The Ruhi Institute is an educational institution, initially operating under the guidance of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼí Faith in Colombia .
78-596: The format of group adult learning such as that in a Baháʼí study circle, the normal setting of a Ruhi Institute meeting, has occurred in previous contexts, such as in the United States Chautauqua developments in the 1870s, using "ideals of democracy, participation, and equality." Moreover, the Baháʼí community has used the term "institute" in various ways over time. A 1927 report in Baháʼí News refers to an "institute",
156-633: A Guaymí cultural center in Panama , a regional socio-economic development committee of Kivu, Zaire , and the specific original development of the Baháʼí Ruhi Institute in Colombia : "They demonstrate the importance of evolutionary guiding images, of the conceptual support of actions, evolutionary competence, the contribution of second-order actions and the purposeful design of the system of interactive dimensions that operate on individual and societal levels to
234-562: A "culture of learning" among its participants. By 2012 the Ruhiresources.org web site—operated by volunteers who are Ruhi tutors—allowed Ruhi tutor-created materials to be freely shared. The goal of the Ruhi Institute courses is to "evoke a transformative learning experience through a learner-centered, experiential, and collaborative approach facilitated by a tutor rather than an instructor, a teacher, or an expert." Academics have identified
312-472: A "humble posture of learning, dedication to the application of the teachings, a responsibility for one's own personal growth, and growth of the Baháʼí community." The progress of individuals in learning virtues like humility, patience and tact advanced amidst a feeling of empowerment. A kind of citizenship. The materials prepared by the Ruhi Institute focus on the Baháʼí writings by assisting participants to understand
390-836: A balanced program for the members of the assembly. For example, during the 1936 season at the Chautauqua Institution , in anticipation of that year's presidential election, visitors heard addresses by Franklin D. Roosevelt , Republican nominee Alf Landon , and two third-party candidates. A route taken by a troupe of Chautauqua entertainers, the May Valentine Opera Company, which presented Gilbert and Sullivan 's The Mikado during its 1925 "Summer Season", began on March 26 in Abbeville, Louisiana , and ended on September 6 in Sidney, Montana . The Chautauqua style of teaching
468-545: A big part of the Chautauqua experience. Although the movement was founded by Methodists , nondenominationalism was a Chautauqua principle from the beginning, and prominent Catholics like Catherine Doherty took part. In 1892, Lutheran theologian Theodore Emanuel Schmauk was one of the organizers of the Pennsylvania Chautauqua. Early religious expression in Chautauqua was usually of a general nature, comparable to
546-419: A distance – Browne was at Cambridge – was the widespread Azali practice of taqiyya (dissimulation), or concealing one's beliefs. Browne appears to have been unaware of this. Azali taqiyya rendered many early Bábí documents unreliable afterwards, as Azali Bábís would often alter and falsify Bábí teachings and history. In contrast, dissimulation was condemned by Baháʼu'lláh and was gradually abandoned by
624-442: A great success in their adaptation of the concept. The program was presented in tents pitched "on a well-drained field near town". After several days, the Chautauqua would fold its tents and move on. The method of organizing a series of touring Chautauquas is attributed to Vawter. Among early Redpath comedians was Boob Brasfield . Reactions to tent Chautauquas were mixed. In We Called it Culture , Victoria and Robert Case write of
702-415: A legally independent non-profit organisation. Ruhi courses appeared in a wide range of study circles in various other countries. Early participants provided feedback to the authors and then over several years the first official release of books took place. As a result, materials include examples from several cultures which helps diverse participants relate to some of the cultural content of the materials. Since
780-631: A part of the Chautauqua experience in 1926, when the American Opera Company , an outgrowth of the Eastman School of Music , began touring the country. Under the direction of Russian tenor Vladimir Rosing , the AOC presented five operas in one week at the Chautauqua Amphitheater. By 1929, a permanent Chautauqua Opera company had been established. Chautauquas can be viewed in the context of
858-547: A particular text. The "canonical texts" are the writings of the Báb , Baháʼu'lláh , ʻAbdu'l-Bahá , Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice , and the authenticated talks of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá. The writings of the Báb and Baháʼu'lláh are regarded as divine revelation, the writings and talks of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá and the writings of Shoghi Effendi as authoritative interpretation, and those of
