NEW YORK~ On Saturday May 25th, the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) held its forty-third Commencement at the midtown New York City campus located in the 4W43 Building. Many friends, family and alumni gathered to celebrate the graduation and accomplishments of the Class of 2019. The commencement exercises were followed by a catered reception All attendees were handed a program in which the words of the UTS Founders were featured prominently to introduce the spirit and vitality of the proud graduates and the whole event itself. “The Seminary is not a place or a building; it is...

Congratulations to the UTS class of 2019, and congratulations to our Unification Theological Seminary on its 43rd commencement ceremony. Forty-three years ago, our Seminary’s co-founders, Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, led the first UTS commencement. The number “forty-three” has an important spiritual significance. From a Biblical perspective, it signifies separation from evil. In Exodus 12:40-41, it is written, “The length of time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the...

UTS administrators often attend Association of Theological Schools (ATS) events. Experience shows that it is important for UTS to stay current with the conversations which are part of the theological landscape in North America. UTS has affiliate status with ATS Robin James Graham, UTS Director of Institutional Advancement Women in Leadership survey: what we found may not be what you think The Association of Theological Schools (ATS) recently held a 20th anniversary celebration of its work in the Women in Leadership (WIL) initiative, and ATS staff shared findings from a...

The Journal of Unification Studies is a forum for committed engagement with Unification theology and practice, published annually by the Unification Theological Seminary. Its articles address concerns of the theological community and the professional ministry, as well as contemporary social, cultural, political, scientific and economic issues, from a Unificationist perspective.In addition, the Journal promotes dialogue and understanding by presenting papers from diverse viewpoints that engage Unification theology and practice. A recent poll shows that a growing number of young people...

Although you might think that Mother’s Day was initiated by Hallmark, it was not motivated by commercialism but from women’s peace groups. In 1868, Ann Jarvis– mother of Anna Jarvis – created a committee to establish a “Mother’s Friendship Day.” The purpose was to reunite families that had been divided during the Civil War. When the Civil War broke out, Ann Jarvis called together women to pledge that friendship and good will would not be a casualty of the war. In a remarkable display of courage and compassion, the women nursed soldiers from both sides and saved many lives...

Passover is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the escape of the Israelites from ancient Egypt. A feature of Passover is a ritual meal or “seder” that refers to the very specific order which features different types of food for the purpose of telling the story of Passover. On April 22  a wonderful Passover service was conducted in the Oak Room of UTS, by Dr. Andrew Wilson, himself Jewish, and Professor of Scriptural Studies and Director of Scriptural Research. Dr. Wilson was ably assisted by Yael Kafir Zuker, an Israeli student at UTS. Those attending felt the sacredness of the meal...

At the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) New York City Campus at 4W43 St, the speaker programs and weekly chapel services have now been enhanced by the addition of a keyboard. UTS alumnus, Sam Dennis (UTS’18) was given the keyboard by the First Central Baptist Church, Staten Island NY. First Baptist is the Church of Dr. Demetrius Carolina, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Ministry at UTS. Since graduating with a Master of Arts in Religious Studies in 2018, Sam has been working on his OPT (Optional Practical Training) with UTS and the First Baptist Church. Sam says, “For Dr. Carolina...

Easter Week: Monday,15 April 2019. Evening 6:20 pm Notre-Dame,Paris, caught fire and subsequently the roof and spire were consumed by flames in a blaze which lasted 9 hours. The construction of Notre-Dame mostly ran from 1160 to 1260. Caroline Bruzelius suggests Bishop Maurice de Sully initiated work on this new cathedral but substantial work remained including the construction on the flying buttresses which were completed by Raymond du Temple around 1363.[1] The buttresses countered the weight of the roof which pressed downward and outward to the walls so buttresses allowed higher,...

Once again, the world is witness to horrific violence against a particular religious community.  After mourning the suffering inflicted upon Jews in Pittsburgh and Muslims in Christchurch, on Sunday April 21, the peace of Easter was shattered by the horrendous bombings in Sri Lanka. Around 250 Christians were killed and hundreds were injured as they celebrated this holy day. As a seminary community, we offer prayers of comfort. Our hearts go out to the dead and wounded.  We offer our condolences to family members and friends who lost their loved ones.   In...