Recently,
I read parts of George Chryssides book, The
Advent of Sun Myung Moon, which explores the new religious movement of the
Unification Church. Founded in South Korea in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon, the book
provides insight into religious beliefs and practices of the church and attempts
to represent the church in an unbiased manner and without judgment. Although
the Unification Church’s beliefs are based upon the Bible, traditional Korean elements
have been infiltrated into this modern religion. In the Unification Church, the
creation of the ideal family is produced through the Blessing ceremony in which
members become loyal subjects and is married into Sun Myung Moon’s family (Chryssides,
1991). This is similar to Confucianism, as at the centre is the family due to
the belief that in order to reform society good family relationships were essential.
Shamanistic characteristics are demonstrated in the indemnity ceremony in which
the husband and wife beach other ceremoniously to force Satan out (Chryssides,
1991). This is derived from the shaman wedding ceremony ritual in which the
bride and groom beat each other to expel evil spirits (Chryssides, 1991). The
Unification Church has created a religion that fits within the expectations of
the Western world and adheres to some Christian values but still maintains the
traditions of the east.
Source: Chryssides,
George D. 1991. The Advent of Sun Myung
Moon. London: Macmillan.
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