v    The Bab – Letters of the Living, Hujjat, Vahid

v    Bahá’u’lláh – Nabil Akbar, Gulpaygani

v    `Abdu’l-Bahá – Fadil Mazandarani

v    Shoghi Effendi – Ishraq-Khavari, Townshend

Mirza Abu’l-Fadl Gulpaygani

Developed an approach for teaching Jews in Iran *

Developed an approach for teaching Sunnis in Egypt *

Developed an approach for teachings Christians in America *

Role of Bahá’í Scholars

1. Defence of the Faith - Attacks

2. Promotion of the Faith

Correlation of teachings with social reality  -

“Expert” presentations of the Faith

 -

3. Development of the Faith

4 Preservation of the Faith

It seems what we need now is a more profound and co‑ordinated Baha'i scholarship in order to attract such men as you are contacting.  The world has ‑ at least the thinking world ‑ caught up by now with all the great and universal principles enunciated by Baha'u'llah over 70 years ago, and so of course it does not sound "new" to them.  But we know that the deeper teachings, the capacity of His projected World Order to re‑create society, are new and dynamic.  It is these we must learn to present intelligently and enticingly to such men!  (3 July 1949)

Shoghi Effendi in  The Importance of Deepening, in Compilation of Compilations, no.  510, p. 230

If the Baha'is want to be really effective in teaching the Cause they need to be much better informed and able to discuss intelligently, intellectually, the present condition of the world and its problems.  We need Baha'i scholars, not only people far, far more deeply aware of what our teachings really are, but also well‑read and well‑educated people, capable of correlating our teachings to the current thoughts of the leaders of society.

     We Baha'is should, in other words, arm our minds with knowledge in order to better demonstrate to, especially, the educated classes, the truths enshrined in our Faith... (5 July 1949)

Shoghi Effendi in  The Importance of Deepening, in Compilation of Compilations, no.  511, p. 230

Dangers of scholarship

•         Feelings of superiority - tradition of religious leadership

•         Impatience and intolerance  

•         Distancing - danger - materialist cause and effect  - account for the Faith

•         Loss of Faith

•         Discrepancy - dealing with it oneself - announcing it to the Bahá’í community

Should any one among you be incapable of grasping a certain truth, or be striving to comprehend it, show forth, when conversing with him, a spirit of extreme kindliness and good‑will.  Help him to see and recognize the truth, without esteeming yourself to be, in the least, superior to him, or to be possessed of greater endowments.

  (Baha'u'llah,  Gleanings, no, 5, pp. 8‑9)

Dangers of scholarship

•         Reading attacks by opponents - often based on Covenant-breaker material 

•         Danger of making Faith conform to current theories  

•         Clashes with other Bahá’í 

•         Clashes with Bahá’í administration

                              - over review

Danger of "attempting to make the Bahá’í Faith relevant to modern society is to incur the grave risk of compromising the fundamental verities of our Faith in an efforts to make it conform to current theories and practices .

(Universal House of Justice, letter 21 July 1968)

Qualities for engaging in Scholarship

•         Purity of motive 

•         Humility

•         Loyalty to the Covenant

•         commitment to deepening

•         commitment to participation in Bahá’í community life

•         Wisdom and patience -  in presentation of findings - shock 

Thou hast written that one of the friends hath composed a treatise. This was mentioned in the Holy Presence, and this is what was revealed in response:  Great care should be exercised that whatever is written in these days doth not cause dissension, and invite the objection of the people.  Whatever the friends of the one true God say in these days is listened to by the people of the world.  It hath been revealed in the Lawh‑i‑Hikmat:  "The unbelievers have inclined their ears towards us in order to hear that which might enable them to cavil against God, the Help in Peril, the Self‑Subsisting." Whatever is written should not transgress the bounds of tact and wisdom, and in the words used there should lie hid the property of milk, so that the children of the world may be nurtured therewith, and attain maturity.  We have said in the past that one word hath the influence of spring and causeth hearts to become fresh and verdant, while another is like unto blight which causeth the blossoms and flowers to wither.  God grant that authors among the friends will write in such a way as would be acceptable to fair‑minded souls, and not lead to cavilling by the people.

Baha'u'llah, Writers and Writing in Compilation of Compilations, no. 2212, p. 407

Consultation / مشورت

آسمان حكمت الهی بدو نير روشن و منير است مشورت

و شفقت در جميع امور بمشورت متمسك شويد چه كه اوست

سراج هدايت راه نمايد و آگاهی عطا كند

          ( مائده آسماني -  جلد ۴-  حضرت بهإالله -  ص ۳۴۹ )