Applied Unificationism

The veneration of Mary, the mother of Jesus, has been around for as long as the early Apostles. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2023/03/20/the-veneration-of-mary-and-its-implications-for-women-in-the-church/

In most seminaries and academic institutions, since the rise of critical methods of scholarship, scripture has been studied by applying methods of literary and historical criticism. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2019/03/11/the-concept-of-truth-and-the-interpretation-of-scripture/

In a sermon I gave in Kiev in late 1991, I warned that the Israelites, upon escaping slavery in Egypt, still had to endure 40 years of suffering in the desert. So it has been for the Ukraine since the break-up of the Soviet Union. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2023/02/27/russia-crimea-ukraine-and-beyond/

Recently, a significant reconciliation took place between two opposing factions within Roman Catholicism.  In light of divisions plaguing the Unification faith community at present, it is instructive to look at how this reconciliation took place. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2023/01/30/traditional-roman-catholicism-vs-franciscan-mysticism-a-case-study-for-unificationists/

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is a rare sequel — one I found to be even better than its predecessor, “Black Panther,” in terms of the depth of its message and themes even though the Marvel Cinematic Universe film is minus its former lead actor with the 2020 death of Chadwick Boseman. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2023/01/16/black-panther-wakanda-forever-more-than-a-marvel-adventure-movie/

The 19th century French novelist, Gustave Flaubert, asserted that “the art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.” This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2023/01/02/what-music-tells-me-beauty-truth-and-goodness-and-our-cultural-inheritance/

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2022/12/12/a-manifesto-for-an-integral-society/

I experienced a flash of insight a few days ago while looking at Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s picture (who Unificationists call True Father). This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2022/11/07/the-need-for-a-unificationist-blessing-marriage-and-family-theology-and-education-providence/

As many teachers and prophets have taught, and as supported by scientific and historical evidence, our experience is largely shaped by our perception. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2022/10/10/the-abundance-mentality-with-biblical-references/

In April 1990, after his Moscow meeting with Soviet President Gorbachev, Rev. Sun Myung Moon asked Antonio Betancourt, Secretary General of the Summit Council for World Peace, to reach out on his behalf to North Korea. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2022/10/03/treating-an-adversary-with-the-respect-they-may-not-deserve/

It’s natural to presume that family are the people who think like us, are born into the same cultural group, share similar political stances, and even look like us. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2022/09/26/unearthing-my-dna-the-lost-sister/

Our church started from a few young people, who were once welcomed so delightfully as precious beings. What if we were to treat these wounded just like those young people, but who are recovered and recommitted, so as to be gladly welcomed as precious beings once again? This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2022/09/05/a-proposal-to-allocate-more-resources-for-counseling/

In my current experience, churches today can deliver a somewhat satisfying experience on the spiritual and emotional level, but without a more credible philosophical substrate, lack the capacity to support a moral or ethical context on which further societal development can be built. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2022/08/22/my-fellow-christians-we-are-challenged-to-make-the-case-for-faith-itself/

For me one of the more fascinating requests Rev. Sun Myung Moon gave to us was his request to WRIST in 1984 to develop technology to communicate with spirit world. It is not something I would ever have thought of doing myself, but after I became aware of the problem he posed, it has stayed with me throughout my spiritual life. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2022/08/08/how-to-meet-my-ancestors-a-theory-of-spirit/

Conceptual frameworks for interpretation determine the limits, or horizons, of human understanding. This applies to the interpretation of Unificationism, the philosophy of the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2022/07/04/idealism-empiricism-and-realism-in-rev-moons-philosophy/

My interest in spiritual psychotherapy stems from over 40 years as a student of Rev. Sun Myung Moon and the Divine Principle. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2022/06/13/who-are-we-really-spiritual-psychotherapy-and-understanding-the-self/

Spiritual Connections: Living in the Flow of God’s Love (Circle of Angels Press, 201 pp., 2022) is an engaging spiritual autobiography of Nora Spurgin, who joined what was then called the Unified Family (later Unification Church) in New York in 1967. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2022/05/30/spiritual-connections-living-in-the-flow-of-gods-love/

As a second-generation Unificationist, I’ve suffered for a long time from the Cain-Abel model, a prototype relationship that has been applied to almost all kinds of personal as well as official relationships in the Unification movement. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2022/05/16/a-remedial-shift-to-the-esau-jacob-model-an-internal-monologue/

T he theological presupposition, based on movement teachings, is that the family is God’s eternal purpose of creation and eternal dwelling place of God on earth. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2022/04/04/a-proposal-for-a-new-way-of-worship/

Let us look at platforms and the purpose of building them. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2022/03/21/building-a-platform-for-peace/