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#1732844583501936-399: A railroad junction. "You're cheapening Chautauqua, breaking it down, replacing it with something what [ sic ] will have neither dignity nor permanence." In Vawter's scheme, each performer or group appeared on a particular day of the program. "First-day" talent would move on to other Chautauquas, followed by the "second-day" performers, and so on, throughout the touring season. By
1014-615: A result of the Ruhi Institute. The Ruhi formula resulted in "nonhierarchical, self-initiated, self-organized small groups engaged in study, teaching, and action", which is transforming the broader Baháʼí culture to one of small group community building among natural networks of family and friends, a format that is politically viable in China and adaptable to space limits in Hong Kong. A published case study compared developments in three instances of Baháʼís fostering development among indigenous cultures -
1092-590: A series of courses. Over a 6-month period, the study started with participants in the Midwestern United States and in a later phase was expanded to areas in Canada, Iran, Ethiopia, South Korea, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Mortensen included recommendations in his thesis. and hoped his results would be considered in adjusting the courses. He found a significant minority of participants took the course based on
1170-519: A short distance outside an established town with good rail service . At the Chautauqua movement's height in the 1920s, several hundred of these existed, but their numbers have since dwindled. "Circuit Chautauquas" (or colloquially, "Tent Chautauquas") were an itinerant manifestation of the Chautauqua movement founded by Keith Vawter (a Redpath Lyceum Bureau manager) and Roy Ellison in 1904. Vawter and Ellison were unsuccessful in their initial attempts to commercialize Chautauqua, but by 1907 they had found
1248-504: A similar manner. The educational summer camp format proved popular for families and was widely copied by several Chautauquas. Within a decade, "Chautauqua assemblies" (or simply "Chautauquas"), named for the location in New York, sprang up in various North American locations. The Chautauqua movement beginning in the 1870s may be regarded as a successor to the Lyceum movement from the 1840s. As
1326-482: A systemic, global world-view"; "ensuring the right to learn and the right to know"; "nurturing the development of diversity"; "providing the competencies to make interdependence a social reality"; (and) "providing for social and cultural evolution." Any group that goes through a course would be encouraged to pursue a service project as a means of putting their learning into action Such projects typtically comprise organizing devotional meetings, developing skills in raising
1404-668: A total volume more than 70 times the size of the Qurʼan and more than 15 times the size of the Bible. Over 7000 tablets and other works have been collected of an estimated 15,000 texts. Considering the great scope and volume of Baháʼu'lláh's writings which Bahá'ís possess, it is interesting Baháʼu'lláh's amanuensis Mírzá Áqá Ján reported that on numerous occasions (especially while in Baghdad) Baháʼu'lláh expressly ordered that hundreds of thousands of his recorded verses be "obliterated and cast into
1482-537: Is Esslemont 's Baháʼu'lláh and the New Era . This book, originally published in 1923, has undergone several revisions over time to update, correct, and clarify its contents though ʻAbdu'l-Bahá was able to personally review several of its chapters. More than sixty years later, it remains in the top ten of cited Baháʼí books. Several other introductory texts are available. Hatcher & Martin's The Baháʼí Faith: The Emerging Global Religion , Momen's A Short Introduction to
1560-566: Is a central text covering the history of the faith from 1844 to 1944. Nabil-Zarandi's Dawn Breakers covers the Bábí period extensively through to Baháʼu'lláh's banishment from Persia in 1853. Ruhiyyih Rabbani's Ministry of the Custodians details the interregnum between Shoghi Effendi's death in 1957 and the election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963. Other authors have revisited
1638-639: Is a recurring motif in Robert M. Pirsig 's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance . The Trouble with Girls , a 1969 film starring Elvis Presley, was based on the 1960 novel Chautauqua by Day Keene and Dwight Vincent Babcock. Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD literature Baháʼí literature covers a variety of topics and forms, including scripture and inspiration, interpretation, history and biography, introduction and study materials, and apologia . Sometimes considerable overlap between these forms can be observed in
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#17328445835011716-472: Is an adult education and social movement in the United States that peaked in popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture for the whole community, with speakers, teachers, musicians, showmen, preachers, and specialists of the day. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt
1794-461: Is charged with addressing any question not addressed in those works. As such its directives are considered authoritative, as long as they are in force (the Universal House of Justice may alter or revoke its own earlier decisions as needed), and are often collected into compilations or folios. The works of the Central Figures, Shoghi Effendi, and the Universal House of Justice taken together are
