Unification Theological Seminary Inaugural Convocation Address - Original document

5apl. a-o J 19 76 . VNJ FICATIOH Ti-EOUlGIC/,L s;::.1;;/.. RY• Inoueural C0r.vo r.ation A1~ress by Sun l•~ng ~’.oon

Honorable ~2.yor of Red Hoor:, cistincui s ~i:’.! Q.:e!;ts, re~pectcd i:e:7.i:-:c.:-:: facu)ty and st~dents, ladies and g~:1tl e~e n:

It is :::y t.trr.ost pleasure to ex4..e:1J T’J:f •.-::.:-:~e.:;: ,:e lc::’.7:e to ell of ye-:. prese:1t thj s n,orning at the Inaui;ural Co:r,ocation of o·.1::-- ‘Jnification D: -:-~ l oc: col Se:-:iinaty.

·I deeply appreciate your comin~ here. I feel honore~ espe:i~lly beca~ s e to my knc·«ledge the e.ttendants he::--e are, wi tho.:: exceritio:1, tr.cse ,:ho r. 2.·, e been greatly concerned about the Unification Cir-1:’c:-,. \•:e have · recently had the close atte:-:tion of the A~erican society <l:-a·,,n to us, c.nd the t:n,eserved encouragE;;;-::nt and support from m&…ny of you jus:i!”ied. anci stre:-.sther.eci oi.;r work.

As the founder of the Sc!llinary, I \.,ant to assu::-e you that .:e ,-: ill do our very best to repay your frien:iship a•id i;:>o-:i will to·,:a,d us. 1-’.a:,- O’..l!’ mutual relntionship be a lasting one in the divine will of C-vd!

In history there have ~een philosophies and religicus do:t~incs wor~ing in the backgrounds of politics, economics, t~e erts and religior.. TTever:he- _lezs, the reality is that they are all stale~ated, resulting ir. con~usion and chaos, without ha\~ng brought about the realiza:icn of tteir pro~ised ideal ,,orlds. -

Faced with this stalemate, :people are tu::-1ir.g in en:ry direction in search of SOT:i-:!One to take up the .;auntlet fo: all :pi:orle and pioneer a ne·…· -.:ay for hcr.:c>.:iity, s+:.rai[:1tenir.5 ar:d gui.:i:.r,~ ~.:1-~ir direc:.ion tc·..:arcis a c::.car ~~d ac~i~vcble eoal. ·

11 T’ne people cry in uniso:1, “So:.1etr.ing is c!espe::--a:.ely w1·0:1g! We have tried every possible ..·ay to diai;ncse a.’1ci ct:.:e the sic:-rnesz in society. \,;e have finally concluied that the cat:.se of tr.~ s:c~!’lcZS is a~ inte,r.al c!isfase a.’”ld not extc:rr.3.1. By hav-:ng emphasize:! tte extcrr.al eleI!:~:its, ;;e r.ave lo~t the i:,trinsic er.d cct,tral elerr.e”lt of our e:.<:.stence. We c.re left ..,,i tr:o·.!t r.ore .

. · What is ti:e ::.r.trir.sic a~d c-?:,tra::l el=::.•:-!’lt ·,:i:i::-i r..a!’l lest? If ·..·e go c.ad: to ·t’::e very be5innine, \,e C:!::. re:::.iil:; ..:r. .:ersta~::: t:-.at, t.r.~ f:-eatest ca·.1:;e of the sickt~iesp is tho.t r.:c>.r: lost vo:i, ·.. ho jz tl:e ve:·y source of his life. With the loss of God., ttan le.s t d.;ht:· c!’ ‘..~.e :c.bsc!.·. :te vali..e a?1d the focal poir.t of li!’c.

Redlscovery of God, e!:tablisr.r.-.cnt of tlle fathE:r-son relationshlp bet-..-ecn God end l:lc.!1 and the re:a.:r::-ection of di vine love the.t Wf!’ ei:; t~e sons enci ci~u~~- ters to God our Father invite ‘t:ac:k into OU!” r:eo.rts - these should be 1:.:::.de l;utr,an condi tio!’ls tO”.,:ard ul ti1ta toe peace and t,c.p_;-iness. We c:an turn no,:iH;re but , to !”eligi on for the r.rcat rc·,olution of h·.:..~;a:1 consciousness. ·

, ~ I -~ “” : I )

Jnnugurul Convocation Speech Sun Myuns l·’.oon Pa;e ‘I’-.,o

1,ct r.,e d:.iringly say that Unification Th~clcgy •--ill surel:, c.ccc::-.pl::.s:, :i-: ~ task, Only r.u.”:-.:i.n wi~dcm centered on God e.lcne ;.ould e~able o:-.’1 to ::-.C.:-:e t.~.c right dccisicn and ~nthusis.:;ti.cally participate in this i;::-eat c:i.t.:se.

