The second in a series of twelve monthly Web Talks marking the twentieth anniversary of the Wilmette Institute will be held on February 1. Wilmette Institute faculty member Ian Kluge will be talking about “The Bahá’í Proofs for God” on February 1 at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (11 a.m. Pacific, 8 p.m. Western Europe Time). To join the talk, you should
register ahead of time. Doing so will give you a link to click on to join the Web Talk. We recommend that you join at least five minutes before the start time. You will arrive in a “waiting room” and will be “admitted” to the talk when it is about to begin. In discussing the Bahá’í proofs for God, Mr. Kluge will explicate the various proofs given in the Bahá’í writings, show their validity and relevance, and relate them to well-publicized debates on the topic. He notes that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states that “The existence of the Divine Being hath been clearly established on the basis of logical proofs, but the reality of the Godhead is beyond the grasp of the Mind” (
Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 21.2:50). In
Some Answered Questions (5), ‘Abdu’l-Bahá also devotes an entire chapter to the “Proofs and Evidences for the Existence of God.” Mr. Kluge, who will be teaching a
Wilmette Institute course on The Bahá’í Faith and Philosophy from February 10 through March 30, is a poet, playwright, and independent philosophical scholar. He taught high school English and comparative civilizations for almost thirty years. He has published numerous articles on the Bahá’í writings and philosophy in the “Lights of `Irfán” series, presented papers on philosophy at the annual meetings of the Association for Bahá’í Studies, and published two books on the American philosophical poet Conrad Aiken. Mr. Kluge also teaches the Wilmette Institute course on theology. All Web Talks are given on Sundays and begin at 2 p.m. East Standard Time; 11 a.m. Pacific; 7 p.m. U.K.; 8 p.m. Western Europe. Talks scheduled for the remainder of 2015 include: March 1: Dr. Anne Perry, “Where Spirit Intersects Art” April 12: Dr. Moojan Momen, “The Re-Creation and Utilization of Community’s Memories: Shoghi Effendi and Bahá’í History” May 3: Dr. Christopher Buck, “God and Apple Pie: Religious Myths and Visions of America” June 7: Dr. Sandra Lynn Hutchison, “What Every Reader of the Bahá’í Writings Needs to Know” August 30: Dr. Susanne Alexander, “Healthy, Unified Marriages as Service to Humanity” September 6: Dr. Arthur Lyon Dahl, “Navigating the Storm: The Transition to Sustainability” September 28: Dr. Baharieh Rouhani Maani, “The Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees” October 18: Dr. Sovaida Maani Ewing, “Building a World Federation: The Key to Solving Our Global Crises” November 15: Dr. Steve Friberg, “Science and Religion” December 6: Dr. Michael Penn, “The Nature of the Human Mind: A Bahá’í Perspective”
Click here for information on the Web Talks and the speakers.