1872-425: Is considered an integral part of maintaining the integrity of the texts. Bábí texts are proving very difficult to authenticate, despite the collection of a variety of documents by E.G. Browne in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Browne's principal correspondents were Azalis , whom he considered to be the genuine followers of the Báb. Compounding the difficulties of collecting reliable manuscripts at such
1950-406: Is considered one of the " Central Figures " of the religion. Likewise Shoghi Effendi 's interpretations and directives are considered authoritative, but are not considered to expand upon the "revealed text", or to be scripture. In the Baháʼí view, the Universal House of Justice does not have the position to interpret the founders' works, nor those of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá or Shoghi Effendi. However, it
2028-538: Is no Baháʼí corollary to Islamic Hadith ; in fact, Baháʼís do not consider Hadith authoritative. The Baháʼí community seeks to expand the body of authenticated and translated texts. The 1992 publication of the English translation of Baháʼu'lláh's The Kitáb-i-Aqdas , and the more recent Gems of Divine Mysteries (2002), The Summons of the Lord of Hosts (2002), and The Tabernacle of Unity (2006) are significant additions to
2106-402: Is not a position of authority but a service to the community - an explicit factor in training of tutors, seeking to foster “beautiful behaviors” to function as "friends teaching friends". The course "applies the concept of 'being and doing' and incorporates 'action and reflection' as a key learning strategy." Priorities folded into the process of the courses and their refinement include "Projecting
2184-564: Is of great concern to Baháʼís. As noted, they attach considerable importance to the writings of those they consider to be authoritative figures. The primary duty of the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice and the International Baháʼí Library is the collection, cataloguing, authentication, and translation of these texts. By way of comparison, "pilgrims' notes" are items or sayings that are attributed to
2262-665: Is often quoted as saying that Chautauqua is "the most American thing in America". What he actually said was: "it is a source of positive strength and refreshment of mind and body to come to meet a typical American gathering like this—a gathering that is typically American in that it is typical of America at its best." Several Chautauqua assemblies continue to gather to this day, including the original Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York . In 1874, Methodist Episcopal minister John Heyl Vincent and businessman Lewis Miller organized
2340-647: Is privately owned but affiliated with the United Methodist Church . In contrast, the Colorado Chautauqua is entirely nondenominational and mostly secular. In the 1890s, both Chautauqua and vaudeville were gaining popularity and establishing themselves as important forms of entertainment. While Chautauqua had its roots in Sunday school and valued morality and education highly, vaudeville grew out of minstrel shows , variety acts , and crude humor , and so
2418-626: The New York Chautauqua Assembly at a campsite on the shores of Chautauqua Lake in the state of New York . Two years earlier, Vincent, editor of the Sunday School Journal , had begun to train Sunday school teachers in an outdoor summer school format. The gatherings grew in popularity. The organization Vincent and Miller founded later became known as the Chautauqua Institution . Many other independent Chautauquas were developed in
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2496-473: The canonical texts of the Baha'i Faith. A special category of works consist of the prayers of the Central Figures . These were often included in original letters and have been collected into various prayer books. Baháʼu'lláh's Prayers and Meditations is a significant volume. As Baháʼís are to pray, meditate, and study sacred scripture daily, these books are common. Shoghi Effendi's only book, God Passes By ,
2574-458: The river " as Baháʼu'lláh felt people at that time were not yet ready for them. Though a small percentage of Bahá'u'lláh's original writings have been translated into English, those completed include many of his most important works. Most Baháʼí literature, including all the writings of Baháʼu'lláh , was originally written in either Persian . English translations use the characteristic Baháʼí orthography developed by Shoghi Effendi to render
2652-466: The "Institute of World Unity" held at Green Acre. A 1935 letter of Leroy Ioas noted a reason to promote small group meetings, "firesides", as a central method to promote the religion was to overcome the community's relative introversion that he believed came from thinking that only special Baháʼís could "teach". A 1950 reference to "Conference Institutes" was reported at the US Baháʼí national convention. There
