A Japanese monk holding colored string beads in his hands…he rubs them to make a crackling sound……a venerated bow…and then moves away and walks along the rocky mountain path in the dark carrying a lighted cylindrical lantern.   He is one of those marathon monks of Mt. Hiei and the Buddhist practice of ‘Kaihogyo’ which is a way to clarify the mind and the spirit.  This was the first scene of the movie, “SACRED” and this was our first field trip with our World Religions class taught by Dr. Charles Chesnavage of the Unification Theological Seminary – which offers educational programs in an...

This article is the first in a short series that will explore the field of chaplaincy, introducing UTS alumni who are now working as chaplains.   During the first two decades after the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) was founded (1975) it was attended primarily by students with a background in the Unification Movement, usually at the direct request of the founder, Rev. Sun Myung Moon. Those early students responded faithfully to God’s call, and while many UTS graduates filled pastoral positions post-graduation, other alumni used their education at UTS as a springboard to pursue...

This Fall 2018 semester, World Religions and Global Conflict taught by Professor Charles Chesnavage is a foundation course that introduces students to the complexity of world religions and the conflicts that affect our world today. The students in the class themselves come from diverse faith backgrounds. An excellent class presentation was given in the second week of semester on the cultural and spiritual background of one of the oldest religions in the world today, Hinduism from India. Aside from learning through our own personal experiences, one of the best ways in improving our...

On Thursday, September 6, a new initiative was launched at UTS. Over a catered lunch 6 new students were welcomed to UTS, and a couple more joined the program later. Mrs. Ute Delaney (UTS’10), the UTS registrar, led the orientation session for the newly enrolled cohort participating in the brand new accelerated Master’s program. She remarked that “All the students were engaged and asking intelligent questions. We are there for them and we can solve any issues that come up.”  Academic Dean, Dr. Keisuke Noda and UTS President, Dr. Hugh Spurgin (UTS’77), were also present to welcome...

UTS-Online is entering its second year with online classes beginning Monday, October 8, 2018. The requests for relevant religious and theological education from the worldwide Unification movement gave UTS the opportunity to begin an online program. With the growth of global mobile technology and the development of mobile apps to deliver that education, UTS can now reach hundreds and even thousands of students around the globe with its unique brand of “bridging religious and cultural divides” empowering a new generation of students.  This outreach goes well beyond the immediate...

NEW YORK – Starting next Wednesday, September 5, at the 4 W. 43rd Street campus of the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS), The Rev. Dr. Chris J. Antal (UTS‘04), a staff chaplain in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), will offer the first of four seminars that make up the Community Clergy Training Program (CCTP) to educate those in faith-based communities of the need for outreach to veterans. The program is offered on the first four Wednesdays of the month – September 5, 12, 19 and 26 – and will run from 10 A.M. to 1 P.M. The training, which was launched...

BARRYTOWN, NY –  Often when we meet someone with an unusual name we have an expectation that that person should be somewhat, well… unusual.This is certainly true of Denneze Nelson (UTS’99), a second-year Doctor of Ministry (DMin) student at the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) who was given the unusual spelling of her name by the French doctor who delivered her in her native Guyana, spelling it that way on her birth certificate. It wasn’t until years later when she was in school that her teacher informed her that the spelling of her name wasn’t what she believed it to be, but...

”She’ll be right, mate!” is an oft used expression from the “Land Down Under” which exemplifies the Australian spirit of optimism. Few people better express that “Can do! Things will work out!” spirit better than David Ryan, UTS class of ’85. Born in Melbourne, Australia, David was raised in a brood of eleven siblings. His parents, who met and married during World War II, were faithful members of the Roman Catholic faith, and escorted their children to Mass every week.  David attended Monash University in Melbourne where he earned a degree in economics and politics. “When I...

BARRYTOWN – The month of August is shaping up to be one of the busiest months ever at the Barrytown Conference Center on the campus of the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) located in upstate New York. Six separate events are scheduled, with the possibility of a seventh that could take place at the end of the month. The action starts even a few days earlier, however, when the Empire State Riders (ESR) make their annual pilgrimage to the area and spend a night camped out in tents on the UTS Barrytown grounds. Every year the Riders begin their week-long ride in lower Manhattan...