Technology, tourism, politics, and law have connected human beings around the world more closely than ever before, but this closeness has, paradoxically, given rise to fear, distrust, and misunderstanding between nation-states and religions. In light of the tensions and conflicts that arise from these complex relationships, many search for ways to find peace and understanding through a “global public sphere.”

Contributors to this volume address various aspects of this challenge within the context of Bahá’í thought and practice, whose goal is to lay the foundations for a new world civilisation that harmonises the spiritual and material aspects of human existence.

Bahá’í teachings view religion as a source of enduring insight that can enable humanity to repair and transcend patterns of disunity, to foster justice within the structures of society, and to advance the cause of peace. Accordingly, religion can and ought to play a role in the broader project of creating a pattern of public discourse capable of supporting humanity’s transition to the next stage in its collective development.

1. Religion in an Age of Transition - Benjamin Schewel
2. Religion, Spiritual Principles, and Civil Society - David A. Palmer
3. Media and Public Discourse: Normative Foundations - Michael Karlberg
4. Education and Moral Empowerment: Raising Capacity for Participation in Public Discourse - Sona Farid-Arbab
5. An Inquiry into the Harmony of Science and Religion - Farzam Arbab
6. Bahá’í Participation in Public Discourse: Considerations Related to History, Concepts, and Approach - Shahriar Razavi
7. Contributions to International Development Discourse: Exploring the Roles of Science and Religion - Matthew Weinberg
8. A New Politics of Engagement: The Bahá’í International Community, the United Nations, and Gender Equality - Julia Berger
9. The Bahá’í Community and Public Policy: The Bahá’í Refugee Resettlement Program (1981–89) - Geoffrey Cameron