Unification Church [Paperback]

J. Isamu Yamamoto (Author), Alan W. Gomes (Series Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 16, 2012 | Series: Zondervan Guide to Cults and Religious Movements

The Unification Church and its founder, Dr. Sun Myung Moon, have been in the center of controversy because of their recruiting practices, their financial holdings, and their authoritarian style--including arranged, mass marriages. Most controversial in terms of its teachings in Dr. Moon's claim to be a new Messiah who will finish what Jesus left 'undone.' Is he the Messiah, and is his Diving Principle the third testament of the Bible? Why this series? This is an age when countless groups and movements, old and new, mark the religious landscape in our culture, leaving many people confused or uncertain in their search for spiritual truth and meaning. Because few people have the time or opportunity to research these movements fully, these books provide essential information and insights for their spiritual journeys. All books but the summary volume, Truth and Error, contain five sections: -A concise introduction to the group being surveyed -An overview of the group's theology --- in its own words -Tips for witnessing effectively to members of the group -A bibliography with sources for further study -A comparison chart that shows the essential differences between biblical Christianity and the group -Truth and Error, the last book in the series, consists of parallel doctrinal charts compiled from all the other volumes. -Three distinctives make this series especially useful to readers: -Information is carefully distilled to bring out truly essential points, rather than requiring readers to sift their way through a sea of secondary details. -Information is presented in a clear, easy-to-follow outline form with 'menu bar' running heads. This format greatly assists the reader in quickly locating topics and details of interest. -Each book meets the needs and skill levels of both nontechnical and technical readers, providing an elementary level of refutation and progressing to a more advanced level using arguments based on the biblical text. The writers of these volumes are well qualified to present clear and reliable information and help readers to discern truth from falsehood.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The Unification Church and its founder, Dr. Sun Myung Moon, have been in the center of controversy because of their recruiting practices, their financial holdings, and their authoritarian style--including arranged, mass marriages. Most controversial in terms of its teachings in Dr. Moon's claim to be a new Messiah who will finish what Jesus left "undone." Is he the Messiah, and is his Diving Principle the third testament of the Bible? Why this series? This is an age when countless groups and movements, old and new, mark the religious landscape in our culture, leaving many people confused or uncertain in their search for spiritual truth and meaning. Because few people have the time or opportunity to research these movements fully, these books provide essential information and insights for their spiritual journeys. All books but the summary volume, Truth and Error, contain five sections: -A concise introduction to the group being surveyed -An overview of the group’s theology — in its own words -Tips for witnessing effectively to members of the group -A bibliography with sources for further study -A comparison chart that shows the essential differences between biblical Christianity and the group -Truth and Error, the last book in the series, consists of parallel doctrinal charts compiled from all the other volumes. -Three distinctives make this series especially useful to readers: -Information is carefully distilled to bring out truly essential points, rather than requiring readers to sift their way through a sea of secondary details. -Information is presented in a clear, easy-to-follow outline form with "menu bar" running heads. This format greatly assists the reader in quickly locating topics and details of interest. -Each book meets the needs and skill levels of both nontechnical and technical readers, providing an elementary level of refutation and progressing to a more advanced level using arguments based on the biblical text. The writers of these volumes are well qualified to present clear and reliable information and help readers to discern truth from falsehood.

About the Author

J. Isamu Yamamoto is the author of several books. He is currently the inspirational editor for Publications International, Ltd., and a consulting editor for Christian Research Journal.

Alan W. Gomes (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is associate professor of historical theology and chairman of the department of theology at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (January 16, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310703816
• ISBN-13: 978-0310703815
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,571,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #85 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Occult > Cults & Demonism

More About the Author

J. Isamu Yamamoto is the author of several books. He is currently the inspirational editor for Publications International, Ltd., and a consulting editor for Christian Research Journal.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Helpful, August 6, 2005

By 

thetradeback (new york city) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Unification Church (Paperback)

I took a personal interest in religion this past year and was looking for a book that would help explain the Unification Church to me. The first book I bought was very long and confusing, but this book was great. While it did seem that the followers of the Unificationist Church were being portrayed in a somewhat negative light, I still feel that the history of Reverend Moon and his ideas were well described. A very easy read; I recommend it if you would like to understand and read about the religion, but do not wish to have a dictionary next to you at all times.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A lot of information in a very short book! :), October 6, 2008

By 

Victoria Shephard "Newbirth" (San Francisco Bay Area, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Unification Church (Paperback)

This is is a short book (85 pages), but is well organized and uses an outline form to pack as much information as possible into a small space. This book is just one in a series put out by Zondervan on cults and religious movements.

It starts off with an introduction - historical background on the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, how he started the church, and statistics on the church.

Part 2 is the main part of the book - theology. The book talks about various aspects of Unification theology and how it differs from historical Christianity, using the Bible to refute Moon's teachings. It covers divine revelation, sin, salvation, Christ & the Trinity, resurrection, and heaven & hell.

Part 3 is witnessing tips - how to approach a Unificationist, and what approaches to avoid. Very good suggestions here if you plan on witnessing to a church member.

Part 4 is a bibliography - books for further study, both from the Unification perspective and the Christian perspective.

part 5 is a sort of summary of part 2 - an at-a-glance chart with Unification theology on one side and Bible verses refuting it on the other.

I recommend this book for anyone wanting to know more about the Rev. Moon and his church.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Why Is There A Political Bias in This Series?, July 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Unification Church (Paperback)

I find it interesting that Gomes' book on Unitarian-Universalism contains copious references to our traditions religious views, but this book on the Unification Church does not. I would have liked more discussion of Unificationism's links to Christian Right organisations in the eighties, and the Christian Right relationship to the Washington Times. The section on front groups is inadequate and should be expanded for that reason.

However, I did like aspects of this book. The description of Unificationist doctrine is good, and the author is not afraid to challenge the authoritarianism of the Unification movement. I would ask why the author does not similarly critique elements within his own evangelical tradition that often lead evangelicals and Unificationists to co-belligerency. One other thing- the author does not comment on the fact that most evangelical critiques of the Unification movement are over fifteen to twenty years old, before the Unificationists started their current conservative correctness campaign. I wonder if there is a connection, and why the author does not comment on this?