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Divine Principle

The Divine Principle or Exposition of the Divine Principle (in Korean, Wolli Kangron) is the main theological textbook of the Unification Church. It was written under the direction of church founder Sun Myung Moon. It lays out the core of Unification theology, and is held to have the status of scripture by believers. Following the format of systematic theology, it includes [1] God's purpose in creating human beings, [2] the fall of man, and [3] redemption - the process through history by which God is working to remove the ill effects of the fall and restore humanity back to the relationship and position that God originally intended.

History

Between 1935 and 1946, Sun Myung Moon wrote down notes in the margins of his Bible. These notes formed the basis of the original concept of the work.

The earliest manuscript was lost in North Korea during the Korean War. Upon arriving as a refugee in Pusan, Moon wrote a manuscript which is referred to as Wolli Wonbon (meaning "the original text of the Divine Principle"), dictating the last chapter to Won Pil Kim, his first Disciple. He then guided Hyo Won Eu, the first president of the Unification Church of Korea, to prepare more systematic presentations of his teachings with biblical, historical, and scientific illustrations. Moon gave Eu special instruction regarding the content of these texts and then checked them over meticulously. These efforts resulted in Wolli Hesol (Explanation of the Divine Principle), published in 1957 (but never translated into English), and Wolli Kangron (Exposition of the Divine Principle), published in 1966. Since then, Wolli Kangron has been the basic text of Moon's teachings. According to its preface, Wolli Kangron expresses universal truth; it inherits and builds upon the core truths which God revealed through the Jewish and Christian scriptures and encompasses the wisdom from the Orient.

"Principle" is a direct translation of the Korean term wolli, and the word "Divine" was added to indicate that the material dealt with spiritual and religious principles. Plural is not normally used in Korean, and there is a sense that these principles fit together into a unitary whole anyway. Unification Church members sometimes refer to the Divine Principle (or simply "The Principle") to mean not only the specific translation of Wolli Kangron, but to all three texts, as they are seen as the progressive development of an explanation revealing something that already existed in the universe before the books were written. Indeed, sometimes "The Principle" is used to refer to the universal principles out there in the universe, apart from the books.

A translation of Wolli Kangron named Divine Principle was first published in English in 1973 and was subsequently revised in 1974. In 1996 it was completely re-translated, primarily by Andrew Wilson and Jin Goon Kim, and re-titled Exposition of the Divine Principle. Manuals were translated to English by Young Whi Kim (president of the Unification Church in Korea during the 1970s) and Chung Hwan Kwak (International Director of Education of the Unification Church). Young Oon Kim (a female professor and the church's premier theologian) and David S.C. Kim (the first president of the Unification Theological Seminary) each wrote unofficial texts; these are now out of print.

Structure

The book follows systematic theology in its structure: God's creation, the human fall, human redemption.

The book has two parts, with a total of 13 chapters. The first part deals primarily with theological concepts, such as the nature of God and His creation, the human fall, and others. The second part deals with the process through history by which God continues to work to eliminate the ill effects of the human fall, and restore humankind to the relationship with God that would have existed if the fall had not occurred.

Introduction
Part 1

Chapter 1: The Principle of Creation
Chapter 2: The Human Fall
Chapter 3: Eschatology and Human History
Chapter 4: The Messiah: His Advent and the Purpose of His Second Coming
Chapter 5: Resurrection
Chapter 6: Predestination
Chapter 7: Christology

Part 2

Introduction to Restoration
Chapter 1: The Providence to Lay the Foundation for Restoration
Chapter 2: Moses and Jesus in the Providence of Restoration
Chapter 3: The Periods in Providential History and the Determination of Their Lengths
Chapter 4: The Parallels between the Two Ages in the Providence of Restoration
Chapter 5: The Period of Preparation for the Second Coming of the Messiah
Chapter 6: The Second Advent

Principles underlying God's creation

God is viewed as the creator in Unification Theology. God has polar characteristics corresponding to (but more subtle or "internal" than) the attributes we see expressed in his creation: masculinity and femininity, internal character and external form, subject and object. God is referred to as "he" for simplicity and because "masculinity" is associated with "subject." God is omniscient and omnipotent, though bound by his own principles and the logical consequences of human freedom; in order to experience a relationship of love, he created human beings as his children and gave them freedom to love him or not as they chose.

Subject and object

Reciprocal interaction

Paired entities (two beings, or two aspects of a being), such as subject and object, masculinity and femininity, or internal character and external form, engage in reciprocal interaction or give-and-take action, which "generates all the forces [needed] for existence, multiplication and action.

