Ruhi institute

The Ruhi Institute is an educational institution, initially operating under the guidance of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í Faith in Colombia. Practices of the institute have roots in the 19th century and have been nurtured by Baha'is especially since the 1970s with the goal of involving more individuals in study leading to action. A focus of the Institute is to couple an evolving appreciation of virtues with processes of community development. After some decades of development, Baha'i leadership has adopted Ruhi as a key component of the evolving nature of Bahá'í life. Studies continue to research its impact and effectiveness.

The format of group adult learning such as that in a Bahá'í study circle, the normal setting of a Ruhi Institute meeting, has occurred in previous contexts, such as in the United States Chautauqua developments in the 1870s, "using ideals of democracy, participation, and equality." This approach was adopted in Swedish culture in the 20th century.

Moreover, the Bahá'í community has used the term "institute" in various ways over time. A 1927 report in Baha'i News refers to an "institute", the "Institute of World Unity" held at Green Acre. A 1935 letter of Leroy Ioas noted a reason to promote small group meetings, "firesides", as a central method to promote the religion was to overcome the community's relative introversion that he believed came from thinking that only special Bahá’ís could "teach". A 1950 reference to "Conference Institutes" was reported at the US Bahá'í national convention. There was also a 1958 reference to institutes being held on college campuses. In 1961 a conference in American Samoa was called a "training institute" and another in Korea in 1963. The term was adopted with the beginning of the Nine Year Plan (starting in 1964) designated by the Universal House of Justice, the international governing institution of the Faith. The institute or training institute served the needs of the thousands who began entering the religion in areas where large-scale expansion was taking place. Such places needed a physical facility to which group after group of newly enrolled believers would be invited to attend courses that helped them deepen their knowledge of the principles of the Faith. Over the years, both in conjunction with and independent of these institutes, various courses —e.g., weekend institutes, five-day institutes, and nine-day institutes — were developed for the purpose of promulgating the fundamental verities of the religion.Growth of the religion into viable communities has presented challenges to Bahá’í institutions.

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