"...[T]he provision of guidance on administrative matters such as the laws of engagement, marriage, and divorce falls under the purview of Local and National Spiritual Assemblies...."
(On behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual, September 24, 2014)
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“Let this gathering be a foreshadowing of what will, in very truth, take place in this world, when every child of God realizes that they are leaves of one tree, flowers in one garden, drops in one ocean, and sons and daughters of one Father, whose name is love!”
~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 30
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The links below will go to supplemental resource pages, to Adobe pdf files that you may save to your computer or print, or to helpful websites. Please contribute or suggest additional resources via email to Marriage Transformation, staff@marriagetransformation.com.
Quotations and Resources
Marriage, Marriage Preparation, and Divorce:
- About the Bahá’í Marriage Laws
- Building and Preserving Bahá’í Marriages
- Prayers and Readings for the 19-Day Feast
- Handling Difficulties and Making Decisions
- Divorce
Marriage Transformation Documents That Contain Quotations:
- Discussion Guide for Parents on Dating, Courting, Character, Chastity, and Consent
- When You Have a Spouse Who Is Not a Bahá’í
- Applying Principles from the Universal House of Justice's Plans
- Quotations from Marriage Can Be Forever--Preparation Counts! (English and Spanish)
Parental Consent
- Guidance from the Bahá’í Writings
- Resources for consent from parents for marrying
Challenged Marriages/Marriages in Difficulty
- Consultation and Counseling
- Handling Tests and Difficulties
- Reconciliation, Separation, Year-of-Waiting, and Divorce
- Resource websites
The Death of a Loved One; Help for the Grieving
- Quotations and Prayers
- Stories
- Support Handouts for Individuals and Groups
Professionals Who Are Bahá’ís
Marriage Transformation maintains
a list of counselors, therapists, social workers, coaches, and more who are members of the Bahá’í Faith for referral and collaborating purposes.
Please note that often the professional will need to work with individuals or couples over the internet or phone and not in-person. Referrals are not recommendations; each person will need to do their own screening to see if the professional is a fit for them.
Professionals Referral List (pdf document; version December 31, 2023); [Please do not circulate this list. Instead, please refer people to the most up-to-date version at this link: http://bahaimarriage.net/resources.htm.]
If you are a professional willing to be included on the referral list or need to provide updated information about you or your credentials, please email Susanne M. Alexander at susanne@marriagetransformation.com.
Support Group
A non-profit operating under the umbrella of the United States National Spiritual Assembly. See their website for more details.
https://opencirclenetwork.org/
The purpose of the Open Circle Network is to provide opportunities for individuals and communities to explore the application of spiritual principles to address difficult and challenging personal and social issues that can benefit from having a safe and supportive sharing environment. Specifically, Network activities provide both in-person and online experiences for individuals struggling with challenging issues to share with others, reflect on their experience in a safe and non-judgmental environment, and to use that reflection as a springboard for service to the broader community. Open Circle activities draw directly on spiritual principles from the Baha’i Faith, however all Network activities are open to people of all religious and philosophical backgrounds.
Issues: Addictions, Abuse and Trauma, Sexuality and Gender, Mental Health, HIV/AIDS
Online Courses
Online Learning courses: Susanne M. Alexander serves as the owner and course creator at Transformation Learning Center for several online relationship, marriage, parenting, family, and Assembly courses that are practical and Baha'i-Faith-based. People of all faiths are welcome. There is an excellent faculty team and coaching available. Please come join us today! Information is available at this link: https://www.transformationlearningcenter.com/
Articles and Research Reports
Some Perspectives from Marriage Transformation:
Relationship, Marriage, and Family Education in the Bahá’í Faith Community Potential Ideas to Consider from Marriage Transformation® Version: December 6, 2020
Helpful articles with advice about relationships and marriage can be found on these websites:
Bahaiteachings.org/author/susanne-m-alexander
http://bahaiteachings.org/author/kelly-monjazeb-and-susanne-alexander
http://bahaiblog.net/site/author/susanne-alexander/
https://marriagetransformation.com/in-media/
Bahá’í-Related Research:
2022: Bahá’í Youth Survey: PDF file
2013: PhD Dissertation by Nura Mowzoon on Engaged Young Adult Bahá’ís
2008: "Understanding Single Bahá’ís: A Look at the Current State of North American Single Bahá’ís Based on a Large Online Survey" Online link. PDF file.
Useful Websites and Other Materials
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Marriage Transformation: www.marriagetransformation.com (includes books on a wide range of relationship and marriage topics, coaching services, and online courses)
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Intercultural/Interracial Marriage: Books: Intercultural Marriage: Promises and Pitfalls by Dugan Romano; In Love But World Apart--Insights, Questions and Tips for the Intercultural Couple, by Grete Shelling; Mixed Matches by Joel Crohn; All-in-One Marriage Prep by Susanne M. Alexander
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- Resources on Abuse and Violence and many other topics (Susan Gammage)
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Rearing Children to Honor Marriage
Some Perspectives from Marriage Transformation:
Parents wishing to rear children to respect marriage and family and have a strong Bahá’í identity may create customized children's books using materials on this webpage:www.bahaimarriage.net/resources_children.htm.
Information on the the Bahá’í Faith
Access: www.bahai.org. There are links on this site to websites for individual countries.
