50th ABS Annual Conference: Full Schedule

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9:00am EDT

Exploring the History of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas

Saturday August 8, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT

Limited Capacity seats available

Drawing on the research published in Exploring the Kitáb-i-Aqdas: The Laws and Teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, this seminar investigates the at once fascinating and unprecedented history of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. It explores how Bahá’u’lláh foresaw the revelation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, waited until the midpoint of His ministry to compose it, was deliberate in disseminating it, and personally arranged for its publication. That so much information is available about the role of the Founder of an independent world religion in the composition and distribution of His central Text is without parallel in recorded history.

Speakers

Omid Ghaemmaghami

Omid Ghaemmaghami is Professor of Middle East Studies at Binghamton University, the State University of New York (SUNY). He has coauthored Exploring the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (with Shahin Vafai) (I.B. Tauris, 2025) and authored other works, including Encounters with the Hidden Imam in E... Read More →

Saturday August 8, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT
206

Study of the Writings, Breakout

about <br>

10:30am EDT

The Kitáb-i-Aqdas’s Proclamation to the World’s Kings, Rulers, and Leaders: History, Purposes, and Themes

LIMITED

Saturday August 8, 2026 10:30am - 11:45am EDT

206

Limited Capacity seats available

Drawing on the research published in Exploring the Kitáb-i-Aqdas: The Laws and Teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, this session analyzes why in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas Bahá’u’lláh addressed the world’s political and religious leaders, why particular figures were addressed, how these addresses relate to His earlier proclamations, and the themes conveyed in these addresses.

Speakers

Shahin Vafai

Shahin Vafai is an attorney with over three decades of legal experience. He has coauthored Exploring the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (with Omid Ghaemmaghami) (I.B. Tauris 2025) and authored other works, including The Bahá’í Faith: Teachings, History, and Practices and The Essence of the C... Read More →

Saturday August 8, 2026 10:30am - 11:45am EDT
206

Study of the Writings, Breakout

2:00pm EDT

Covenant, Command, and Conscience: Rethinking Sin and Moral Obligation from a Bahá’í Perspective

LIMITED

Saturday August 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT

206

Limited Capacity seats available

This presentation explores a covenantal understanding of sin and moral obligation in Bahá’í thought, drawing on the writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and recent guidance of the Universal House of Justice. It examines how moral accountability arises within specific divine covenants rather than from a universalized moral code, offering a principled explanation for why Bahá’ís do not impose their standards on others. In dialogue with covenantal approaches in contemporary Christian theology, the session invites participants to reflect on how this framework can support ethical seriousness, interreligious collaboration, and constructive engagement in pluralistic moral discourse.

Speakers

Caleb Gilleland

Caleb is a PhD candidate in Christian–Muslim Relations, completing doctoral corrections. His broader research engages Pauline theology, covenantal and narrative approaches to scripture, and Bahá’í perspectives on religious difference. This work includes focused exploration of... Read More →

Saturday August 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
206

Study of the Writings, Breakout

about <br>

3:30pm EDT

What Can Be Proven? Epistemology and the Bahá'í-Faith in Discussion on the Concept of Proof

LIMITED

Saturday August 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT

206

Limited Capacity seats available

This presentation examines the epistemological debate concerning what should count as proof. Positions range from skeptical views that deny the existence of proofs altogether, to restrictive accounts that limit proofs to formal domains, to broader perspectives that recognize proofs in everyday reasoning. These differences are reflected in divergent attitudes toward what counts as justification and as a serious position. The presentation explores an alternative framework drawing on the Bahá'í writings, which rearticulates the concept beyond prevailing philosophical models. I suggest broadening the concept and consider the theoretical and practical implications in the context of this debate.

Speakers

Levin Zendeh

PhD in philosophy (Bonn, 2024) with a dissertation on emergence and reduction in Hegel's philosophy of nature. Member of the German ABS Committee, eager to learn from the experiences of ABS North America. Engaged in exploring how academic rigor and community building can mutually... Read More →

Saturday August 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
206

Study of the Writings, Breakout

about <br>

50th ABS Annual Conference

9:00am EDT

Omid Ghaemmaghami

10:30am EDT

Shahin Vafai

2:00pm EDT

Caleb Gilleland

3:30pm EDT

Levin Zendeh

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