting on two books together, each offering perspectives on human relations and collective progress.

In The Capitalist Manifesto, Johan Norberg defends the global free market, arguing that it plays a vital role in advancing human well-being. He highlights significant achievements in health, wealth, and agency, demonstrating how the free market system fosters innovation and prosperity for people worldwide. Norberg also explores ways to further support and expand the market’s positive impact.

As a complement, Beyond the Culture of Contest by Michael Karlberg examines conceptions of adversarialism and mutualism, analyzing their dynamics with culture, thought, and social systems. Karlberg suggests that, while competition and conflict are widespread, mutualism offers a promising alternative—one that fosters collaboration and shared goals over division and rivalry.

Our goal in engaging with these books is not to simply agree with their arguments, but to use them as tools for deeper reflection in conjunction with the teachings of the Revelation. Through this process, we aim to discover iterative actions that we can incorporate into our own lives. Ultimately, we seek to cultivate a practice of commerce that aligns with the Writings, advancing human flourishing in both economic and relational spheres.

The group will meet weekly online. Participants should complete the reading for each week in advance and be ready to engage fully in the discussions with questions and insights learned.

Facilitators: Philip Rehayem, Iscander Tinto, Heeten Choxi

Schedule: Weekly (Friday) 2 May – 13 Jun, 12:00 to 1:30 PM Eastern Time

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Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean

Text: 

Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean by Jonathan White

Tides are an essential part of our existence on earth. They create currents and collisions between irresistible forces and immovable objects, resulting in chaos. These are areas where maximum information is to be found encoded in the myriads of choices made or compelled. Chaos theory is an important, and recent, mathematical creation built upon the essential historical structure of mathematics that examines the structure of chaos. We will look at the observational, logical, traditional, and spiritual structures that built the mathematical structures that we use today to try to understand how tides are an essential part of the wellbeing of life on earth. By doing this we will begin to build an important structural piece that is necessary for the future of humanity. The build process will involve looking at what is known according to the book Tides and then expanding upon it with the insights and knowledge of the participants and finally creating a legacy for future researchers as we slowly acquire knowledge. This should be a fun journey.

Please read each scheduled chapter ahead of each weekly session, and come ready to participate with your camera on whenever possible. It is not necessary to have a background in science or mathematics because the book is the tool that allows the concepts to unfold.

Facilitator: Norm Petersen

Schedule: Weekly (Wednesday) 30 Apr – 28 May, 8:30 to 10:00 PM Eastern Time

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Characteristics of Family Life

Text:

The Family in the Western World from the Black Death to the Industrial Age by Beatrice Gottleib

In this reading group we hope to gain insight into the question raised by the House of Justice in its 19 March letter on Family Life and Marriage: What are the characteristics of Bahá’í family life and how are they distinguished from the way family life is understood in society today? 

We will be reading the book The Family in the Western World by Beatrice Gottlieb; this historical survey of western family life will help us to see the characteristics shaping family life in North America today. Before the first session participants are asked to become familiar with the entirety of the 19 March 2025 letter on family life and marriage. These sources give us the framework outlining the characteristics of Bahá’í family life. As we move through the text we will collectively document and correlate some of the characteristics of the family as described by Gottlieb to the characteristics of Bahá’í family life we see described in the Writings. 

This group emerges from two previous groups that have made attempts to examine the education of young children (ages 0-5) in the context of the family. It is open to anyone interested in exploring this question posed by the Universal House of Justice. 

Pre-reading:

19 March 2025, Marriage and family life from the Universal House of Justice

Expectations:

• Familiarize oneself with the content and structure of the 19 March 2025 letter on marriage and family life before the first meeting.
• Read the selected chapter(s) before each call.
• Participate with cameras on whenever possible to contribute to an intimate environment.
• Contribute to documenting correlations between the ideas in the book and passages describing Bahá’í family.

Facilitators: Emily Rushdy, Allegra Midgette

Schedule: Weekly (Saturday, Wednesday) 30 April – 5 July, 9:00 to 9:45 AM Eastern Time

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