2730-635: The Baháʼí Faith , and Smith's The Baháʼí Religion are some examples. Of considerable importance to the Baháʼí community worldwide is the Ruhi series of study materials inspired, and largely produced, by the Baháʼí community of Colombia . These books form the core texts used in "Study Circles" and "Training Institutes" by Baháʼí communities around the world. A few of Baháʼu'lláh's works may classify as apologia . In addition to being significant doctrinal works, his Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude) and Epistle to
2808-485: The Baháʼí Faith as an important partner in inter-religious dialogue. Baháʼu'lláh occasionally would write himself, but normally the revelation was dictated to his secretaries, whose tracts are sometimes recorded it in what has been called revelation writing , a shorthand script written with extreme speed owing to the rapidity of the utterance being transcribed. Afterwards, Baháʼu'lláh revised and approved these drafts. These revelation drafts and many other transcriptions of
2886-560: The Chautauqua included groups like the Jubilee Singers , who sang a mix of spirituals and popular tunes, and singers and instrumental groups like American Quartette , who played popular music, ballads, and songs from the "old country". Entertainers on the Chautauqua circuit such as Charles Ross Taggart , billed as "The Man From Vermont" and "The Old Country Fiddler", played violin, sang, performed ventriloquism and comedy, and told tall tales about life in rural New England . Opera became
2964-450: The Chautauqua program. Contemporary publications regarded the magazine highly, and Mott writes, "its range of topics was indeed remarkable, and its list of contributors impressive". Flood stopped editing the magazine in 1899, and journalist Frank Chapin Bay, schooled by Chautauqua, took over; the magazine became less a general magazine and more the official organ of the organization. Lectures were
3042-701: The Chautauquas began to compete for the best performers and lecturers, lyceum bureaus assisted with bookings. Today, Lakeside Chautauqua and the Chautauqua Institution, the two largest Chautauquas, still draw thousands each summer season. Independent Chautauquas (or "daughter Chautauquas") operated at permanent facilities, usually fashioned after the Chautauqua Institute in New York, or at rented venues such as in an amusement park . Such Chautauquas were generally built in an attractive semirural location
3120-623: The Crooked Straight is a decidedly apologetic response to Ficicchia's polemical Der Baháʼísmus - Religion der Zukunft? ( Baháʼísm – Religion of the future? ), a book which was published and promoted by the Evangelische Zentralstrelle für Weltanschauungsfragen (Central Office of the Protestant Church for Questions of Ideology) in the 1980s. This organization has since revoked its affiliation with Ficicchia and now recognizes
3198-531: The Faith has remained elusive. Although membership in the religion has been growing, not everyone has actively participated in social activities. Researchers have reviewed the limitations of traditional pedagogies in the West, but some contend similar problems exist world-wide. Since 2008, various academics have reviewed the Ruhi program. In the words of one researcher it is "…becoming the core of Baháʼí community life worldwide as
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3276-648: The Ruhi Foundation (named after Farzam Arbab 's father) evolved as part of a wider process of community building among the Baháʼís in Colombia centered first in the town of Puerto Tejada, near Cali in the department of Cauca . The Ruhi Institute eventually fell under the guidance of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼí Faith in Colombia . Since 1992 it has been registered as the “Ruhí Foundation,”
3354-641: The Son of the Wolf address both Islamic and Baháʼí audiences. During Baháʼu'lláh's lifetime, both Nabíl-i-Akbar and Mírzá Abu'l-Faḍl Gulpáygání were noteworthy Shiʻa scholars who accepted the religion. Nabíl-i-Akbar was well versed in, and wrote on Shiʻa issues. Mírzá Abu'l-Faḍl wrote extensively on both Christian and Shiʻa apologia, most notably in his book The Brilliant Proof . While Townshend's Christ and Baháʼu'lláh may also be regarded as an apologetic response to Christian concerns, Udo Schaefer , et al.'s Making
3432-426: The Universal House of Justice as authoritative legislation and elucidation. Some measure of divine guidance is assumed for all of these texts. The Baháʼí Faith relies extensively on its literature. Literacy is strongly encouraged so that believers may read the texts for themselves. In addition, doctrinal questions are routinely addressed by returning to primary works. Many of the religion's early works took
3510-437: The activities essential to man” and "the education of all members of society." Arbab , Correa, and de Valcarcel first established FUNDAEC in Colombia to express such goals in a new curriculum in the 1970s. A key component of their work was founded on the basic tenet that the essence of humankind is spiritual and that helping individuals acquire spiritual attributes would lead to the advancement of civilization. From these roots