Since the creation of Adam and Eve — according to the Bible, or the evolution of humans, if you prefer Darwin — it seems humankind has been hurling itself towards self-annihilation and the destruction of the planet. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2022/03/07/the-unity-of-science-and-religion-how-we-can-save-ourselves-and-the-planet-from-ourselves%ef%bf%bc/

A memoir is a treasure trove filled with precious nuggets of information about a person’s life. No matter how well you may think you know someone, reading their memoir illuminates parts of their life that you knew little to nothing about. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2022/02/21/learning-from-therese-stewart-true-pioneer-of-faith/

A Unificationist heart cherishes reconciliation and abhors accusation. If we connect with God’s heart, practice true love and attend our Heavenly Parent, we include others. Working to extinguish controversies, antagonism and accusation, we think and work together. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2022/01/31/the-end-of-accusation-unificationist-lessons-from-the-dreyfus-affair/

I have been thinking about chaplaincy and its value as well as about my own personal experience with a specific chaplain. As a result of this reflection, I had a powerful “ah-ha” moment: Chaplaincy training is one of the most profound experiences for a seminary student and for those in ministry. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2021/12/20/chaplaincy-a-gift-from-heaven/

When the test result came back positive a few weeks before Thanksgiving, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I’d followed all the recommendations — two vaccine shots, physical distancing, mask-wearing, hand-washing — yet still, I was infected with the COVID-19 virus... This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2021/12/06/let-your-light-shine-before-others-spiritual-formation-in-the-age-of-covid-19/

German Chancellor Angela Merkel stepped down in early December after 16 years of political leadership. This unassuming person won international recognition as a model of leadership and was considered the most influential woman of the world for the past ten years. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2021/11/29/constant-germany-lessons-of-steadiness-in-an-uncertain-world/

Headwing society is one in which elites and the general population have a symbiotic and trusting relationship in all social institutions. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2021/11/15/balancing-elites-and-masses-in-two-legislative-bodies/

Religions pick up a lot of baggage in the course of a couple thousand years.  This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2019/04/29/excuse-my-religion-while-it-slips-into-something-more-comfortable/

My faith as a Unificationist accepts death as normal and part of God’s plan. I know that if God is in our life, then He must also be in our death, and this gives me a sense of comfort and the strength to offer spiritual support to the patient, family and staff. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2015/12/21/lessons-of-illness-and-death/

These days some question, “How can True Mother call herself God’s only begotten Daughter? Was she born sinless? How could she be, when only the Messiah is born sinless?” Nevertheless, True Mother confidently stated at the second anniversary of True Father’s Holy Ascension (Seong Hwa), “I am God’s only-begotten Daughter.” This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2015/04/13/the-only-begotten-daughter/

Few Americans realize that the hasty 1945 division of Korea and ensuing communist eradication of Christianity in the north occurred despite the efforts of a handful of uniquely qualified American officials.  This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2017/07/03/how-american-christians-from-north-korea-could-have-altered-koreas-future-in-1945/

In the early 1960s, in the little-known land of Korea, a man with a great vision had begun the work of developing the ocean’s resources by tending fish traps on the coastal mud flats. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2018/10/15/fish-follow-the-fisherman/

I believe the five pillars of Islam can be accepted from the standpoint of any other religion and that Islam—in the sense that Islam is “submission to the will of God” and in the sense that Abraham, Moses, and Jesus were Muslims — can be regarded as universal and an institution of God. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2021/10/04/the-five-pillars-of-religion/

In her April 6, 2019 speech at the City of Refuge Church in Gardena, CA, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon made significant statements on environmentalism, the ethics of nations, the use of force, and her course as the True Mother. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2019/05/06/reflections-on-true-mothers-city-of-refuge-speech/

There were 1.8 billion Muslims in the world as of 2015 — 24% of the global population — according to a Pew Research Center estimate. Islam is currently the world’s second-largest religion (after Christianity), but it is the fastest-growing major religion. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2018/09/17/approaching-the-muslim-world-with-true-parents-thought/

A look six years ago at America's role in Korean reunification. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2015/08/10/how-america-can-help-reunite-the-korean-peninsula/

2021 is the tenth anniversary of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' passing. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2016/02/01/steve-jobs-a-film-really-about-heroines/

The 100th birthday of Rev. Sun Myung Moon in 2020 seems a fitting time for reflection, assessment and a reorientation to our shared providential course. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2019/10/28/the-unification-movements-next-100-years/

People of faith are accustomed to patience. They know how to wait and persevere. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2019/07/22/right-sequencing-wisdom-for-life-from-the-game-of-go/

Beauty has a transcendent aspect and whether we experience beauty through nature, or art, or through human relationships, we can be uplifted by beauty and attain a deeper relationship with our Heavenly Parent and with each other as brothers and sisters. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2021/07/26/east-meets-west-via-the-arts/