Disti:ic…:.is~,ed a:1d ccp::.ble profcssc-rz of high caliber ;.rill te •,;ith t.:s teachinr, th,:, 50-<1enc!-picke:i s~u der.Ls •.-ho ere ;.rell prerc.rcc! ..-j ::: t ·~ :.in;: enthusiasm. It is i:y t~c:se -;,-~ l e t.~nl. the Se::-.ine1ry ‘Jill te ir.i ::c.:e::~ Jn other words, I an not the fou;-ider of the Unificc:.tion T.1eolof::..cal ~e::i:.c..:-:,· after ell, but rather the founders are these stucie:1ts •,.-1:o i!::-e te:-e cefo:-e t.:s. The Semin.:.ry is not a place or buildine;; it is !.~~·~-.1:”-E”r.,l-e ·~·t::, c..:-e ei::u::..-::::e:::. with the spi!”it and ideal given cy God th:-ct.:f;!! t,;;-,ific2.:io:1 TI-.eolc~. - ·- . ~ ~

We must change our direction from th~tabli~d- t’h’1o:ogies .:hie:-. c.re deprived of life and spirit and turn to a new theology ‘with a d:,’T.E::ic \”i ·~al.: t andAlife ~~~ in which Gog would directly participate. ~• our :ec..rn:~ 5 it thoroughly and having the logos incarnated in ourselves we will sure~· be ebl to b·ciild great personalities, making it possible to best cse t’he ecc_-.1:.::-ec ice~ and kncwledt;e in accordance with God’s will. You ~-eifl:.-y sr.a.ll r.ot cnly 9€--abl-e-te- practice what you have learned but:/also ::a}:e it a ,J;:a!”t of ye.:.: daily lives.

Armed, upon 6raduation, with a capacity for creative lec.ie:-sr.ip: ~…e-cc titut:.:?nt-e-; I a:!; sure: ·tll!. be able ~o l!S)ler in a r.ew ,,,o:-lc o! a r.ic:’.r:e:- c.:.?:.e:-.s i ?..ft.e-r 1 ·r~:1,c,·,’1~ soci e·..;:;’ s vi c:.ous !” oc i al vices ..

Ar,r i::ducat!.0na~. insti:.u~e c~· gre1aur.te ~evcl is, in itseJ..:”’, a ::iniat-..:.::-e society ir, f.11 e:-,br:’.:-r.ic state and is being m:rtt.:red lit:!? a ::-a’::y ~ i!’: it~ . m,.)ther’:; ·.:o~b. ‘:·h-c:1 efore-, 1JntE future dayE \,’{“..-er. ::-::>u will i:-::~i:1 y~t:!” li·f’”e “ii soc-iet.:y, yo·~ must invest. all yo..u- en1::rt:,’ an:i :.i::e in st-..:.iyinb e.:-.1 t::-2.ir:::..ng yo~rself to be capable !’:laster builders of the ideal world in confo:-::ii ty ·.,”i th God’s rill. Brilliant” deeds and results acc·1!r.ulated with cur blooc, s·..·ec. t ·. and tears will provide excellent answers to the n~erous s~e?tics ~ho ~~estic us now. ~

J•!ore ,than in any other educationa~ 17s titu~e, to_ tea.ch an~ s~u:!:i• in_ ~::e whe:-e men c:.d -.:c~en e?”- p1od:Jcc.:i “tiho w:H,4 co:1tr2.’t:ute 1n establ 7st:r.g a:; 1-:.eal w.:>rld under God. is ~u!”ely ,.-:-,at ·..-ould :ple2se Cod ar.c zr,ake z::an happy. T:-.is is a sacred tfsk well worthy of a hard struggle. ,

Theref.:>rE:, I sin.:c:!”cly hop-:! that the professo::-s a.,c students of t’h~ Unification ‘:heolutiical Seminary wouJ.d, as the na::.e ir.,plies, be c::i ted. into harmonious oneness ~o tr.at the whole institute ..,_.511 have sound grc·..-t.b es a · living oq;anism, tln.. s securel..v establishing a solid”fm.ir,da.tion·,a:,d £ shi::i:-:g tradition in the Princ~ple to be it~erited by futuie -generations of st~d~~ts.

, Unification Tneology is God’s ideoloe:y: God’s philosophy and God’s do-::- trine; c.nd the Unification The-:>locical Sr::ninary will be the very a?”enc:. ,,·here you -will practice the k.1,0.,..-ledce and ideal you acqt.:ire h~re. Cor.se~uE-ntly,

Jnau5Ur~l Cor,\·ocation SFe::ech Sun l·~ni; :,:oon Po~~ Three

you arc g~::.~~ to build a miniature Kingdo~ of God riGht here in our Sc~i~a..:-/ accordi;;c to C-.:d ‘s p,ovic.L~ntial blu r:? ,-; nt.

We -..·ill ~-::;•;a:-:li~!”: c. nc·,: worlc: .:,f \,~.i:’: e 1 cu”’..:urc -,;ith the Orient a:id Occ~J~nt intc:::-~:~~, t~~s t::-a:15c.~~ji::; r.a:i~:.al boundaries, racial disc::-i~i- r.ation .?.:.d t~1e [;·~r.eration gap, thus enablir..; t:·, e reaE;:ation of t:-ie eart:-.1:,· Kir.[dor., cf Go~. …,.-’.; e:-e one -..·orld and one hu..-:-.an fa.’!lily will at )~st be the reality,

Hith tr.::.s great mission of vast ilr,portance ahe·~ct, it is natu:-al tl·,2.t we anticipate .’ in tne futi.u-e .- cou’ritle::;s di ffi cul ties e.:,d r.ardsh.ip!;·. Ho•,,e:-.·e::-, your stror.g faith a:id conquering spirit ·,rill more t:-:c.n overco1c.e all of tr..:·rr., · finally reapir.i; the Yictory you are e:.ti tl<:d. ~.

Ir. this ~’~:1S.:? I str~r.rly believe t:,at. th •.:: In:.:.u:-urc.l Com·oc.?.:ion of ‘.,ne Unification T:: , .:>loficl:.l Sc:::-.inary tojay i::; tr,e ~.ayi:i{; of the c:.!-r,erstone of the earthly Kincdo~ cf God.

I am n;cs t. h’.!.’ll.::>ly e:r2.teful tc God.

:-.:~y God a:)ur.da:-: tly blt!ss Jou, th•.: ~e::i::.na!”y: its Fdcul ty and s tu:ients ! The:--..!! you+--7--• ··