3588-529: The body of work available. At the same time there is concerted effort to re-translate, edit, and even redact works that are not authenticated. For example, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá on Divine Philosophy , published in 1916, was not reprinted at the direction of Shoghi Effendi. Also, early editions of Esslemont's Baháʼu'lláh and the New Era contained several passages that could not be authenticated, or were incorrect. These have been reviewed and updated in subsequent editions. This practice has been criticized by observers, but
3666-535: The central figures but have not been authenticated. While these may be inspirational, they are not considered authoritative. Some of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's collected talks (e.g. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá in London , Paris Talks , and The Promulgation of Universal Peace ) may fall into this category, but are awaiting further authentication. The Star of the West , published in the United States from 1910 to 1924, contains many pilgrim's notes and unauthenticated letters of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá. There
3744-401: The design of human systems.… (by those) who are so often considered marginal, irrelevant, and ignorant of the challenges of an interdependent world society." The reviewers saw two implications - "The motivating force which empowered participants, provided a vision, and nurtured evolutionary competence was in every case a powerfully felt commitment to Baháʼí religious beliefs" and each of the three
3822-450: The early Baháʼís. The list below is incomplete. William P. Collins, in his Bibliography of English-language Works on the Bábí and Baháʼí Faiths, 1844–1985 , gives a list of 2,819 items, which includes multiple editions. For ease of browsing, the bibliography is sub-divided by author. The Universal House of Justice has prepared several compilations of extracts from the Central Figures and Shoghi Effendi. These are original works of
3900-486: The early periods of the religion in the Middle East or addressed historical periods in other places. Some of these contain significant amounts of biographical data and can be considered biographies. Notably, Balyuzi 's and Taherzadeh 's works have focused on the history and biographies of the central figures of the religion and their significant contemporaries. One of the earliest introductory texts available in English
3978-429: The end of the decade, the magazine was printing articles by well-known authors of the day ( John Pentland Mahaffy , John Burroughs , Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen ), and serial educational material (including courses by William Torrey Harris and Arthur Gilman ). Strongly allied with the main organization, it had easy access to popular authors ("the big fish in the intellectual sea", according to Frank Luther Mott ), but Flood
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#17328445835014056-402: The form of letters to individuals or communities. These are termed tablets and have been collected into various folios by Baháʼís over time. Today, the Universal House of Justice still uses letters as a primary method of communication. Generally speaking, the literary form of a particular book can generally be observed by noting the author and/or title. Baháʼís believe that the founders of
4134-455: The history of the one-person show." On a lighter note, author Opie Read's stories and homespun philosophy endeared him to audiences. Other well-known speakers and lecturers at Chautauqua events of various forms included U.S. Representative Champ Clark , Missouri Governor Herbert S. Hadley , and Wisconsin Governor "Fighting Bob" La Follette . Christian instruction, preaching, and worship were
4212-502: The late 1990s the Ruhi institute process has developed as an additional way to advance communities. The current head of the religion, the Universal House of Justice , has noted the progress of the work since the early 2000s. They mentioned that “the great majority of National Spiritual Assemblies have chosen to adopt the course materials devised by the Ruhi Institute.” Especially in recent years, its training programs have been adopted by an increasing number of localities worldwide, promoting
4290-612: The later Moral Re-Armament movement. In the first half of the 20th century, fundamentalism was the subject of an increasing number of Chautauqua sermons and lectures. But the great number of Chautauquas, as well as the absence of any central authority over them, meant that religious patterns varied greatly among them. Some were so religiously oriented that they were essentially church camps , while more secular Chautauquas resembled summer school and competed with vaudeville in theaters and circus tent shows with their animal acts and trapeze acrobats. One example, Lakeside Chautauqua ,
4368-399: The mainstay of the Chautauqua. Until 1917, they dominated the circuit Chautauqua programs. The reform speech and the inspirational talk were the two main types of lecture until 1913. Later topics included current events, travel, and stories, often with a comedic twist. The most prolific speaker (often booked in the same venues with three-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan )
