49th ABS Annual Conference: Full Schedule

10:30am MDT

Why is it relevant to Bahá’í Communities in North America to study the transformation of the Iranian Bahá’í community from 1979-82

Saturday August 2, 2025 10:30am - 11:45am MDT

TBA

Study of recent messages of the Universal House of Justice hints at increasing intensity and expanded and broadened scope of tests and difficulties coming to Bahá’í Communities worldwide with encouragement to study the evolution of the Iranian Bahá’í Community as a source of insight and inspiration. Analysis of previously untranslated letters and unpublished communication from 1979-82 from key individuals who were at the heart of the Iranian community can shed insight on how this community rose to meet challenges never seen before by any Bahá’í Community in its history and perhaps serve as examples for communities in North America.

Speakers

Artin Mahmoudi

Artin Mahmoudi has worked globally as a pulmonary - critical care physician. His father, Houshang, a well-known TV personality, film producer, and Bahá’í historian/author, was a member of the first Iranian NSA under the Islamic Republic and was kidnapped and executed in 1980... Read More →

Saturday August 2, 2025 10:30am - 11:45am MDT
TBA

History, Breakout

2:00pm MDT

Second Century Believers

Saturday August 2, 2025 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT

TBA

My new book, Second Century Believers (George Ronald 2025) uses qualitative research procedures to analyze interviews with dozens of Bahá’ís who were among the first born in the 2nd century BE. They came from Christian and agnostic families. I asked about their feelings & experiences when opting to joined the Faith during the 1st House of Justice's the 1st 9-yr plan. We have no record of how 2nd c. Christians felt.Though there are Baha'i narratives, there are few if any accounts of their thought processes & feelings. I analyzed interview data mining for shared meanings. Systematic research of internal processes among people who join a religion is an under represented issue in Bahá’í academic scholarship.

Speakers

Deborah Vance

Independent writer and researcher

I joined the Faith in 1970 so I'm in the same cohort as the respondents in the study, have been an active Baha'i since then, and served on LSAs for most of those years. I earned my PhD in Intercultural Communication from Howard U. and served as Chair of Communication & Cinema & Associate... Read More →

2CB 5 8 pptx

Saturday August 2, 2025 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
TBA

History, Breakout

49th ABS Annual Conference

10:30am MDT

Artin Mahmoudi

2:00pm MDT

Deborah Vance

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