Bahá’í World/Volume 28/Establishment of the First Chair for Bahá’í Studies
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Estahl ishment O£ the First
CHAIR R3012 BAHA I STUDIES
ile thousands of volumes have been written about the
Bahá’í Faith during the first century and a half of its exist ence, the vast majority of them have fallen largely outside the
boundaries of formal institutional study. Furthermore, this body
of literature is primarily of two types: either produced within the
Bahá’í community for a Bahá’í audience, or written by opponents of the Faith With the aim of discrediting and undermining it.
The establishment of the first academic Chair for Bahá’í Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem—with the mission of promoting understanding of this new Faith and studying its history, its teachings, and its role in the modem world—represents a significant step in the institutionalized study of the Bahá’í Faith.
In the words of Professor Menachem Magidor, president of the Hebrew University, the establishment of the Chair signifies “interfaith, intercultural, and interethnic discourse between people Of different convictions and different beliefs.” And as he remarked at the dedication of the Chair, “While we are definitely a Jewish
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university, we should be an intellectual bridge between Jewish culture and other religions.”
The establishment of the Chair was announced on 29 March 1999,I and an inaugural ceremony was held on the Mount Scopus campus of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem on 7 June 1999. Systematic study of the Bahá’í Faith at the university began in the mid-19905, when Professor Moshe Sharon, the Chair’s first incumbent, began teaching a class on the history and sacred literature of the Bahá’í Faith.2 Professor Sharon’s own interest in and study of the Bahá’í Faith were the impetus for the creation of the Chair, which was funded by an anonymous private donor.
In his inaugural address, Professor Sharon spoke briefly about the history of the Faith and its adherents, naming ignorance as the main enemy of the Bahá’ís and saying, “The aim of this Chair is to fight ignorance, applying to the study of the Bahá’í Faith the strict rules of scholarship.” He characterized the responsibility of overseeing the Chair as both “heavy and exciting.”
The Bahá’í World Centre was represented at the fimction by a delegation which included Albert Lincoln, secretary—general of the Bahá’í International Community, who spoke at the ceremony. “The Bahá’í Community welcomes the academic undertaking represented by this Chair,” he said, “in filll realization that the process will not always be a comfortable one. .. Whether we like it or not, our understanding of our religion and our community will be affected by the work of this Chair. . .” Mr. Lincoln lauded the university for its “academic values” and “freedom from prejudice.”
' See The Bahá’í World 1998~99, p. 35.
3 Professor Sharon earned a doctorate from the Hebrew University in 1971 and currently teaches in the university‘s Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies department, and has published works in Arabic, Hebrew, and English. His research interests include the early history of the Bahá’í Faith, early Islamic history. the history of the Holy Land under Islam, messianic thought in Islam, Arabic epigraphy and papyrology, and the interaction between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Professor Sharon is cun‘ently at work on translating the Kitáb-i-Aqdas into Hebrew. He also has plans to translate other major works of the Bahá’í Faith into Hebrew
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CHAIR 1:012 BA] 1M STl'DIES
Professor Moshe Sharon (center) (mcl other members of the Hebrew Univetts't'ty delegation at the Seat of the Universal House 0/ Justicefbr the commemorative event in Haifa. Sect‘etatj“general thhe BIC Albert Lincoln stands ' , ‘ to the left.
He expressed hope that the creation of the Chair would have a catalytic effect, sparking development at other universities.
Following the event at the Hebrew University, a second event commemorating the foundation of the Chair was held on 25 June 1999 at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa. This gathering focused on the evolution of Bahá’í scholarship and the unique nature of the relationship between the Hebrew University and the World Centre, particularly the Centre for the Study of the Texts. The cooperation between these two institutions will allow the university access to historical documents crucial to the development of Bahá’í studies.
Albert Lincoln once again spoke on behalf of the Bahá’í Community and during his speech read the text of a letter from former president of Israel Itzhak Navon to the President of the Hebrew University, congratulating him on the formation of the Chair. Mr. Lincoln also elucidated the commitment of the Bahá’í World Centre to working with the university in pursuit of its scholarly goals.
A large delegation from the Hebrew University attended, including the president, vice-president, and rector of the university. It marked the first time that the university senate had ever convened outside J erusalem.
Menachem Ben—Sasson, the university’s rector, spoke about the longstanding relationship between the Bahá’í Faith and the Hebrew University, which dates back to the founding of the school in April 1925, when Shoghi Effendi wrote in a cable, “...BAHA’Is HOPE AND PRAY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS SEAT OF LEARNING MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE REVIVAL OF A LAND OF HALLOWED MEMORIES FOR us ALL AND FOR WHICH ABDU’L-BAHA C'HERISHED THE HIGHEST HOPES.”
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Dr. Peter Khan, member of the Universal House of Justice, addressed the gathering on the topic of Bahá’í scholarship,3 pointing out that one goal of Bahá’í scholarship was the search for unity through study of the Faith and avoidance of the divisiveness of opposing doctrines that has caused splintering in religious thought throughout the ages. “We do not foresee our scholarly activity reducing to a set of schools of thought centered around prominent or charismatic individuals,” he said, “rather, we see a community in which there is a sense of equality, not a rigid or stifling egalitarianism but a sense of a community of people searching for the truth, sharing it with each other, and providing mutual encouragement and support.”
Professor Sharon gave a talk on the subject of Bahá’í studies, emphasizing the importance of studying the sacred texts in their original languages of Arabic and Persian and highlighting the cooperation between the Bahá’í World Centre and the school. He called the partnership “essential for the achievement of the scholarly goals which lie ahead of us.” He also noted the significance of this venture, saying, “There is no doubt in my mind that. . .we are writing a chapter in the history of the Bahá’í Faith. . .”
In January 2000 an account of the proceedings both at the Hebrew University and the Bahá’í World Centre, was published by the university.
By Professor Sharon’s estimation, the research of the Chair will require “a century, if not more” of effort on the part of both the university and the Bahá’ís. The Chair faces the challenge of studying not just a collection of writings and laws, but a vital and ever—changing community that is emerging from obscurity but is often surrounded by misunderstanding.
Bahá’ís are still in the early phases of the growth of their own understanding about their religion and its community. The establishment of the Chair will enhance the understanding of the Bahá’í Faith not only in academic circles, but also by its practitioners around the world.
3 For an expanded version of Dr. Khan‘s views on Bahá’í scholarshipw see pp. 197g22 l.
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