Every topic in traditional Christian theology is a subject of heated debate. Highly respected Protestant and Catholic theologians disagree over the omnipotence of God, the incarnation and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the authority of the Bible, the proper mission of the Church, the goal of history and the nature of the afterlife. Today, just as in the second century, there are so many varieties of the Christian message proclaimed from the pulpit.

In such a confusing situation, Rev. Sun Myung Moon has appeared. Although not a theologian in the technical sense, he claims to clarify ambiguities in the conventional Christian message and points out serious mistakes in traditional theology. With absolute certainty, he asserts that we are living in an age of eschatological expectancy and urgency. Like a Biblical prophet, he proclaims God's special message for our time.

Most Christians reject the narrow-mindedness and bigotry which marred church history. We have learned that Christianity has benefited greatly from Origen as well as Tertullian, Nestorius as well as Cyril of Alexandria, Archbishop Laud as well as the Pilgrim Fathers, Paul Tillich as well as Karl Barth. As Rufus Jones noted, how indebted the Church has been to men once condemned!

It is in this spirit that I have written Unification Theology. This book compares the basic teaching of the Divine Principle by Reverend Moon with that found in theological writings published by mainline denominations.

Hopefully, the reader will see how often this new Korean theology is confirmed by professional theologians in the West. And I feel he would then agree that Reverend Moon's insights have given him a new -- if unexpected -- perspective on Christian faith.

Young Oon Kim, Hudson Valley, July, 1980

JANUARY 17 1990, Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) was granted its absolute charter by the New York State Board of Regents on January 17, 1990. This was the culmination of a fifteen-year struggle with the State of New York since the seminary’s first application. Because of the controversy surrounding the church, the application process was prolonged and UTS was denied in 1978. UTS took the matter to court, claiming discrimination and unfair treatment, narrowly losing a 4-3 decision of the New York State Court of Appeals in 1981. Reapplication for the charter was made in April 1984. On November 21, 1986, the New York State Board of Regents approved by a 12-2 vote the seminary’s provisional charter. UTS petitioned for its absolute charter in May 1989, and this was granted eight months later by a 14-0 vote. Since 1986, UTS was able to grant degrees to its graduates so long as the state approved. From 1990, UTS was able to grant degrees unconditionally.