On May 26th the annual meeting of Unification Theological Seminary’s alumni and friends took place in the Derbyshire Dales, part of the Peak district in central England. This was the 15th such occasion, and brought together 20 first and second generation Unificationists, from a range of academic and professional backgrounds, to present and discuss a number of topics under the theme of ‘Truth or Authority’.  Two presentations were given in each of three sessions, followed by a question and discussion period. The sessions were punctuated by refreshment breaks, a magnificent buffet lunch...

Few things in life can heighten a person’s sense of self-efficacy as much as landing a monster fish. During the summer of 1981 several dozen students from the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS)  participated in Ocean Church in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Pairs of seminarians joined with a captain and first mate on a 28-foot Good-Go Boat. After the first day on the water, a “still, small voice” said to me, “You’ll catch a tuna tomorrow.” The next day we landed a 927-pound giant bluefin tuna. Catching this creature from the deep taught me an important life lesson about being in the...

New York City – It’s the end of school days at Unification Theological Seminary (UTS). We are in the home-stretch, gasping for oxygen in the last two weeks of the semester; we are overwhelmed by the school work and final exams. As I write, it’s my third day of no socializing, locked at home to finish school work. Meanwhile, my classmate Muriel flies the American skies from New York to Hawaii and back for work, and she tells me she is doing her homework in flight.  Last week, I told my Church History professor, Dr. Michael Mickler, that my essay on the two movies about the Third...

NEW YORK – On Saturday, May 26th, the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) will hold its forty-second Commencement for the Class of 2018 at its midtown Manhattan campus located at 4 W. 43rd Street. Friends and alumni of UTS are invited to the Commencement Exercises which begin at 2 P.M.  This year’s Commencement Address will be given by Dr. Ki Hoon Kim, Continental Chair, Family Federation (FFWPU). Sixteen students will receive Masters degrees:  Master of Religious Education (M.R.E.), Master of Arts (M.A.) in Religious Studies or Master of Divinity (M.Div.), while three...

After considerable prayer, thought, discussion and due diligence, the UTS Board of Trustees has directed the UTS administration to sell the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) property in Barrytown, NY. The trustees, who have fiduciary responsibility for the institution, came to this difficult decision with a heavy heart. UTS is no longer able to pay what it costs to maintain the property, while simultaneously fulfilling its educational mission in a changing world. In reviewing the financial situation, the trustees determined that it is best to invest the Seminary’s limited resources to...

Jenny Symon lived an adventurous roaming life for many decades before finally settling down in Anchorage, Alaska – a long way from her birthplace of Australia. Her parents were originally from New Zealand so Jenny’s early life found her shifting between the two countries. After spending her early life in Australia, at 16 she returned to New Zealand where she earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Otago in Dunedin. She took a degree in psychology, and although it was to be useful in the future, she didn’t immediately know what she wanted to do in terms of a career. Jenny...

BARRYTOWN – It’s not often that our dreams and desires melt seamlessly into the ever-changing patterns of the universe in which we live. When it does happen, we realize it’s not our actions alone that have brought about this most-favored result, but forces beyond our grasp – or control – that have conspired to bring about the end result. Such is the case with Dr. Abdou Gaye, a 1997 graduate of the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) with a Masters of Religious Education (MRE) degree, and a 2016 graduate of the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program. He has been teaching...

The Applied Unificationism Blog was founded five years ago on May 1, 2013 and is a blog hosted by the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS). Its purpose is to explore the application of Unificationism to the wider world, but also occasionally posts significant articles on theology. It generally posts a new commentary article every Monday. The Applied Unificationism Blog is broadly read by Unificationists in the U.S., as well as in Europe, Korea and Japan. One major leader termed it, “the best thing out there,” referring to its focus and discussion of how to apply Unificationist...

NEW YORK – One of the most popular classes this semester at the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) New York City campus is a new course being taught by Dr. Frank Kaufmann (UTS’79) entitled: “Interfaith Peacebuilding and the United Nations” (UN).  Designed as an “intensive,” the course covers the content of the program in five weeks instead of the usual 15 weeks, with each class lasting for nine hours. Each class is broken up into two halves; usually classroom meetings in the morning and afternoon visits arranged to meet with different UN and Non-Governmental Organizations...