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The Divine Principle or Exposition of the Divine Principle (in Korean, Wolli Kangron) is the main theological textbook of the Unification Church. It was co-written by church founder Sun Myung Moon and early disciple Hyo Won Eu and first published in 1966. A translation entitled Divine Principle was published in English in 1973. The book 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.[1]
Contents |
Structure and contents
Divine Principle follows systematic theology in its structure: God's creation, the human fall, human redemption.[2] It 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
Part 1: Creation, fall, and theological concepts
The Principle of Creation
God is viewed as the creator, whose nature combines both masculinity and femininity, and is the source of all truth, beauty, and goodness. Human beings and the universe reflect God's personality, nature, and purpose.[3]
"Give-and-take action" (reciprocal interaction) and "subject and object position" (initiator and responder) are "key interpretive concepts", and the self is designed to be God's object.[4] The "four-position foundation" is "another important and interpretive concept",and explains in part the emphasis on the family.[5]
Returning resurrection
Returning resurrection is a theological concept of the Unification Church explained in the Divine Principle. It posits that departed souls can expiate their sins and achieve spiritual growth by "returning" to earth and cooperating with living people to good deeds.[6] The text cites a scripture justifying the concept: "Apart from us they may not be made perfect".[7]
Unification Church theologian Young Oon Kim explained that returning resurrection is not the same as reincarnation. She emphasized that failure to make the distinction has led many dead people to try to "reincarnate", but wound up only possessing other people - to their mutual detriment.[8]
Part 2: History of restoration
The Principle of Indemnity
Indemnity, as explained in the Divine Principle, is a part of the process by which human beings and the world are restored back to God's ideal.[9]
Notes
- ^ Korean Moon: Waxing of Waning?, Leo Sandon Jr., Theology Today, Vol 35, No 2, July 1978, "The movement's official doctrinal statement, and a part of the revelation, is the Divine Principle. Both an oral tradition and a written one and published in several versions, Divine Principle is the Completed Testament. The Rev. Moon claims to have come not to destroy or abrogate the Old and New Testaments, but to fulfill them-to "complete" them. To his Moonist followers, the Rev. Moon is primarily "true father," probably the Messiah, and only secondarily a theologian. In an effort to systematize Moon's teachings, several members of the Unification Church in Korea have put together a developing theological system in Divine Principle which is impressive in its imaginativeness, coherence, and consistency, if not in its Christian orthodoxy. As the most complete expression of Moonist teachings to date, Divine Principle is the basic text of the Unification Church.4 The two major divisions of the system are the doctrines of Creation and Restoration. There are many subsets to these major divisions, but Creation and Restoration are the foci for the Moonist theological system."
- ^ "Divine Principle...is a systematic theology that presents a view of God and the world, of human nature, and of the human fall from the original perfection of creation. Divine Principle speaks to the purpose of history and categorizes historical periods in relation to their struggle to restore their creation to perfection. It also puts forth Moon's interpretation of the Second Advent." Mary Farrell Bednarowski, 1995, New Religions and the Theological Imagination in America, Indiana University Press, pp.9-10 ISBN 0253209528.
- ^ Sontag(1977) p102
- ^ Sontag(1977) p107
- ^ Sontag(1977) p108
- ^ "The Providence of Resurrection for Spirits", Chapter 5: Resurrection, Exposition of the Divine Principle, HSA-UWC, 1996 (ISBN 0-910621-80-2).
- ^ Divine Principle analyzes as follows: "All these [saints of the Old Testament Age], though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised [permission to enter the Kingdom of Heaven], since God had foreseen something better [the Kingdom of Heaven] for us [earthly people], that apart from us they [spirits] should not be made perfect [citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven]. (Hebrews 11:39-40)" "The Returning Resurrection of the Spirits of Israelites and Christians", Chapter 5: Resurrection, Exposition of the Divine Principle, HSA-UWC, 1996 (ISBN 0-910621-80-2).
- ^ Divine Principle and its application[page needed]
- ^ Yamamoto, J. 1995, Unification Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Press, ISBN 0310703816 "The doctrine of indemnity. Indemnity is that which people do to restore themselves to God's kingdom. Young Oon Kim describes it this way: 'We atone for our sins through specific acts of penance.' Kwang-Yol Yoo, a Unification teacher, even goes so far as to say that by following the Divine Principle, 'man's perfection must be accomplished by his own effort without God's help.' God does most of the work, but people must still do their part in order to achieve God's plan of salvation: 'Five percent is only to say that man's responsibility is extremely small compared to God's.' "p35 "The doctrine of indemnity is not biblical. 'In simple language.' states Ruth Tucker, 'indemnity is salvation by works.' Bob Larson makes a distinction between Moon's doctrine and biblical theology, saying, 'Moon's doctrine of sinless perfection by "indemnity [forgiveness of sin by works on Moon's behalf], which can apply even to deceased ancestors, is a denial of the salvation by grace offering through Jesus Christ.' 'Farewell,' said John Calvin. 'to the dream of those who think up a righteousness flowing together out of faith and works.'" p40
References
- Sontag, Fredrick (1977). Sun Myung Moon and the Unification Church. Abingdon. ISBN 0687406226.
Further reading
- Daschke, D. and Ashcraft, W. M. 2005, New Religious Movements, New York: New York University Press (ISBN 0814707025)
- Kim, Y.O., 1975, Unification Theology and Christian Thought, Golden Gate. (ISBN 9995003570)
- Introvigne, M., 2000, The Unification Church, Signature Books (ISBN 1560851457)
- 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)
External links
- Exposition of the Divine Principle, HSA-UWC, 1996 (ISBN 0-910621-80-2).
- Divine Principle in Plain Language, 2006 (ISBN 0-975316-44-3).
- The Way of God's Will
- "Divine Principle", Article in Unification Church sponsored encyclopedia.
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