Gratitude A sense of gratitude and indebtedness to others is an important wellspring of a generous and virtuous life. All people can recognize that they are indebted to their parents, who gave them birth and raised them at considerable sacrifice. But our indebtedness extends much further than that. Fundamentally, we are indebted to God our Creator and the powers of nature that nourish and sustain our life. Then, since the food we eat travels from the soil to our dining table by passing through many hands–that cultivate, harvest, clean, package, transport, sell, and prepare...

Four women representing the town government, clergy, family services, education and Carol Pobanz (UTS’80) representing Universal Peace Federation “peace projects” met almost weekly, developing the initial plan and preparing the application to be recognized as an International City of Peace (ICP). Carol was asked to create the initial proposal, then the women worked collaboratively to generate the final document outlining the vision, purpose, mission and goals. For Carol this has been a godsend; Nutley is her hometown. The “ladies team” was delighted to receive the following note on...

UTS Maryland student, Renaira Purnell-Young was married this semester to Mr. Keith McBrown on September 15th in Baltimore. Certainly a unique way to begin the Fall semester. From beginning to end, there was a great deal of love and support from all sides. The bridal party arrived early so that the groom would not see the bride until the ceremony. Upon the arrival of the bride, there was a flurry of activity as everyone from the makeup artist and seamstress to the guests supporting her were there, ready and excited to help Renaira get ready. The rest of the bridal party and family arrived...

Housed in 4W43, home to many non-profits, the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) is immersed in the not-for-profit culture. Students have attended events hosted by those non-profits or have engaged in dialogue with dynamic organizations like New York Disaster Interfaith Services, Chhandayan, Peace Club, The Muslim Center, and The Family Church of NYC. UTS is also “immersed” in the heart of New York City and NYC is home to the United Nations (UN). UTS is located just off 5th Ave., just a 17-minute walk from the UN Headquarters on the East Side. This proximity has made it possible for...

The mission of UTS is to provide a quality theological education for a new generation who will provide leadership in a troubled world.  The value of UTS will be measured by how effective our seminary has been in providing tools for your success in ministry, professional life and interpersonal relationships. During your studies, you will learn that the path to personal integrity consists of practicing what the founders of our seminary call “true love,” which means forming a meaningful relationship with God and all people.  By manifesting “true love”, we can help to create...

I am full of grief over the horrendous murders of 11 worshipers at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the deadliest attack ever on Jews in the United States. An attack on one religious community is an attack on all of us. Each and every person, whether Christian, Jew, Muslim or atheist, is a child of God and beloved by God.   The value of a human life is supreme, as the Jewish scriptures state, “If any man has caused a single soul to perish, Scripture imputes it to him as though he had caused the whole world to perish, and if any man saves alive a single soul, Scripture...

Kinda-Manegda Theophile Zongo is from Burkina Faso. Born and raised in Ouagadougou (the capital of Burkina Faso), he is the fifth of seven children. Zongo tells us, “I’m from the Mossi ethnic group. We are Catholics but a large number of the family are still proudly following our ancestral beliefs. Coming from a modest family, I already realized that only studies can help me to realize my life. I earned my Baccalaureate degree, which is a French high-school diploma. After that, I went to the Université de Ouagadougou where I earned my Bachelor degree in Administration Law and my Master...

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 Mapping the workforce: What Competencies do ATS Alums need? Last year, as part of the Educational Models Workforce Mapping project, ATS conducted a first-of-its-kind study on alums from ATS schools. It surveyed 940 alums from 42 representative schools...

How does Islam advocate for interfaith dialogue, peace, tolerance and understanding? On Thursday August 30th, the third in a series of monthly interfaith dialogues took place. The first two dialogues tackled the Bahá’í and Mormon faiths. First and foremost, the topic of Islam is an appropriate topic because, this semester, UTS is currently offering an online class on Islam taught by Dr. Drissa Koné. This course introduces the tradition of Islam from an authentic perspective such as the life of Muhammad, the Qur’an, central beliefs and traditions, schools of jurisprudence, the...