The department covers the history and development of the Bahá’í community; biographies of the Central Figures (Bahá’u’lláh, 1817-92; the Bab, 1819-50; and `Abdu’l-Bahá, 1844-1921), Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957), and other figures of historical significance; the sacred texts of the Faith, that is, those composed by the Central Figures; and the authoritative texts by Shoghi Effendi, the Universal House of Justice, and works produced under its auspices. Many faculty who teach history courses for the department also teach courses on the texts because of the importance of historical context in studying them. The department has three sections: history (HS), sacred texts (ST), and authoritative texts (AT).
We are dependent on tuition payments, generous donations from the Bahá'í community, and volunteer assistance from our many contributors, students, and friends.