The Conversive Turn in Bahá’í Scripture: An Intersubjective Communications Model for Bridging Global Diversity

Abstract

The Bahá’í writings offer extensive scriptural directives regarding the processes of conversive communications and their necessity for unifying a divided planet. Conversive communications manifest equality of participants, a spiritualized understanding through both mind and heart, and integrative consequences for individual and interpersonal coherence. The conversative aspect is an essentially collaborative, intersubjective, and relational, co-creative articulation that brings diverse persons and elements of the world together. The conversion aspect signifies the transformative capacity of language to transform persons and worlds through the unifying power of deep interpersonal connections. Bahá’í consultation is one form of conversive communications.