The fall of humanity

Unificationists believe that the Fall of Man was an actual historical event (rather than an allegory) involving an original human couple, who are called Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis in the Bible. The elements in the story, however, such as the Tree of Life, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the forbidden fruit, the serpent, etc., are interpreted to be symbolic metaphors for ideal man, ideal woman, sexual love, and Satan, respectively. The essence of the fall is that Eve was seduced by an angelic being (Lucifer). Eve then seduced Adam. So love was consummated through sexual intercourse between Adam and Eve apart from the plan of God, and before Adam and Eve were spiritually mature. Unificationists believe there was a "spiritual (sexual) fall," between Eve and the angel, and a "physical (sexual) fall" between Eve and Adam. They also regard Adam and Eve's son Cain killing his brother Abel as a literal event which contributed to humankind's fallen state. Unificationists teach that since the "fall of humanity," all of human history has been a constant struggle between the forces of God and Satan to correct this original sin (cf. Augustine and lust, concupiscence). This belief contributes to their strict moral code of "absolute love" and sexual purity, and the need for "indemnity."

Restoration of God's original ideal — theology of redemption

A fundamental teaching of the church is that God possesses both male and female attributes and that the most perfect substantial expression of God is to be found in a "true love" relationship between a fully perfected man and a fully perfected woman, living in accordance with the will of God. This love can then grow between parents and children. "True love" is understood to mean a sacrificial love that it is unconditional, unchanging, and eternal.

The church differentiates itself from traditional Christianity through its view of the Trinity and its view of the reason for Jesus's death. The church believes only in what some theologians have called the "economic trinity," a relationship between God, Adam, and Eve (with the messiah in the role of perfected Adam). It does not believe that Jesus or any man is ontologically one with God as "God the Son." Rather, Jesus became Godlike through a natural process of growth to personal perfection that would otherwise be available to all persons except for original sin preventing it. The "pre-existence" and the "logos" was not Jesus in a personal sense, but rather the prototype for perfected man which Jesus came to embody during his lifetime.

The church does not believe that Jesus' death was a preordained necessity. Like traditional Christians, however, they do believe that his death serves as a redemption of humanity's sins and that his resurrection was a victory over death for all eternity.

The church further teaches that:

God appointed Jesus to establish the literal (political), rather than symbolic, Kingdom of Heaven on earth, preferably in his lifetime. Due to the failure of the Jewish people to accept "him whom He had sent" (John 6:29), Jesus had to go the alternate course of dying on the cross. (See the section on the role of Elijah below.)
With the mission of establishing God's kingdom unfulfilled, He will appoint another Messiah to accomplish His purpose. "I have purposed, and I will do it. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass." (Isaiah 46:11).
Moon has spoken of himself as "Messiah of the Second Coming" and "True Parent" and monarch ("True Love King") of a literal "Kingdom of Heaven" on earth (see Divine Principle quotes below).
In the Last Days, (a literal angel) Satan will be brought to repentance and become a good angel again and all souls now in Hell will be liberated and restored to Heaven.

The role of Elijah and the role of the messiah

The church's understanding of the mission of Elijah is a key to understanding its conception of the mission of the Messiah.

Elijah had the role of harbinger or forerunner. He was to reveal to Israel and the world the identity of the Messiah, and the person fulfilling this role was slated to work with the Messiah to usher in the kingdom of Heaven.

In particular, John the Baptist was to play the role of Elijah in relation to his kinsman Jesus.

Based on biblical texts (especially in Matthew), the church believes that Jesus was appointed by God to be the Messiah, not only for the Jewish people but for all of humanity.

The prophecies concerning John's ministry ("in the spirit and power of Elijah" and "make ready for the Lord a people prepared") are cited by the church in support of this view. Moon singles out John for intense criticism for failing to provide active support for Jesus and asserts this as the primary reason that the Jewish people did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

Foundation for the Messiah

The Foundation for the Messiah is one of the most important concepts in the Divine Principle, the teaching of the Unification Church.

The Divine Principle explains that in order for fallen people to receive the Messiah and be cleansed of original sin they need to establish a foundation for the Messiah. The course of laying the foundation for the Messiah needs to follow the course which Adam's family should have taken at the beginning of human history.

The foundation for the Messiah consists of two parts. The foundation of faith restores a person, called a central figure, to the position of perfected Adam through making an offering over a set time period. The foundation of substance makes a condition to remove fallen nature by restoring the proper relationship between two central figures, originally Cain and Abel.

The foundation for the Messiah can be established on different levels. The Divine Principle teaches that the conflict between democracy and communism was a part of the foundation of substance on a world level, with democracy being in the position of Abel and communism in the position of Cain.

Rev. Ken Sudo, one of the church's most respected teachers of Divine Principle, said about the foundation for the Messiah on the individual level:

In your insides, we must establish a foundation for the Messiah, in our own insides. This is your portion of responsibility. Otherwise, the Messiah will be here on earth, the Messiah of mankind, but he won't be the Messiah for you. He'll just be a great man. "Oh, he is great." That's all. Just like Hitler. The German people must have felt this way -"He's great; he's powerful." No difference, no big difference. There is no preparation for the Messiah. This is the problem.