This is a selection of From the One to All Beings, commonly known in the Unification Church as Wolli Wonbon, which Sun Myung Moon wrote in 1951 while living as a refugee in Pusan. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2021/07/12/the-principled-solution-to-the-tangled-skein-of-history-begins-in-korea/

Mother Moon is emphasizing mentoring the next generations of musicians with regard to having a principled view of their creative gifts. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2019/07/29/musics-moral-power-from-christianity-to-2020-and-beyond/

Here is my general sense of how Unificationism compares to other major faiths on the subject of death and dying. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2015/02/02/preparing-for-our-seonghwa-life-as-an-exclusively-spiritual-being/

The important thing to know is that the inner and outer Trinity, even if discrete from one other, can be perfectly united according to the Divine Principle. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2018/03/12/why-true-mother-uses-only-one-chair-a-theological-reflection/

These three films challenge us to reflect on the larger issues concerning God’s role in our lives, who we are as human beings, and learning to love and living for the greater good. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/02/03/films-shining-light-on-three-lives-that-mattered/

To move forward, the first gen, in particular, need to develop what is popularly known today in education pedagogy as a “growth mindset.” This is in contrast to a “fixed mindset.” This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2019/06/03/fixed-vs-growth-mindset/

The new publication, Reflections on Unification Theology: Revealing the World of Heart, which I co-authored with the late Dr. Dietrich Seidel, offers reflections and insights into Unification Theology. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2021/06/07/revelation-and-theology/

We are entering a time when the planets are aligned as they were a few years before the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and World War II. It’s hard to miss the chaos we are in, or the parallels with Britain, embroiled as it is in Brexit. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2019/09/23/moving-to-more-widely-distributed-leadership-and-decision-making/

The ideal of “One Family under God,” for we Unificationists, can be quickly realized, at least technically, through adopting principles of the “Sharing Economy.” This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2019/11/04/the-interdependence-ideology-meets-the-sharing-economy-in-our-community/

The record of Rev. Moon’s usage of the term Heavenly Parent to refer to God is well attested in his words and in his theology. In particular, Wolli Wonbon, which he wrote at the very beginning of his ministry, provides a comprehensive explanation of his core theology of God as both Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2016/02/22/god-as-heavenly-parent-in-rev-moons-early-teachings/

When we think about passing on our religious tradition to the next generation, we can assess how successful our parents were in passing on their religious tradition to us, their children. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2019/12/23/passing-on-our-religious-tradition-to-the-next-generation/

Now is the time to put Rev. Moon’s plans for a “loving world community” into practice. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/08/17/a-unificationists-reflection-on-the-legacy-of-rep-john-lewis/

With the pandemic rampant and lockdowns imposed worldwide, an economic crisis destroying jobs, political turmoil in much of the West, and religious fanaticism elsewhere, we ought to shout, like President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941, “Freedom of worship, freedom of expression, freedom from fear, freedom from want — everywhere in the world.” This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2021/05/03/fulfilling-the-four-freedoms-eighty-years-later/

At the end of that day, just before dinnertime in the early evening, I was still out on the busy streets of Seoul. I had one of those ongoing prayer conversations as I walked around, bending God’s ear. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2019/06/10/a-street-filled-with-spirits-of-the-long-term-dead/

While God’s providence is proceeding — the harvest is ripe and vast, the workers are in demand — those who are qualified men and women leaders in the Unification Church need to be identified, enhanced, acknowledged, recognized, and ideally even ordained. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2019/05/20/emerging-womens-ministry/

Listening to someone in pain is the most valuable gift we can offer to heal a broken relationship. We may know that forgiving is a valuable thing to do, but most people do not know how to forgive someone who hurt them. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2019/08/26/the-power-of-listening/

Here are some of the issues I see in our movement which appear to be contributing to the alienation of our young, followed by my suggestions for their remedy. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2019/11/25/the-lost-lambs-one-mothers-reflection-on-the-alienation-of-unification-youth/

Rev. Moon said of head-wing thought: “Now is the era marking the end of left and right… Thus, unless we, with the God-centered way of the Parent and head-wing thought, discuss the realm of unity at a place that is free from the accusations of the left or the right… God’s kingdom cannot be established. Such is the time now.” This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2017/08/28/the-legacy-of-unification-political-theology/

BTS has shown from their success story of starting at the bottom, much as the Unification movement began from a very humble church, that the message is the key attraction. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2019/09/09/the-korean-wave-matters-k-pop-band-bts-and-the-providence/

Many Unificationists have found themselves very troubled by the extreme divide we find ourselves in culturally and politically in the United States.  It can be easily understood that the political spheres are driven by the cultural spheres. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2018/03/26/toward-a-headwing-idea-for-america/

After the recent election cycle, America has become more and more polarized. This is destructive to national and social harmony and, at its worst, a prelude to national collapse. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2021/04/19/leading-america-back-to-the-center/

