Faculty Roundtable: The Victory of the Cross

On Tuesday, April 19, Unification Theological Seminary held a virtual Faculty Roundtable event where Dr. Andrew Wilson, Director of Scriptural Research and Professor of Scriptural Studies, spoke on “The Victory of the Cross.”

Dr. Wilson’s approach to Scriptural Studies is theological and ecumenical. His Old Testament courses explore what the scriptures mean and have meant to diverse communities of faith—the people of ancient Israel for whom they were written, the early Christians who read them in the light of Christ, and today’s believers—Jews and Christians of all stripes, including Unificationists. He challenges students to become interpreters of the Bible who can infuse it with new life for today’s believers and seekers of truth.

Dr. Wilson reminded those in attendance of the difference in the Christian and Unification understanding of Jesus’ mission and of the way in which Christians see the cross. He explained that he chose to speak on this topic around Easter in order to address the “problems and misunderstandings in the way we view each other.”

Dr. Wilson’s presentation was informed by his primary research activity of the past decade. He has been working during this period on the English translation of the Wolli Wonbon, the original manuscript of the Divine Principle. Wilson noted that the Wolli Wonbon contains an entire section entitled “The Victory of the Cross.”

In his presentation, Wilson unpacked the content of this section of the Wolli Wonbon, noting that by better understanding the extent of Jesus’ victory on the cross and the sacrifice he made on behalf of God and humankind, Unificationists can be in “better alignment with God’s heart, and Christianity, and with the future.”

Wilson described Jesus as a giant whose shoulders True Parents stand on. God’s providence moves in steps, and this is indicated by the similar utterances Jesus and Reverend Sun Myung Moon made at the end of their life: “It is finished.”

“Jesus finished his portion, Father finished his portion, Mother will finish her portion; what will remain is our portion. Everything should be a victory and a step forward,” he said. “God’s champions, including Jesus Christ, including our True Parents, have brought this world closer to realizing God’s original hope.

The presentation was followed by a Q&A session. Click here to view the recording of Dr. Wilson’s presentation.

The Faculty Roundtable Series is dedicated to presenting current academic research conducted by UTS faculty, alumni, and students. Each event features a new speaker and topic and includes an opportunity for questions and commentary.