Dr. Michael Mickler to Speak on “Lessons Learned from Early Christianity for Unificationists”

Dr. Michael Mickler, Distinguished Professor of Historical Studies at Unification Theological Seminary, will speak on “Lessons Learned from Early Christianity for Unificationists” as part of the Higher Purpose Forum (HPF) “Next Spiritual Awakening” series, which explores the Unification Movement in the context of U.S. providential history.

The program will be held Saturday, January 21 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm EST via Zoom, and will be hosted by Dr. Robert Beebe, UTS Class of 2000.

Dr. Mickler’s presentation will outline what the Unificationist community can learn from the story of the Early Christian Church, which began as an uneducated band of Galileans who briefly followed Jesus Christ to become the greatest spiritual movement in history. His presentation will identify five lessons from Christianity’s early experience relevant to challenges faced by Unificationists today.

Dr. Mickler is Director of the Sunhak Institute of History which documents the activities of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification in the United States. He is also the author of numerous books and articles on the Unification Movement recognized by the wider academic community and cited at length in major scholarly monographs. His book 40 Years in America: An Intimate History of the Unification Movement, 1959-99 is the definitive account of the Unification Movement’s emergence and development in the United States.

Dr Mickler’s new book, The Unification Church Movement, was only recently published by Cambridge University Press and is available for purchase on Amazon.

Since joining the faculty of Unification Theological Seminary in 1989, Dr. Mickler has served in a variety of administrative positions, including those of Academic Dean (1995-2000) and Vice-President (2000-2009, 2014-2022). He is an editorial board member of the Journal of Unification Studies. In 2022, Dr Mickler received the title of Distinguished Professor, the first and only faculty member with this distinction.