Book Description
A housewife and mother of four joined the movement of Rev. Sun Myung Moon and spent the next 36 years dedicating her life for a higher purpose, sacrificing all that she had to pursue a hope and vision for a better world in the future. Her experiences were undoubtedly dramatic, adventurous and profoundly rewarding, yet frustrating and unspeakably difficult.

Customer Reviews (2)

The power of brainwashing
I was dragged to one of the celebrations of UC by my friend.
Rev Moon kept talking for 3 hours straight, making fantastic
claims about himself god and Jesus ! Most of the audiance was fawning korean dimwits who kept shouting throughout the show. what a pathetic
bunch of people.

Can't put it down kind of book
The author is my mother who passed just two days after completing the final manuscript. Am I biased?Maybe.But the book is definitely well written.It was five years in the making.It tells the essence of Rev. Sun Myung Moon's teaching in a down to earth style.Shirley (Mom) intertwined her own life testimony with explaining the teachings.In her mind, she could talk about Rev. Moon's revelation in no other way than in a personal way because she was so much affected, personally, by the message.It gave her hope, resolve and a renewed joy in her life. ... Read more

Book Description
Unification Church examines the movement begun by Sun Myung Moon that has spread throughout North America since 1973. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Helpful
I took a personal interest in religion this past year and was looking for a book that would help explain the Unification Church to me.The first book I bought was very long and confusing, but this book was great.While it did seem that the followers of the Unificationist Church were being portrayed in a somewhat negative light, I still feel that the history of Reverend Moon and his ideas were well described.A very easy read; I recommend it if you would like to understand and read about the religion, but do not wish to have a dictionary next to you at all times.

A practical, neutral and simple guide
Easy to understand, logical and informative. I am against every type of cult and sect, so I think that this collection of books should make everybody clear how difficult it is nowadays to believe in ideas or inCorean false messiahs, who have a bomb factory and who proclame onw nationhigher than others (Cor > Jap > the rest > communists). Well, Irecommend this book to everyone.

Why Is There A Political Bias in This Series?
I find it interesting that Gomes' book on Unitarian-Universalism contains copious references to our traditions religious views, but this book on the Unification Church does not. I would have liked more discussion ofUnificationism's linksto Christian Right organisations in the eighties,and the Christian Right relationship to the Washington Times. The sectionon front groups is inadequate and should be expanded for thatreason.

However, I did like aspects of this book. The description ofUnificationist doctrine is good, and the author is not afraid to challengethe authoritarianism of the Unification movement. I would ask why theauthor does not similarly critique elements within his own evangelicaltradition that often lead evangelicals andUnificationists toco-belligerency. One other thing- the author does not comment on the fact that most evangelical critiques of the Unification movement are overfifteen to twenty years old, before the Unificationists started theircurrent conservative correctness campaign. I wonder ifthere is aconnection, and why the author does not comment on this? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

obctive and accurate
I am surprised that there are not more customer reviews. Much of the material about church life style is rather out of date since the book was published in the early 70's, if my memory serves me well. But it contains possibly the only in depth interview with Reverend Sun Myung Moon to bepublished. I am still impressed by Rev Moon's candour and how consistenthis remarks then are with his staements now and the whole of his life. Ialso find Professor Sontag's comments of great value, being unprejudicialand thoughtful. Aparently this book is now out of print. I would suggestthat the Unification Movement still carries copies. Check... the Unification websites.

Professors thoughtful investigation
I have read this book several times, and I have found it an accurate and thoughtful description of my church.All the major issues and most of the significant doctrines are here. ... Read more

Product Description
HC book, includes 6 chapters plus Bibliography, Chronological index, and index of persons, places, and institutions and a map for the City of Constance. The book combines translations of three of the most colorfum and detailed contemporary acounts of the council which met from 1414 to 1418. ... Read more

Book Description
"A collection of essays documenting the persistence with which Moon has infiltrated powerful groups in America, from the federal government to the universities. It is carefully edited by Irving L. Horowitz... and offers fine summations of the difficult constitutional issues raised by the current practice of kidnapping and deprogramming cult members... Excellent."
-- The New York Review of Books

"Some of the essays are highly critical of Moon, including charges about his alleged connection with the Korean CIA, the anti-Jewish thrust of some of his writings, his extensive financial resources, and his controversial tactics in recruiting new members. Other essays -- especially the one by Frederick Sontag -- commmend Moon. Editor Irving Horowitz, a well-respected professional sociologist, seeks to put the Unification Church into the perspective of American social history and includes his own chapter, which questions the appropriateness of Moon's sponsorship of the 1976 International Converence on the Unity of Sciences. This book, the first of its kind on Moon, is a well-balanced, highly valuable, comprehensive survey of an unusually aggressive contemporary religious sect."
-- Choice

"A valuable work of interdisciplinary scholarship and a useful demonstration that journalism and serious social science may peacefully cohabit the pages of the same book."
-- Chronicle of Higher Education ... Read more