Ecumenical Work

* Religion's Mission for World Peace

Through serious prayer, meditation, and personal research of the Bible, Reverend Moon received a special revelation from God for the salvation of humankind. He was thus able to explain mysteries of the Bible that have remained unsolved throughout the two thousand years of Christian history. Reverend Moon has never conceived of the Unification Church becoming, or remaining, one of many denominations. This is because the goal of the Unification Church is to lead all churches into one. When he established the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity in 1954, his intention was not to establish a church but an association which would unify world Christianity through truth and the efforts of the holy spiritual realms.

From the outset, he has continued the work of human salvation through one God-centered church. As a result of his efforts, and of his desire to unify all religions, the Supra-Denominational Christian Association was established in 1966 in cooperation with Protestant ministers. Strongly feeling the necessity for an ecumenical movement, Reverend Moon has directly promoted and supervised a number of related projects. He has increasingly supported a movement of mutual understanding and closer relations among religions in the belief that where there is no harmony or reconciliation among the diverse religious groups, barriers to the realization of one human community and world peace will continue to exist. In 1967, Reverend Moon lent his support to the establishment of the Society for the Study of Korean Religions centered on Father Yang-eun Park, a Catholic priest and director of the Catholic interdenominational movement, and on Rev. Kwang-won Jo, an Anglican priest who was vice-president of the NCC (National Council of Churches) in Korea. In 1977, Reverend Moon held the first conference for world religious leaders.

Reverend Moon recognized that although they might originate from different parts of the world and from different periods in history, all religions are one expression of human beings' original mind to seek the origin of their existence, and of their common goal to pursue eternal truth. Having invested his heart and soul into the ecumenical movement, he founded the New Ecumenical Research Association (New ERA) together with 280 prominent theologians. Through the association he has carried on his work of theological research, organizing seminars and publishing in support of the ecumenical movement of the world's religions.

Since 1982, Reverend Moon has organized seminars attended by young believers from eight of the major world religions and set up the Religious Youth Service project. He sent young people from around the world to visit the holy centers of the world's religions in order to promote mutual understanding, and to carry out active joint service projects.

The Council of the World's Religions established by Reverend Moon in 1984 has held annual conferences to help religious people create better relationships under the banner of the ideology of one human family, facilitating the healing of religious divisions. Furthermore, in 1985, he initiated the Assembly of the World's Religions as part of his efforts for the realization of peace and the fulfillment of God's will. Later on, he established the Inter-Religious Federation for World Peace, proclaiming that it should take responsibility to realize world peace through the unified power of religion. In 1991, through the support of representatives of the world religions, World Scripture was published as a compendium of holy scripture reflecting the universal values of the world's religions. World Scripture will shine like a light on the human heart.

Supra-denominational Christian Association

*THE 2ND MEETING BETWEEN KOREAN AND CIS RELIGIOUS LEADERS ON NORTH-SOUTH UNIFICATION

The Supra-Denominational Christian Association, established in Korea on December 7, 1966, is part of the new worldwide ecumenical movement. The association's objective is the realization of a community centered on Jesus Christ, while at the same time pursuing a fundamental revolution and cooperation among denominations. Through councils of church pastors and meetings for lay church leaders, the association strives for the settlement of problems confronting the churches in Korea through the application of ecumenical principles. The aim is thus to foster an atmosphere of mutual understanding and harmony among the Korean churches, and beyond that, to promote a global ecumenical movement through the holding of public confessions of doctrine and the research of common theological ground.

International Christian Professors Association

*PROFESSORS VISITING THE SUN MOON UNIVERSITY IN CHONAN IN 1989 DURING THE 9TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR CHRISTIAN PROFESSORS

Launched in Seoul on March 28, 1981, as a friendly society, the ICPA pursues the goals of international cooperation and the promotion of academic exchange, including dialogue and mutual understanding, between Christian professors, irrespective of denomination. The ecumenical work of the association has included academic research into an ideology capable of surmounting atheistic communism, with, in particular, a view to aiding the reunification of the Korean peninsula. Through academic exchange and conventions, these professors have combined their efforts in the practice of God's love, which they regard as the fundamental ideal of the ecumenical peace movement.