An important thread to my spiritual life and time in the Unification Church has been the idea that science and spirituality should come together and work in concert — that there should be one unified worldview, not a worldview splintered and fractured into different parts. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2021/04/12/harnessing-the-potential-of-divine-principle/

In this article, I draw comparisons between the early Christian movement and where it stood after the birth of Jesus in the year 100 A.D. and the Unification Community in 2020. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/01/13/the-unification-community-100-years-after-the-founders-birth-are-we-there-yet/

In order to cultivate and perfect the best practices in the spiritual formation of their children, parents recognized that their faith parenting skills were always a work in progress. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/03/23/unification-faith-parenting-thirteen-best-practices/

Many people are discouraged about the current human condition since they see no way to reconcile polarizing points of view. Unification Thought brings some hope to the discussion through the structural ontology of dual dualities. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/07/13/unconscious-first-principles/

You may be curious about the Korean movie “Parasite.” The film and its director, Bong Joon Ho, won Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards in February. Bong and “Parasite” also won Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature Film. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/03/09/parasite-and-viewing-a-film-in-ones-imagination-to-overcome-cultural-barriers/

We Unificationists, because of our high ideals, are challenged to reassess who we are, what values we are expressing in how we live, and how can we choose the best path to a future that manifests our vision for one united world. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/04/13/an-economic-system-that-honors-our-true-purpose/

Here, I discuss three challenges to filial piety and resemblance: 1) Ideal and reality; 2) From neglecting to negotiating and arranging with this world; and, 3) The theological confusion surrounding Romans 8:30. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/07/06/filial-piety-and-resemblance-challenges-from-a-historical-and-contemporary-view/

Versatility and velocity made Rev. Sun Myung Moon a model of a spiritual virtuoso, a concept first coined by German sociologist Max Weber. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/04/27/sun-myung-moon-spiritual-virtuoso/

“Heavenly Parent’s Holy Community” is a name that reflects the centrality of Heavenly Parent, our Creator and sustainer. It also focuses on the holiness of the worldwide community that has the Holy Wedding as its starting point. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/06/01/the-marriage-has-come-holy-wedding-and-holy-community/

My purpose here is to show that the doctrine of God’s dual characteristics in Exposition of the Divine Principle supports Mother Moon’s appellation of God as Heavenly Parent. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/06/29/heavenly-parent-and-the-god-of-dual-characteristics/

Our principal issue as Unificationists with regard to our Christian friends is that we don’t know how to adequately respond to the centrally-held tenets of Christianity. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/06/08/are-uts-graduates-able-to-engage-theologically-with-christian-ministers/

A testimony of the unfolding of my relationship with God, our Heavenly Parent. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2015/06/01/my-god-has-morphed-my-journey-to-heavenly-mother/

Since August 2014, Hak Ja Han Moon, the widowed spouse of Rev. Sun Myung Moon whom FFWPU members call True Mother, has been proclaiming herself “the only begotten Daughter.” This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2019/12/16/why-does-true-mother-call-herself-the-only-begotten-daughter/

Have you ever wondered how long it would take before you uttered the words, “I’m perfect?” This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/10/12/a-new-way-of-thinking-about-church/

Unificationists should seize this time to be part of the conversation on education and at the same time reorient education toward a model that rewards the development of heart as a first priority and achieves efficient and effective 21st century education. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/09/07/unification-thought-principles-of-education-in-the-coronavirus-era/

The bitter partisan divisions in American politics have several roots: political, economic and cultural. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/08/24/identity-politics-the-post-truth-world-and-constructivism/

The film, "The Life Ahead," is a love story — but not the kind of love story we are used to. It is a love story for the 21st century. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/12/14/the-life-ahead-a-modern-love-story/

Whatever the concerns of social justice activists may be, there needs to be an educational mode by which we, as disciples of True Parents, can edify the public about the necessity of Godism being in the socio-cultural equation. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/11/30/re-imagining-social-justice-from-a-headwing-perspective/

Reading the memoir, Mother of Peace by Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, became for me a contemplative personal reflection of the labyrinth-like journey of the Unification Church and its metamorphosis into Heavenly Parent’s Holy Community. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/11/09/reflections-on-dr-hak-jan-han-moons-memoir-mother-of-peace/

This is a time of general recognition we are in a paradigm change. And it seems to be finally going towards a science that can recognize the value and role of the human, and for many people, the existence of some kind of afterlife realm. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2020/12/28/science-unification-thought-and-a-post-materialist-era/

We have entered a new age of social media where anyone with an opinion or product to promote, good communication skills, a modicum of charisma, and sufficient time and inclination can become an “influencer” of others. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2021/02/01/belief-and-the-power-of-narrative/

Can passionate love, reciprocal and non-exploitative between a real man and a real woman, make the world go ‘round? This episode is also available as a blog post: http://appliedunificationism.com/2021/02/22/what-is-love-heres-what-to-know/