The Advent of Sun Myung Moon: The Origins, Beliefs and Practices of the Unification Church

257 Pages·1991·12.92 MB·English

by  George D. Chryssides

The Advent of Sun
Myung Moon
The Origins, Beliefs and Practices
of the Unification Church
George D. Chryssides
THE ADVENT OF SUN MYUNG MOON
Also by GeorgeD. Chryssides
THEPATHS OFBUDDHISM
The Advent of Sun
Myung Moon
The Origins, Beliefs and Practices
of the Unification Church
George D. Chryssides
Senior Lecturer in Philosophy
Polytechnic South West, Plymouth
M
MACMILLAN
©GeorgeD. Chryssides 1991
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Firstpublished 1991
Published by
MACMILLANPROFESSIONALANDACADEMIC LTD
Houndmills, Basingstoke, HampshireRG21 2XS
andLondon
Companiesandrepresentatives
throughouttheworld
Printedin HongKong
BritishLibrary CataloguinginPublicationData
Chryssides, GeorgeD.
TheadventofSunMyungMoon.
1. UnificationChurch
I. Title
289.96
ISBN0-333-49698-1
ISBN0-333-53836-6pbk
To Harold W. Turner
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
ListofIllustrations viii
Preface x
Map ofKorea xiii
1 Examining the Evidence 1
2 UnificationistDoctrines 19
3 The Korean Religious Heritage 46
4 The AdventofChristianity 69
5 Korea's New Christians 85
6 Jesus in Unification Thought 108
7 The Blessing 131
8 Rites andFestivals 149
9 TheFuture Agenda 165
Postscript: SomePersonalReflections 180
Appendix :TheNumerological Significance
ofthe Blessings 193
Notes 196
Bibliography 214
Glossary 220
Index 224
vii
List of Illustrations
1. (above) The hut in which the Principle was first recorded. It was
builtby SunMyungMoonin 1951. HSA-UWCjNewFuturePhoto.
2. (below) The Rev Sun Myung Moon speaks at Madison Square
Garden, New York, 18 September 1974. UPIjBettman.
3. The 'True Parents'. Each member owns a copy of this definitive
photograph, and it is displayed in all shrines and official premises.
HSA-UWCjNew FuturePhoto.
4. SunMyungMoonaddressestheAssemblyoftheWorld'sReligions,
McAfee, New Jersey, November 1985. International Religious
Foundation.
5. TheRev and Mrs Moon at the Assembly oftheWorld's Religions,
McAfee, New Jersey, 1985. InternationalReligiousFoundation.
6. The Youth Seminar on World Religions, 1984, arrives at Seoul,
Korea. InternationalReligious Foundation.
7. ParticipantsataconferenceoftheCouncilfortheWorld'sReligions,
a subsidiary ofthe LR.F. InternationalReligious Foundation.
8. 'Victory of the Second Generation'. Shrine to Heung Jin Nim at
Cleeve House, Wiltshire, dedicated by the Zimbabwean. The tree
trunk depicts the FourPositionFoundation and bears the motto 'Be
Responsible!' Author.
9. During breaks in the seminars, members pray at Heung Jin Nim's
shrine. Author.
10. InsideaUC Centre, alecturerexplainsthePrinciple toparticipants.
Thetheme is 'ProvidentialTime-Identity'. Author.
11. The 'True Parents' and their family in Eastern attire. HSAjNew
FuturePhoto.
12. A blessed couple in Holy Robes. Unification Church, UK.
13. Blessing couples await their tum to process into theJamsil Gymna
sium, Seoul, Korea, for the 5837 coupleBlessing, 14October 1982.
CameraPress.
14. The 'True Parents' officiate at the Blessing Ceremony, Madison
SquareGarden, 1July 1982. UPIjBettman.
15. Holy Water is sprinkled on the Blessing couples as they enter. The
Rev Moon and his wife Hak Ja Han preside over the ceremony.
UPIjBettman.
viii
ListofIllustrations ix
16. The5837 couple Blessing, Seoul. This ceremony, together with the
marriage of 2075 couples in Madison Square, New York (1 July
1982), is sometimes referred to as the '8000 couple Blessing'.
CameraPress/C.K. Kim.
17. A blessed couple who participated in the 5837 couple ceremony.
CameraPress/C.K. Kim.