Review
This Commentary by Joel B. Marangella sheds light on both the text and the tragic historic events surrounding this Sacred Document of the Bahá'í Faith. The book recounts the intrigue that took place at the Bahá'í World Center in 1957 that stifled the growth of this infant Faith, threatened to permanently diminish its prestige in the eyes of the world and destroyed the very safeguard built into the Faith that was to prevent it from falling into false leadership. Despite the darkness that has befallen this most recent revelation from God, this brilliant Commentary reveals the truth of what remains alive and well today, the true sign of God on earth who alone maintains the spirit and meaning of the Bahá'í teachings. The Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá is the vital and eternal link between Bahá'u'lláh and the sacred Administrative Order that is the true channel of the spirit. This new book by Mr. Marangella clearly illuminates important passages within it that have been misunderstood, overlooked or intentionally distorted. The question may well be asked, what is so threatening about this book that millions of Bahá'ís around the world won't be allowed by their leadership to read it? Surely, all Bahá'ís must recognize the fundamental principle of Bahá'u'lláh, the Prophet Founder of the Bahá'í Faith, to exercise their human right of an unfettered, independent investigation of truth. Mr. Marangella's book also includes the complete Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l- Bahá, which can be read along with the Commentary, as well as a Summary of the Bahá'í Faith by the author, recognized by Orthodox Bahá'ís as the third Guardian of Bahá'í Faith. This Summary gives the uninitiated an authoritative treatise on the history and teachings of the Bahá'í Faith.
About the Author:
Compiled: PNBC of India
Joel Bray Marangella is recognized by Orthodox Bahá'ís as the third Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, the authorized interpreter of the Bahá'í Writings and the president and sacred head for life of the Universal House of Justice (provisionally named, in its embryonic form, as the International Bahá'í Council of the Orthodox Bahá'ís). Born on September 22, 1918 in Lynn, Massachusetts, to his parents Phillip Amalfi Marangella and Edith Brooks Guthrie Marangella, both of whom enrolled as Bahá'ís when Joel was a baby, it may be concluded that young Joel was exposed to the teachings of the Faith at an early age. His parents encouraged him to independently investigate the truth including the investigation of other religious movements and faiths. As a young boy, Joel spent many summers at Green Acre Bahá'í summer school where he came in contact with most of the early believers in America. He declared his intentions of becoming a Baha'i as soon as he was able to do so, at the age of 15 years, and later became a Baha'i at the then legal age of 21. He resided in many of the major cities of the United States and participated both in the spiritual and administrative activities of their various Bahá'í communities. He married Irene, also a Bahá'í, in 1945, and five years later they answered the call of Shoghi Effendi (the first Guardian of the Faith) for pioneers to go to Europe to help spread the Faith and spent eighteen years in France. In 1954, the Hands of the Cause appointed Joel as an Auxiliary Board Member for the propagation of the Faith. He participated in the formation of the first National Spiritual Assembly of France in May 1958 becoming its first President and again following its two successive elections until its forced disbandment in May 1960 by an heterodox Baha'i organization that had rejected Mason Remey as the second Guardian of the Faith, had then illegally seized control over the Faith and had taken this action against this national administrative body because of its outright rejection of this control and had, instead, been the only NSA to recognize the validity of the proclamation of Mason Remey on the clear facts presented therein, had duly accepted him as the second Guardian of the Faith. In 1965, Joel became the third Guardian of the Faith, having been appointed by Mason Remey as his successor both in a hand-written letter and through his appointment of him as the President of the Second International Bahá'í Council (the embryonic Universal House of Justice of which only the Guardian is the authorized legitimate head). After leaving France in 1968, Joel lived successively in Germany, Switzerland and Australia before his return to the United States in March of 2010.
