The theme and dates for the Association for Bahá’í Studies Conference

16 March 2021 / 16 Loftiness 177

All Local Spiritual Assemblies
All Regional Bahá’í Councils
All Registered Groups

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

The National Spiritual Assembly is pleased to announce that the annual conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies (ABS) will take place from 23 – 31 July 2021. As you may know, ABS is dedicated to fostering and supporting the Bahá’í community’s engagement in professional and academic discourses, in a manner that correlates the insights from Bahá’u’lláh’s revelation with contemporary questions and challenges. Throughout the year, its activities encompass reading groups, seminars, workshops, publications, as well as the annual conference at which insights from ongoing processes can be disseminated throughout the community and where the friends can come together to explore questions within their area of professional or academic interest.

The 2021 annual conference will be held virtually again this year, in light of ongoing pandemic-related health concerns. With the life and example of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as our touchstone in this centenary year of His Ascension, this year’s conference aims to foster an enriching spiritual and intellectual environment that welcomes contributions from a diversity of participants. In commentary on the natural sciences, philosophy, the arts, and many other areas, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá “offered a challenge to the stale assumptions and prejudices of the age, and gave stimulus to a process of unification which continues to this day.”¹ The theme of the Conference derives its inspiration from this aspect of the matchless character of ‘Abdu’l-Baha. The full theme statement and call for presentations, as well as information regarding presentation submission guidelines and registration fees can be found at https://bahaistudies.ca/conferences/.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Karen McKye, Secretary

¹ 25 November 2020, Universal House of Justice to the Bahá’ís of the World