International Christian Students Association

The object of the ICSA, launched on November 14, 1981, is to promote international cooperation and exchange among Christian students both in Korea and internationally, and to encourage them to work, through God's love and justice, and with a sense of historical responsibility, for a revolution toward the unity of the churches, and thus finally to contribute to building God's nation on the earth. It has sponsored the Youth Seminar on World Religions and the Korean-Japanese Christian Students Seminar, amongst others, in the pursuit of mutual understanding and cooperation among religions, while encouraging Christians to go beyond religious prejudice and ignorance. Thus, it has made effort to further pursue mutual understanding and cooperation among nations.

New Ecumenical Research Association (New ERA)

New ERA had its inception in New York on March 27-29, 1980. The association held annual academic conferences under the topic of God: the Contemporary Discussion, attended by eminent theologians, scholars and philosophers representing the world's religions. It also publishes materials generated through inter-religious and inter-cultural exchange.

Youth Seminar on World Religions; Religious Youth Service

In July 1982, one hundred and fifty professors and students from approximately thirty nations visited holy sites preserving the traditional cultures of eight of the world's major religions. In subsequent years, seminars were held and service projects undertaken. The Religious Youth Service has since been an annual event, contributing to the development of mutual understanding and friendship through the introduction and exchange of religious and cultural traditions. RYS seeks to broaden its working arena with its accumulated knowledge and experience, and to continue social support activities worldwide.

Interdenominational Conferences for Clergy

The Interdenominational Conferences for Clergy, sponsored as part of the ecumenical outreach of the Unification Church in America, consisted of Seminars for American Christian Ministers Principle seminars under the theme of Reverend Moon and Korea in the Providence of God. The purpose of these seminars was to give American clergy the opportunity to deeply research both Reverend Moon and the Unification Church in their native Korea.

By the time of the thirty-eighth and ultimate conference, in July 1988, 7812 American Christian leaders had participated. Following a seminar on the Unification Principle, which included group discussion of the content, participants would visit the holy sites of the Unification Church in Korea. As these seminars brought together participants from many different denominations, they inspired a great deal of interest.

Assembly of the World's Religions

Following his ordeal in Danbury prison, Reverend Moon was viewed as a standard bearer for religious freedom and world liberation. Immediately after his release, he organized the Assembly of the World's Religions, an inter-religious conference with the purpose of contributing to the realization of God's hope and peace for humanity.

The first Assembly was held in McAfee, New Jersey, from November 15 to 21, 1985. Six hundred leaders and scholars of religion participated under the ideal of spiritual unity through mutual dialogue, cooperation, and prayer. Reverend Moon, in his keynote address, outlined the focus of the Assembly: First, the Assembly of the World's Religions was to devote itself to ending war and conflict among religions, and to leading them into mutual respect. Second, it was to bring about inter-religious cooperation and instill God-centered absolute values. Third, it was to develop into an influential organization in its own right through the participation of many active religious leaders and representatives.

Inter-Religious Federation for World Peace

IRFWP was inaugurated at the Little Angels Performing Arts Center in Seoul, Korea, before 120 representatives of Hinduism, Judaism, Catholic, Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and other religions, together with two thousand eminent political leaders, scholars, and other dignitaries. In his keynote address, entitled Religion's Mission for World Peace, he mentioned that the God-centered, unselfish ideal of creation lies in the establishment of ideal families, societies, nations, and a world, on the foundation of one individual of harmonized mind and body. He also stressed the paramount importance of Godism, namely, Head-wing thought, an ideology centered on God's true love.

IRFWP's objective is to accept the traditional legacy of wisdom of the world's religions, and to inspire all religions to participate in activities for the sake of peace, that will stem from their common values. It has therefore, adopted the ideals of freedom from war, oppression, and social injustice. IRFWP aims to develop inter-religious cooperation, ecumenical dialogue, academic research, publications, and inter-religious service activity, in order to peacefully solve world problems.

The Religious Herald

The first issue of what was then the Weekly Religion was printed in Seoul on July 4, 1971. The Religious Herald has since commenced publication with the intention of offering unbiased accounts of religious affairs, and of being a standard bearer for worldwide moral renovation, cooperation amongst the world's religions, and the well-being of society. In Japan, also, a Weekly Religion newspaper, also reporting on religious affairs, was launched.

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