4446-462: The mandate of the Universal House of Justice and small number were not Baháʼís and came as a result of being personally invited by friends or family. A majority liked that the curriculum was built around social or group learning, having a chance to learn from other people as well as bring their own experience to the study circle, and appreciated the natural laughter that arose. All the non-Baháʼís interviewed went on to take additional Ruhi classes, none of
4524-593: The mid-1920s, when circuit Chautauquas were at their peak, they appeared in over 10,000 communities to audiences of more than 45 million; by about 1940 they had run their course. The Chautauquan was a magazine founded in 1880 by Theodore L. Flood. First printed in Jamestown, New York , the magazine soon found a home in Meadville, Pennsylvania , where Flood bought a printing shop. It printed articles about Christian history, Sunday school lessons, and lectures from Chautauqua. By
4602-501: The needs of the thousands who began entering the religion in areas where large-scale expansion was taking place. Such places needed a physical facility to which group after group of newly enrolled believers would be invited to attend courses that helped them deepen their knowledge of the principles of the Faith. Over the years, both in conjunction with and independent of these institutes, various courses —e.g., weekend institutes, five-day institutes, and nine-day institutes — were developed for
4680-474: The new itinerant Chautauqua: The credit–or blame–for devising the Frankenstein mechanism which was both to exalt and to destroy Chautauqua, the tent circuit, must be given to two youths of similar temperament, imagination, and a common purpose. That purpose, bluntly, was to "make a million". Frank Gunsaulus attacked Vawter: "You're ruining a splendid movement," Gunsaulus roared at Keith Vawter, whom he met at
4758-428: The original names. His work was not just that of a translator, as he was also the designated interpreter of the writings, and his translations are used as a standard for current translations of the Baháʼí writings. A style guide, available at the bahai.org website, gives a glossary and pronunciation guide of names and concepts as used within the Baháʼí Faith, including, The question of the authenticity of given texts
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#17328445835014836-486: The outcome of a process that has sought to nurture the spiritual life of individuals and families and to establish social foundations for the vision and practice of religious world citizenship." Academic studies have measured different aspects of Ruhi. One doctoral thesis examined the Ruhi courses using a combination of academic approaches to reflective and critical learning, experiential learning, and moral/ethical contexts. Mortensen interviewed participants before and after
4914-497: The participants voiced disappointment or dissatisfaction with the Ruhi method of education itself; the majority underscored what was to them the unusual component that much of the work and learning of a study course was done in a community setting. In another review, workers in adult education "found harmony between the concepts developed in the Ruhi Institute and adult education principles." A review in China and neighboring communities investigated practices of "religious citizenship" as
4992-539: The populist ferment of the late 19th century. Manifestos such as the " Populist Party Platform" voiced disdain for political corruption and championed the plight of the common people in the face of the rich and powerful. Other favorite political reform topics in Chautauqua lectures included temperance (even prohibition ), women's suffrage , and child labor laws . But the Chautauqua movement usually avoided taking political stands as such, instead inviting public officials of all major political parties to lecture, assuring
5070-742: The practice as an instance of praxeology . The tutor roles "refer to functions we perform at a given time and not to positions we (sic) hold in the community.'" Indeed Ruhi restructures societal norms, roles, and goals of education "…to re-vision societal images and systems of education as part of the design of new systems of learning and human development that are consonant with the emerging global world-view." The courses are designed to be run with organically developed groups of learners, using "critical reflection, interactive thinking, activities designed to transform theory into practical action". Tutors who facilitate courses are to reflect on their motives and encouraged to perform their role as virtuous service. Tutoring
5148-448: The purpose of promulgating the fundamental verities of the religion. Growth of the religion into viable communities has presented challenges to Baháʼí institutions. Baháʼí leadership envisioned a holistic process of education reflecting on "civilization and progress – that is to say, government, administration, charitable works, trades, arts and handicrafts, sciences, great inventions and discoveries and elaborate institutions, which are
5226-438: The quality of discourses on social concerns, and becoming a teacher of children. Community service is framed by the contexts the individuals bring to the group and their sense of purpose about it - and through several courses the suggested projects grow in complexity. Some have grown into their own local NGOs. The transcending goal is spiritual and moral empowerment to serve the society and the Faith by cultivating attributes such as
