Teaching As Worship:

Abstract: "By exploring the presence of Bahai religious principles and secular themes throughout their individual and collective narratives with emphasis on their religious principles, I offer some understanding of how their perception of their role as educators along with their interpretation of religious philosophy, and professional experience help shape their teaching and work environments. Furthermore I compare and contrast the effect of human secularism and religious theory on the academic experiences of teachers and students, utilizing my own narrative as an example. Such an examination also provides an indication of the influence the work of Bahai Faith-Based pedagogues have on the lives of their students and coworkers. Their life stories also provide some indication of the impact of their religious and spiritual thoughts on the communities in which they live. With the modern challenges faced by our society, I found that the narrators' common discourse of peace and unity serve as possible models of leadership for refashioning what I see as a growing national movement towards selfish materialism and global disrespect."