This seminar is intended for current undergraduate or graduate students and practitioners or researchers working in the biological sciences. Most biology curricula purport to be focused on biological mechanisms. Yet these mechanisms are often interpreted within a materialistic framework, the implications of which are not always apparent to students. Such materialistic interpretations can unfortunately lead students down a line of thought which seems to imply the non-existence of spiritual reality. Two major themes that are often taught this way are evolution and consciousness. These topics are also referenced in the Bahá’í Writings in ways that must be carefully correlated with prevailing scientific findings. This seminar will therefore explore the following questions: What is the relationship between evolutionary biology and the Bahá’í teachings on evolution? What is the relationship between findings from neuroscience and the Bahá’í teachings on the mind and soul? How do social forces influence biological phenomena as well as the study of those phenomena? What qualities, attitudes, skills, and habits of mind can we develop in order to find coherence between scientific findings and insights from the Revelation?
