Tag: Ecumenism and Interfaith
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Taking UTS to the Streets: Teaching Living Religions in the Neighborhoods of New York
Journal of Unification Studies Vol. 11, 2010 – Pages 91-118 The Unification Theological Seminary website is titled “UTS—The Interfaith Seminary.” One click and the heading reads, “UTS—Equipping Interreligious Peacebuilders.” One more click and you read, “About UTS—An International and Interdenominational Graduate Level Seminary.” Click still again and the Mission Statement concludes that the seminary aims to…
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The Bible and the Qur’an: A New Islamic Understanding
Journal of Unification Studies Vol. 10, 2009 – Pages 105-120 The relationship between Islam and Christianity remains a sensitive issue, because it calls forth many historical memories and involves many theological disputes. It involves the history of Islamic expansion, the Crusades and colonialism. Theologically there is always the issue of the Cross, the divinity of…
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Understanding Nandi and the Shiva Lingam from a Principled Perspective
Journal of Unification Studies Vol. 10, 2009 – Pages 121-140 The purpose of this paper is to build bridges of understanding between Hindus and members of Father Moon’s Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. Therefore, the primary focus is for an Indian and Nepalese audience because these two nations have Hinduism as the dominant…
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An Interfaith Movement and Its Seminary
Journal of Unification Studies Vol. 8, 2007 – Pages 1-24 At its October 8, 2006, Retreat, the Board of Trustees of UTS stated with one voice that the primary mission of the school is inter-religious peace building. “UTS’s founding vision was to bring about inter-religious harmony,” said Trustee Allen Ostroff. “This vision is a rich…
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The Milingo Affair: Re-thinking the Unification Position on Clerical Celibacy and Ecumenism
Journal of Unification Studies Vol. 8, 2007 – Pages 41-60 Until recently, the Unification movement (UM) had little need to develop a thought-out position on clerical celibacy. There were two main reasons for this. First, the UM is a lay movement with no formally ordained clergy or priests. Therefore, the question of clerical celibacy had…
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Beyond Religious Discord: The Divine Principle in Inter-Religious Perspective
Journal of Unification Studies Vol. 7, 2006 – Pages 9-22 The purpose of this paper is to discuss and analyze the Divine Principle (1998), that is, the thought of Sun Myung Moon, from an inter-religious perspective. It focuses on the Divine Principle’s theology of religions and on how the Divine Principle and Unification thought responds…
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Dissonance Reduction in the Early Years of the Unification Movement: A Critical Appraisal of Christian-Unification Relations as Illustrated in Exposition of the Divine Principle
Journal of Unification Studies Vol. 5, 2003 – Pages 43-50 Introductions to the history of the Unification Church are quick to mention that the founding of the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC) was in fact a circuitous means to the desired end. Rather, because “Christianity couldn’t fulfill her mission,”[1] the…
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Theological Witch-Hunt: The NCC Critique of the Unification Church
Journal of Unification Studies Vol. 1, 1997 – Pages 23-42 On June 21, 1977, the Commission on Faith and Order of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (the NCC) released to the press and other interested persons a “Critique of the Theology of the Unification Church as Set Forth in Divine…