The Evolving Role of Bahá’í Scholarship
Channel: Association for Bahá’í Studies
Date: 2022-09-21

Vahid Rafati - 2014 ABS Conference, Toronto, Ontario

Full text at https://journal.bahaistudies.ca/ Volume 25 no. 1-2

The Bahá’í Faith has long had challenges with established Islamic scholarship: it must free itself from existing attitudes and practices and establish Bahá’í scholarship on its own merits. Bahá’u’lláh abrogated the authority of the Ulama (Muslim clergy) in many fields of religious affairs, asking Bahá’í scholars to be concerned with the requirements of the time. The nourishment and emergence of Bahá’í scholars and scholarship, its place within the community, its relationship with the Faith’s Institutions, and the potential for collaboration amongst Bahá’í scholars, and with the broad community of scholars are some of the substantial questions to be addressed.