Transformation in Coventry

by Barney

You may not think of sitting down with a group of people to study a series of training books as a religious activity. But it’s what large numbers of Baha’is and their friends are doing all around the world.

Baha’is in pretty much every country of the globe have found that a series of courses developed by the Ruhi Institute in the South American country of Colombia meet all sorts of individual and community needs.

The curriculum of the Ruhi Institute consists of a sequence of courses that can be worked through in small groups called “study circles”. Although we think of these courses as “training”, they’re really about transformation. The Baha’is website explains this:

At the heart of the Revelation of Bah

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4 comments

1 Phillipe { 02.21.07 at 21:01 }: As usual the U.K. Baha’is are leading the way. I couldn’t possibly have described the institute process better!
2 Pieter B. Ruiter { 02.22.07 at 04:44 }: Hi Barney - I’ve been enjoying your site for some months now. Great work!

The institute process is a fine example of participatory learning, and there’s some interesting social evolution in society in general. I just wrote about this on my blog Oh the times we live in, very exciting.

ps: We met once or twice in the early nineties when you worked at the BPT with Gordon Kerr, and I do recall meeting Erica as well Please send her my regards
Pieter (then from the Dutch Bahai Publishing Trust)
3 Barney { 02.22.07 at 18:04 }: Hi, Pieter, very good to hear from you. Thank you for your kind comment on my blog.

As you say, there is some very interesting social evolution going on. I wonder how conscious of this we are as we participate in the training institute process? Perhaps we’ll look back in some years’ time an think, “Oh my goodness, what a long way we’ve come in a few years.”

Needless to say, I shall add your blog to my blogroll.

And I shall give your greetings to Erica.

With best wishes
–Barney
4 Pieter B. Ruiter { 02.22.07 at 23:00 }: Ahhh, GR it was. Mea culpa. It’s been a long time. Thanks for your kind words - I’m in the process of raising my 2 children (6 and 3) while writing a book from home. Or is that the other way around??

Would love to chat to you some time by phone, as part of my research for my book. Or in person if you’re in NYC any time soon - we’re in the Princeton, NJ area. Let me know if you’d have some time? Best regards,
Pieter