Second Coming of Christ

Virtually all Unification Church members consider Father Moon to be the new Messiah. The Unificationist view of the messiah is of a man (or ideally, a married couple) representing God as "True Parent(s)."

In 2002, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification published a message which it says describes a conference at which all the historical founders of all other religions have recently, in heaven, proclaimed Moon's messiahship.

Many other Christians strongly reject such a proclamation, citing the Gospel of John (14:6) in which Jesus of Nazareth states with finality that "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (King James Version)

The Principle of Indemnity

main article: Indemnity (Unification Church)

Indemnity is generally defined as "a restitution for something that was lost due to the fall. Unificationists see an aspect of the universe in terms of debt and payment, like a merchant marketplace. If someone in the past has made a social ethical mistake, according to the Unificationist "absolute love" moral code, God remembers that mistake as a debt that must be paid (indemnified) by someone in the present or future. Misfortune will continue to happen to the family, nation or all of world history until the debt is paid with some kind of suffering or right moral action by a representative agent or agents.

Indemnity can also be a positive thing. By willingly enduring mistreatment (the principle of Indemnity), one can receive God's blessing. The principle seemed, to Unificationists, to be bearing fruit in the 1980s, after Moon served 13 months of an 18-month sentence for tax evasion and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Christian ministers, particularly from the black community, rallied around Moon.

History

History is viewed as God’s attempt to bring about God’s will regarding Adam and Eve. First, a person, group, or nation in the position of Adam must have faith in God and demonstrate that faith in some extraordinary way. Second, another person, group, or nation must follow that person of faith. This condition will enable God to send another person with the mission of Adam. In Unificationist viewpoint, this person is the Messiah.

Jesus

Unificationists view Jesus as the Messiah on the national level. Unificationists believe that Jesus fulfilled the condition of faith that Adam lacked, but that he did not gain a sufficient following during his lifetime to fulfill the condition of substance needed to achieve his ultimate God-given mission of building the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Unificationists believe that, through his death on the cross, Jesus created a condition such that all who believe in him can achieve spiritual salvation and thus be united with him both on earth and beyond. They also view that someone in the position of Adam, or the Messiah, must come again to fulfill the condition of substance. This would be the second coming. The Messiah does not, in Unificationist theology, have any superhuman powers that are not available to anyone with faith. The Messiah can make errors of judgment. Unificationists specifically do not believe that Jesus, or anyone in the position of the Messiah, is God.

Rev. Moon

The majority of Unficationists view Moon as the actual historical Messiah or "Christ of the Second Advent" (See Divine Principle quotes below) and rightful spiritual and political leader of all mankind. He regards his own mission as that of “True Parents,” the parents that Adam and Eve should have become and the true monarch of the literal theocratic "Kingdom of Heaven" on Earth that Jesus should have established.

Political statements in the Divine Principle

The Divine Principle asserts that existing modern democracies have been a necessary, but temporary, stage in history and politics:

How can democracy accomplish its purpose?...We need to understand that democracy was born to undermine satanic monopolies of power for the purpose of God's final providence to restore, by the will of the people, a heavenly sovereignty under the leadership of the returning Christ.

...Thus, in the ideal world, people of God led by Christ will form organizations analogous to today's political parties...

If we are to realize the ideal world of one global family which can honor Christ at the Second Advent as our True Parent, surely our languages must be unified...then he will certainly use the Korean language, which will then become the mother tongue for all humanity.

Bibliography

Daschke, D. and Ashcraft, W. M. 2005, New Religious Movements, New York: New York University Press (ISBN 0814707025). Has a section on the Unification Church which explains church beliefs from a neutral to somewhat critical perspective.

Kim, Y.O., 1975, Unification Theology and Christian Thought, Golden Gate. (ISBN 9995003570).

Introvigne, M., 2000, The Unification Church, Signature Books (ISBN 1560851457). Has a chapter on the Divine Principle. Dr. Introvigne is sympathetic to church members as victims of misunderstanding.

Pobanz, Kerry, The Spirit-Person and the Spirit-World: An Otherdimensional Primer, (HSA Publications, 2001)

Tingle, D. and Fordyce, R. 1979, Phases and Faces of the Moon: A Critical Examination of the Unification Church and its Principles, Hicksville, NY: Exposition Press (ISBN 0682492647). Very critical of the Divine Principle from the viewpoint of mainstream fundamentalist Christianity.

Yamamoto, J. I., 1995, Unification Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House (ISBN 0310703816). Very critical of the Divine Principle but sympathetic to church members.