5304-519: The religion, The Báb and Baháʼu'lláh , received revelation directly from God . As such their works are considered divinely inspired. These works are considered to be " revealed text " or revelation . ʻAbdu'l-Bahá was appointed by Baháʼu'lláh to be his successor and was authorized by him to interpret the religion's "revealed text." The works of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá are therefore considered authoritative directives and interpretation, as well as part of Baháʼí scripture. He, along with The Báb and Baháʼu'lláh,
5382-428: The texts on three different levels. The first level is that of basic comprehension — understanding the meanings of the words and sentences. The second level relates to the application of the texts to various real-world situations. Finally, the third level deals with the implications of the various quotations on other aspects of Baháʼí belief and action. The goal of a universal sense of active and observable citizenship in
5460-466: The turn of the 20th century, vaudeville managers began a push for more "refinement", as well as a loosening of Victorian-era morals from the Chautauqua side. Over time, as vaudeville became more respectable, Chautauqua became more permissive in what it considered acceptable acts. The boundaries between the two began to blur. Music was important to Chautauqua, with band music in particular demand. John Philip Sousa protégé Bohumir Kryl 's Bohemian Band
5538-429: The two movements found themselves at odds. Chautauqua was considered wholesome family entertainment and appealed to middle classes and people who considered themselves respectable or aspired to respectability. Vaudeville, on the other hand, was widely considered vulgar babbitry , and appealed to working-class men. There was a stark distinction between the two, and they generally did not share performers or audiences. At
5616-593: The writings of Baháʼu'lláh's, some of which are in his own handwriting, are kept in the International Baháʼí Archives in Haifa , Israel . Some large works, for example the Kitáb-i-Íqán , were revealed in a very short time, as in a night, or a few days. Baháʼu'lláh wrote many books, tablets and prayers, of which only a fraction have so far been translated into English. He revealed thousands of tablets with
5694-619: Was Russell Conwell , who delivered his famous " Acres of Diamonds " speech 5,000 times to audiences on the Chautauqua and Lyceum circuits, which had this theme: Get rich, young man, for money is power and power ought to be in the hands of good people. I say you have no right to be poor. Maud Ballington Booth , the "Little Mother of the Prisons", was another popular circuit performer. Her descriptions of prison life moved her audiences to tears and roused them to reform. Jane Addams spoke on social problems and her work at Hull House . Helen Potter
5772-501: Was "designed and carried forward by the efforts of a small group of highly motivated individuals whose leadership style is characterized by such evolutionary values as cooperation, service, interdependence, humility, and the like." The following is a list of titles of the available materials for age 15 and above. More titles are under development. The following titles are used for youth aged 12 to 15. Chautauqua Chautauqua ( / ʃ ə ˈ t ɔː k w ə / shə- TAW -kwə )
5850-567: Was also a 1958 reference to institutes being held on college campuses. In 1961 a conference in American Samoa was called a "training institute" and another in Korea in 1963. The term was adopted with the beginning of the Nine Year Plan (starting in 1964) designated by the Universal House of Justice , the international governing institution of the Faith. The institute or training institute served
5928-421: Was another notable Chautauqua performer. She performed a variety of roles, including men and women. Gentile writes: "Potter's choice of subjects is noteworthy for its variety and for the fact that she was credible in her impersonations of men as well as of women. In retrospect, Potter's impersonations are of special interest as examples of the kind of recycling or refertilization of inspiration that occurs throughout
6006-418: Was frequently seen on the circuit. One of the numbers Kryl featured was the " Anvil Chorus " from Il Trovatore , with four husky timpanists in leather aprons hammering on anvils shooting sparks (enhanced through special effects ) across the darkened stage. Spirituals were also popular. White audiences appreciated seeing African-Americans performing something other than minstrelsy . Other musical features of
6084-483: Was wary of making his magazine too dry for popular taste, and sought variety. By 1889 the magazine changed course radically and dropped the serials that were Chautauqua's required reading, expanding with articles on history, biography, travel, politics, and literature. One section had editorial articles from national newspapers; another was the "Woman's Council Table", which excerpted articles often by famous women writers, though all this material remained required reading for
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