The Unification Church: Mass Marriages and a Moonie Messiah

Row of identical vintage bride and groom figurines on white background — One of the most controversial tenets of the Unification Church was the marriage blessing, which often involved hundreds of marriages. Picture Partners / Shutterstock

New religious movements generally garner equal parts attention and skepticism; this is especially true for new and alternative religions in America. The United States has a long list of cult leaders who experienced a meteoric rise to fame, followed quickly by an abrupt fall from grace.

The same goes for the founders of the Unification Church, whose ultra-fundamental Christian ideals, mass arranged marriage ceremonies and "second-coming messiah" rhetoric often made more enemies than followers.

The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU)

Federation for World Peace and Unification, also known as the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC), members follow the belief system established by Reverend Sun Myung Moon, who believed he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ.

Moon's central tenets are written in "The Divine Principle" (1954), and members of the Unification Church, also known as the Universal Peace Federation, were eventually nicknamed "moonies." Moon and his followers all believed they were tasked with finishing Christ's unfinished work.

Who Founded the Unification Church?

Reverand Sun Myung Moon and his wife Hak Ja Han Moon were considered the divine parental figures of the religion.

During a five-year labor camp sentence in North Korea, Moon claimed that he was visited by Jesus Christ and other prophets from the spirit world who would teach him and his followers how to create the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

After Moon died in 2012, many of his sons divided followers across several sub-cults, including the Family Peace Association and the Rod of Iron Ministries.

FFWPU's Key Beliefs and Practices

Unification Church members consider the "Divine Principle" a supplementary text to the new and old Christian Testaments and a blueprint for the process toward perfection. God, the church and its principles are celebrated on several holy days and festivals scheduled according to the lunar calendar.

One of the most controversial tenets of the Unification Church was the marriage blessing, which often involved hundreds — sometimes thousands — of marriages. Sun Myung Moon originally hand-picked many of these couples; however, arranged marriages turned many people away from the organization.

This decision to later rebrand these ceremonies into "marriage affirmation" events for established spouses reflects many skeptical opinions that Moon established the Unification Church to serve his business interests.

Is the FFWPU Still Active?

The FFWPU is still active, although the organization is severely declining. The Unification Church in Japan is currently facing the threat of government dissolution following controversy, and there have been many protests against the current leadership at Cheongshim Peace World Center in Seoul.

Books and Resources About the Unification Church

Barker, Eileen, The Making of a Moonie: Choice or Brainwashing? (1984)
Biermans, John T., The Odyssey of New Religious Movements: Persecution, Struggle, Legitimation: A Case Study of the Unification Church, Lewiston, New York and Queenston, Ontario: The Edwin Melton Press
Daske, D. and Ashcraft, W. 2005, New Religious Movements, New York: New York University Press
Swatos, William H. Jr., Encyclopedia of Religion and Society, Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press. (1998)
Tingle, D. and Fordyce, Phases and Faces of the Moon: A Critical Examination of the Unification Church and its Principles, Hicksville, NY: Exposition Press (1979)
Walter Ralston Martin, Ravi K. Zacharias, The Kingdom of the Cults, Bethany House, 2003
Yamamoto, J. Isamu, Unification Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Zondervan Publishing House, February 10, 2012

Now That's Interesting

The United States has a long history of siding with questionable antagonists as long as they play nice and go along with national interests. An unusual example of this political phenomenon occurred in 1979 when Reverend Jacob Yasso of Detroit's Sacred Heart Chaldean Catholic Church congratulated future Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein on his presidential election. Hussein responded with a surprise $250,000 donation to the church. Yasso and then-mayor Coleman Young reciprocated the gift by presenting the war criminal with a key to the city.