The Unification Church at a Crossroads of Conflict and Creativity

Dr. Thomas Selover

SunHak UP Graduate University 

Introduction 

Since its inception in the 1950s, the Unification Church (Tongilgyo) has been a controversial new religious movement, locally, nationally, and around the world. The new situation today is that the Unification Church is in conflict primarily with other parts of itself. This conflict has led to disillusionment in some quarters, but also to a new burst of creativity in the development of Unification thinking and acting.

On September 3, 2012, the Unification Church entered a new and critical phase in its development. Long foretold by sociologists of religion and new religion watchers, the seonghwa (ascension) of Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification Church, was accompanied and followed by anguish, confusion and realignment on various levels. The Unification Church is now split into three factions, one led by Mrs. Moon and two by the couple’s eldest surviving and youngest son, respectively. Each faction claims to be the (only) legitimate bearer of the legacy of Rev. Sun Myung Moon.

Observant Participation

As a professor at the Church’s SunHak UP Graduate University, I am clearly aligned with the “mainstream” faction of the Unification Church headed today by Mrs. Moon. However, I try to be an observant participant, viewing these Unification developments in light of the wider history of religion and culture. The crisis of succession, or what Max Weber termed the problem of “the routinization of charisma,” would seem to be an inevitable turning point in the history of religious movements. According to George Santayana, 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' Is the converse true? Does knowing something of the history of religion, open the possibility of avoiding some of the deepest and most dangerous pitfalls? What are the unique challenges for a woman in religious leadership?

To Be Or Not To Be a Church

As Unification Church historian Michael Mickler summarizes the conflict and the two brothers’ stances, the elder son “is avowedly anti-theological and anti-institutional” and holds that “Unificationism needs to get rid of its church-centered framework and re-configure itself as a global peace movement.” He has sought to take control of the movement’s human and financial resources and mobilize them for this-worldly projects that interface with governments and other NGOs. 

The youngest son, on the other hand, is “intensely religious” and has charged that the Unification Church has become infected by “the world’s postmodern, humanistic, secular feminist ideology.” In Mickler’s words, he has “configured his group as a warring sect.” 

Both of these factions have some foundation in Rev. Moon’s teachings, and have attracted a portion of the Unification membership in various countries. Apart from the sociological dynamics of competing sects, the contours of this conflict raise serious questions about the appropriateness of “church” as the social form of the Unification movement going forward. 

Mrs. Moon’s Leadership

In terms of the traditional threefold office as prophet, priest and king, Mrs. Moon’s leadership activities can be grouped into three areas: educational (prophetic), ritual (priestly) and executive (king/queenly). Each of these aspects will be briefly sketched.

a. Education 

Mrs. Moon was well prepared by her public speaking tours, beginning in 1991, to be the main spokesperson and teacher for the Unification movement. She has also initiated a number of education-related projects, such as the Universal Peace Academy and scholarship opportunities for young leaders. 

One of the most important projects in the educational category of leadership has been Mrs. Moon’s commissioning of a new set of Unification scriptures. Despite opposition, three new scriptural texts have been published in Korean, Japanese and English. This project is a source of friction with the other factions, as the two sons claim that changing the scriptures is counter to the will of their father, the founder. 

Mrs. Moon’s teaching authority is a central feature of her leadership. Some in the Unification community find her new emphases unsettling, while others view them as refreshing and inspiring. 

b. Ritual

The category of Mrs. Moon’s ritual leadership includes her presiding over marriage blessing ceremonies, making changes to liturgical texts, and revising the official Unification calendar. 

In her role as ritual leader, Mrs. Moon regularly conducts key events and celebrations. Despite Rev. Moon’s proclamation of “the age of women’s leadership” beginning in 1992, apparently many Unification members did not expect women’s leadership to happen in fact, and therefore were not expecting a woman to lead the movement.

The ritual changes made by Mrs. Moon have sharpened the debate over her leadership. By calling upon the worldwide Unification membership to accept those changes, she is in the process of establishing her leadership in fact. 

c. Executive 

Mrs. Moon is engaged in the principal executive leadership functions that are recognizable at all levels of organization: visioning, planning, staffing, organizing, and investing resources. Among her initiatives is the drafting and promulgating of a Constitution that outlines six governing bodies, representing the executive, legislative, judicial, informational and financial functions of the governing of the movement. Overall, the Constitution with its governing bodies represents a major step forward in the process of routinization of charisma.  

Some Consequences

If it were not for this period of Mrs. Moon’s actual leadership, then the nature and strengths of her leadership would not be known. Moreover, the long-established pattern in both religious and political spheres of the domination of women by men and the assumption that women are not capable or deserving to be leaders, would not have been broken through and transcended in the Unification movement. In this respect, my argument is that the Unification movement is better off under Mrs. Moon’s leadership than it would be under either of her sons, as capable as they may be.