TY - JOUR AU - Momen, Moojan PY - 1988/03/01 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Scholarship and the Bahá’í Community JF - The Journal of Bahá’í Studies JA - JBS VL - 1 IS - 1 SE - Articles DO - 10.31581/jbs-1.1.4(1988) UR - https://journal.bahaistudies.ca/online/article/view/18 SP - 25-37 AB - <p><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">As the Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í Faith emerges from obscurity, Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í scholars will have an </span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">important role in three fields: the presentation of Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í Faith to the world; the </span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">defense of the Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í Faith from attacks; and the intellectual growth and devel</span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">opment of the Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í community. This paper discusses the question of the place </span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">of scholarship in the Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í community. The value of Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í studies to the </span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í community is analyzed. The problems that may arise for Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í scholars </span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">in relation to their own spiritual life and </span>also in<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;"> relation to the Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í com</span>­<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">munity are discussed. Some suggestions are then made with regard to the ques</span>­<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">tion of what academic approaches are most likely to be fruitful in the study of </span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">the Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í Faith. Finally, consideration is given to the mutual obligations of </span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">the Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í scholar and the Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í community (in particular, the Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í admin</span>­<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">istrative institutions). Every Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í who surveys the vast range of doctrines and </span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">concepts enshrined in the holy writings of the Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í Faith or whose imagi</span>­<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">nation is captured by the intensity of its brief history must, to some extent, be </span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">inspired to make a more thorough study of some aspect that interests him or </span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">her. To some is given the good fortune to have both the opportunity and incli</span>­<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">nation to put this study on a more formal basis. Whether this be at an institute </span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">of learning or through private study and research, there are many areas of the </span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">teachings and history of the Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í Faith that invite painstaking research and </span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">thoughtful analysis. Such study is of great benefit to the Bahá</span>’<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">í </span>community<span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;"> as </span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">a whole, quite apart from the immense satisfaction that it can bring to the </span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">individual student. There are also dangers in such study, particularly for the </span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">individual concerned, and often the extent of this danger is not appreciated by  </span><span style="font-weight: normal !msorm;">someone just setting out on such a course of study. </span></p> ER -