On Saturday, January 17, a historic gathering took place at HJI’s campus at 481 Eighth Avenue in NYC, as HJI and FFWPU USA joined forces to host a profound celebration honoring Imboni Radebe—Founder of the Revelation Spiritual Home and recipient of the 2025 Sunhak Peace Prize Founder’s Award.
The atmosphere was one of warmth and significance, bringing together leaders from WFWP, UPF, ACLC, YSP, and allied networks to celebrate a unique intersection of spiritual leadership, scholarship, and global peacebuilding.
Introducing the Publication of The Revelation Spiritual Home
The Revelation Spritual Home is Available at Cambrige.org and Available on Amazon
The event celebrated the first major scholarly examination of The Revelation Spiritual Home, a work that brings African spiritual traditions into the center of the global conversation. The Revelation Spiritual Home was published by Cambridge University Press, and authored by Massimo Introvigne, Founder of Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), and Rosita Šorytė, CESNUR. Šorytė shared the moving history of Radebe’s journey as a visionary leader:
“[Radebe] became Imboni—the seer, the voice of the nation, the one who listens to the ancestors and interprets their messages for the people… Radebe insists that Africans do not have a religion, they have spirituality.”
Dr. Masimo Introvigne followed:
“We were not just looking at a new religious movement… we were looking at a profound reclamation of identity… showing how indigenous traditions are not static relics of the past, but living, breathing forces.”
Rev. Demian Dunkley, President FFWPU North America, emphasized the weight of this publication:
“For African spirituality to be studied this carefully, this respectfully, and published at that level means that the world will begin to pay attention… faith deserves to be documented, not just practiced, but documented and protected.”
Tributes throughout the morning painted a picture of a leader whose authority is rooted in humility. Letters of congratulations arrived from across the globe. Dr. Ki Hoon Kim, Chairman of WCLC, wrote:
“Your leadership in African spiritualism is monumental… May heaven’s blessings be with you for this high honor. It is well-deserved.”
From Zimbabwe, Professor Joseph Maparisa added:
“[The book] represents a meaningful contribution to global religious studies. It affirms the growing recognition of African spiritual traditions within serious academic discourse and highlights the importance of engaging religion through research, documentation, and intellectual dialogue.”
In a moving address Imboni Radebe shared:
“Spiritual identity is very important. You can lose all other identities but not your spiritual identity, because it is your spiritual identity that connects you to your roots of who you are…African indigenous spirituality is not a religion. It does not have dogma nor does it even have scripture… It’s revealed rather than scripted. Does the scripture not say the word kills, but spirit gives life?…African indigenous spirituality carries Ubuntu: I am because you are. We have no business in fighting anybody. It’s unity. It’s love. It’s togetherness.”
Dr. Michael Jenkins, Vice President of UPF International, commended Imboni Radebe for his extraordinary support of Dr. Hak Ja Han’s mission. He noted that their unified leadership is reshaping the landscape of religious freedom and interfaith cooperation across Africa and beyond.
Dr. Taj Hamad, President of UPF International, shared a personal testimony highlighting Imboni Radebe’s courageous and spiritually-attuned recognition of Mother Han’s divine role. Dr. Hamad concluded by praising the authors for their honesty in tackling controversial topics and their efforts to promote coexistence through deep comprehension
Conferral of the Honorary Doctorate in Sacred Theology Honoris Causa: IMboni uZwi-leZwe Radebe
Dr. Thomas Walsh, President of HJI, conferred the Honorary Doctorate in Sacred Theology (Honoris Causa) upon Imboni Radebe recognizing a lifetime of accomplishments and leadership.
During Imboni Radebe’s acceptance speech he shared:
“The era of ignorance is gone; this is the time of spirituality and intelligence…Education today often lacks substance and spirituality… We have opened a university in [Johannesburg,] Africa whose foundational teachings will be based on spirituality, and we will partner with HJI. Through this partnership, we will produce graduates who are both earthly educated and spiritually rich, possessing both empathy and wisdom.”
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