From the Sea to the Desert: Preserving History in Many Landscapes  Born on the Channel Island of Jersey between England and France, Simon Herbert’s journey has taken him far afield from his original homeland. Raised with his older brother, Paul, Simon loved the many aspects of island living. The ocean was a constant presence and he enjoyed the opportunities that proximity to the water presented; boating, boogie boarding and walks on the beach were frequent past times. While in high school he built his own kayak and added surfing the waves to his water sports.  Simon left Jersey...

A glimpse into the future of education at the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) was on display Monday, June 19 at the Barrytown campus in upstate New York. A day-long seminar was held for the faculty, administration and staff of UTS, at which time the learning management system (LMS) called Canvas by Instructure was introduced. The message is clear and definitive – online learning is very much the future of higher education, and the world of edtech and the virtual classroom is not only here to stay, it continues to evolve and adapt to improve the user experience.  Lisa...

Nothing in this world can take the place of being tenacious. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Tenacity and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”Calvin Coolidge Carol Pobanz (UTS ’80) I graduated from the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) with the Class of 1980, the fourth graduating class. I was invited to attend previous...

On the Path to International Parenthood – An interview with Christine Edwards (UTS’84) Born as a Big Apple baby, Christine’s parents moved from Manhattan, NY to Princeton, New Jersey when Christine was only four. Her mother was from Switzerland and her father, an African American, was from Washington, D.C. The move to Princeton was sparked by a magazine article that Christine’s mother had read which indicated that Princeton was more accepting of interracial couples; that was a motivating factor, as in the late 1950s and early 1960s interracial marriages were often frowned...

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 Advancement and Communication Where else can they go, and what else can they do? Guiding MDiv graduates into fields other than congregational ministry According to the latest findings from the 2015–2016 Graduating Student Questionnaire (Table 24: Position Expected after Graduation...

BARRYTOWN – On Saturday, May 27th, the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) held its 41st annual commencement on the Barrytown campus in upstate New York. Degrees in four fields – Master of Religious Education, Master of Arts in Religious Studies, Master of Divinity, and Doctor of Divinity – as well as two honorary degrees, were conferred by UTS President, Dr. Hugh Spurgin. In a special ceremony, awards were presented to international missionaries from the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) who were assigned by the seminary’s founder, Rev. Sun...

… by Celebrating Islam’s Contributions to the World Religion is the root of culture. We are quite familiar with the contributions the Christian religion has given Western civilization, the architecture, art, music and so forth. However, we may not be so aware of the contributions that Islam has given our world. So, as Muslims begin the month of Ramadan, their holy month of fasting, I would like to take a moment to honor their faith by honoring their contributions to our world. The fact is that many contributions that we think of as Christian would not exist if it were not for...

Things can be difficult when one is born into a family that has a “tradition” to uphold. There are often expectations, standards of behavior and levels of success that may be difficult, if not impossible, to meet. Whether the parent or close relative is an accomplished artist, scholar, athlete or religious leader, comparisons – and accompanying successes or failures – are inevitable. A native of India, and second-year Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) student, Manoranjan Samuel Dennis, is such a person. Samuel, as he prefers to be called, comes from a long line of...